ITM2A promotes thyroid cancer differentiation through metabolic reprogramming and enhances PD-L1-dependent T-cell responses.

Abstract

The differentiation status of thyroid cancer (THCA) is closely associated with prognosis; however, the underlying molecular regulatory mechanisms remain incompletely understood. This study aimed to identify hub genes associated with THCA differentiation based on progression-free interval (PFI)-related genes and to explore the underlying mechanisms. The common database datasets were integrated to identify differentially expressed genes, and univariate Cox regression analysis was performed to determine PFI-related genes. Molecular subtypes were constructed using consensus clustering based on PFI-related genes, and the differentiation status of different subtypes was evaluated. Hub genes were subsequently identified using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (Lasso) regression and multivariate Cox regression analyses. In vitro experiments were conducted to validate the role of the hub gene in regulating dedifferentiation. Two PFI-related molecular subtypes were identified in this study. Cluster 2 exhibited a higher thyroid differentiation score (TDS), more favorable PFI outcomes, and metabolic features predominantly characterized by oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) and fatty acid oxidation (FAO). ITM2A was identified as a hub gene. High expression of ITM2A promoted differentiation of THCA cells, suppressed malignant characteristics, and drove a metabolic shift from glycolysis toward FAO. In addition, ITM2A counteracted TGF-β-induced dedifferentiation and epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and enhanced antigen presentation as well as PD-L1-dependent T-cell responses. ITM2A maintained the differentiated state of THCA through metabolic reprogramming and shaped an immunologically favorable microenvironment, suggesting that it may serve as a potential biomarker for prognosis prediction and a therapeutic target for optimizing immunotherapy strategies.