AUTHOR=Shen Liping , Jiang Shan , Yang Yu , Yang Hongli , Fang Yanchun , Tang Meng , Zhu Rangteng , Xu Jiaqin , Jiang Hantao 

TITLE=Pan-cancer and single-cell analysis reveal the prognostic value and immune response of NQO1

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology

VOLUME=11

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cell-and-developmental-biology/articles/10.3389/fcell.2023.1174535

DOI=10.3389/fcell.2023.1174535

ISSN=2296-634X

ABSTRACT=<p><bold>Background:</bold> Overexpression of the <italic>NAD(P)H: Quinone Oxidoreductase 1 (NQOI)</italic> gene has been linked with tumor progression, aggressiveness, drug resistance, and poor patient prognosis. Most research has described the biological function of the <italic>NQO1</italic> in certain types and limited samples, but a comprehensive understanding of the <italic>NQO1</italic>’s function and clinical importance at the pan-cancer level is scarce. More research is needed to understand the role of <italic>NQO1</italic> in tumor infiltration, and immune checkpoint inhibitors in various cancers are needed.</p><p><bold>Methods:</bold> The <italic>NQO1</italic> expression data for 33 types of pan-cancer and their association with the prognosis, pathologic stage, gender, immune cell infiltration, the tumor mutation burden, microsatellite instability, immune checkpoints, enrichment pathways, and the half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) were downloaded from public databases.</p><p><bold>Results:</bold> Our findings indicate that the <italic>NQO1</italic> gene was significantly upregulated in most cancer types. The Cox regression analysis showed that overexpression of the <italic>NQO1</italic> gene was related to poor OS in Glioma, uveal melanoma, head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, kidney renal papillary cell carcinoma, and adrenocortical carcinoma. <italic>NQO1</italic> mRNA expression positively correlated with infiltrating immune cells and checkpoint molecule levels. The single-cell analysis revealed a potential relationship between the <italic>NQO1</italic> mRNA expression levels and the infiltration of immune cells and stromal cells in bladder urothelial carcinoma, invasive breast carcinoma, and colorectal cancer. Conversely, a negative association was noted between various drugs (17-AAG, Lapatinib, Trametinib, PD-0325901) and the <italic>NQO1</italic> mRNA expression levels.</p><p><bold>Conclusion:</bold> NQO1 expression was significantly associated with prognosis, immune infiltrates, and drug resistance in multiple cancer types. The inhibition of the <italic>NQO1</italic>-dependent signaling pathways may provide a promising strategy for developing new cancer-targeted therapies.</p>