Integrated in silico and experimental analysis identifies MAGE-A3, TRIM28, and HLA-A as immunomodulatory targets in lung cancer

MAGEA3, a cancer-testis antigen selectively expressed in tumors, has been widely explored as a target for cancer immunotherapy, yet its broader immunoregulatory function in the lung tumor microenvironment remains insufficiently characterized. In this study, we conducted an integrative in silico analysis using transcriptomic data from TCGA-LUSC to delineate the expression landscape, immune contexture, and molecular interactions of MAGEA3. Protein–protein interaction networks constructed via STRING and ranked through CytoHubba identified TRIM28 and HLA-A as key co-regulatory molecules, implicating MAGEA3 in transcriptional repression and antigen presentation. TIMER2.0 deconvolution revealed cell-type–specific associations, including differential relationships with CD8⁺ T cells, dendritic cells, and macrophages. Gene-wise survival modeling in TCGA-LUSC indicated MAGEA3 and MAGEA6 associate with reduced overall survival, whereas TRIM28 showed a borderline protective trend. Experimental validation via RT-qPCR in A549 cells confirmed detectable expression of MAGEA3, TRIM28, and HLA-A, reinforcing the computational predictions and highlighting potential cross-histological relevance. Collectively, these findings position MAGEA3 within immunomodulatory circuits of lung cancer and support its consideration in multimodal immunotherapeutic paradigms.