Pan-Cancer Analysis Links Altered RNA m7G Methyltransferase Expression to Oncogenic Pathways, Immune Cell Infiltrations and Overall Survival

Background

N7-methylguanosine (m⁷G) modification is one of the most prevalent RNA modifications in humans. Dysregulated m⁷G modifications caused by aberrant expression of m⁷G writers contribute to cancer progression and result in worse patient survival in several human cancers. However, studies that systematically assess the frequency and clinical relevance of aberrant m⁷G writer expression in a pan-cancer cohort remain to be performed.

Aims

This study aims to systematically investigate the molecular alteration and clinical relevance of m⁷G methyltransferase in human cancers.

Methods

We analysed genome, transcriptome and clinical data from the Cancer Genome Atlas Research Network spanning 33 types of human cancers for aberrant changes in genes encoding m⁷G writers.

Result

We demonstrate that m⁷G writers are dysregulated in human cancers and are associated predominantly with poorer survival. By dividing patients into those with high and low m⁷G scores, we show that a lower m⁷G score is generally associated with immune infiltration and better response to immunotherapy.

Conclusion

Our analyses indicate the genetic alterations, expression patterns and clinical relevance of m⁷G writers across various cancers. This study provides insights into the potential utility of m⁷G writer expression as a cancer biomarker and proposes the possibility of targeting m⁷G writers for cancer therapy.