AUTHOR=Wu Xingui , Yu Ruyuan , Yang Meisongzhu , Hu Yameng , Tang Miaoling , Zhang Shuxia , Abudourousuli Ainiwaerjiang , Li Xincheng , Li Ziwen , Liao Xinyi , Xu Yingru , Li Man , Chen Suwen , Qian Wanying , Feng Rongni , Li Jun , Li Fenjie TITLE=Integrated Analysis of Glutathione Metabolic Pathway in Pancreatic Cancer JOURNAL=Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology VOLUME=10 YEAR=2022 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cell-and-developmental-biology/articles/10.3389/fcell.2022.896136 DOI=10.3389/fcell.2022.896136 ISSN=2296-634X ABSTRACT=

Metabolic enzyme-genes (MEs) play critical roles in various types of cancers. However, MEs have not been systematically and thoroughly studied in pancreatic cancer (PC). Global analysis of MEs in PC will help us to understand PC progressing and provide new insights into PC therapy. In this study, we systematically analyzed RNA sequencing data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) (n = 180 + 4) and GSE15471 (n = 36 + 36) and discovered that metabolic pathways are disordered in PC. Co-expression network modules of MEs were constructed using weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), which identified two key modules. Both modules revealed that the glutathione signaling pathway is disordered in PC and correlated with PC stages. Notably, glutathione peroxidase 2 (GPX2), an important gene involved in glutathione signaling pathway, is a hub gene of the key modules. Analysis of immune microenvironment components reveals that PC stage is associated with M2 macrophages, the marker gene of which is significantly correlated with GPX2. The results indicated that GPX2 is associated with PC progression, providing new insights for future targeted therapy.