A Pan-Cancer Study of Tumour-Associated Efferocytosis Core Genes and Preliminary Exploration of TIMD4 in Renal Cell Carcinoma

Efferocytosis plays a crucial role in maintaining the stability of the immune microenvironment. Increasing research indicates that efferocytosis core genes (ECGs) are not only widely expressed in immune cells, but also expressed at significant levels in tumour cells, impacting tumour progression. However, the comprehensive effects of ECGs on cancer prognosis and the immune microenvironment remain underexplored. This study analysed data from 33 tumour types to assess the expression, diagnostic and prognostic values of ECGs as well as gene modification landscapes. It also predicted the correlation between ECGs, the immune microenvironment and responses to immunotherapy, revealing that lower ECGs expression levels were associated with better immunotherapy responses in various cancers. Additionally, molecular docking studies simulated the interactions between TIMD4 and its sensitive drugs, facilitating targeted drug development. Finally, both in vitro and in vivo experiments confirmed that silencing TIMD4 could effectively inhibit the proliferation and invasion of renal cell carcinoma. Overall, TIMD4 can be used as an important biomarker for tumour prognosis and immunotherapy response, providing new insights into the mechanisms of tumour immune microenvironment and progression, as well as a novel therapeutic target.