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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Pharmacol.
Sec. Experimental Pharmacology and Drug Discovery
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1447605
This article is part of the Research Topic Novel Biomarkers in Solid Tumors and Related Medicine Therapy View all 6 articles

The Role of GZMA as a Target of Cysteine and Biomarker in Alzheimer's Disease, Pelvic Organ Prolapse, and Tumor Progression

Provisionally accepted
Yan Li Yan Li 1,2Zhuo Wang Zhuo Wang 3Min Kong Min Kong 3Yuanyuan Yong Yuanyuan Yong 4Xin Yang Xin Yang 3Chongdong Liu Chongdong Liu 5*
  • 1 Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
  • 2 General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia Hui Region, China
  • 3 School of Clinical Medicine, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia Hui Region, China
  • 4 Department o Gynecology, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
  • 5 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Objective: This study aims to investigate how changes in peripheral blood metabolites in Alzheimer's Disease (AD) patients affect the development of Pelvic Organ Prolapse (POP) using a multi-omics approach. We specifically explore the interactions of signaling pathways, gene expression, and protein-metabolite interactions, with a focus on GZMA and cysteine in age-related diseases. Methods: This study utilized multi-omics analysis, including metabolomics and transcriptomics, to evaluate the perturbations in peripheral blood metabolites and their effect on POP in AD patients. Additionally, a comprehensive pan-cancer and immune infiltration analysis was performed on the core targets of AD combined with POP, exploring their potential roles in tumor progression and elucidating their pharmacological relevance to solid tumors. Results: We identified 47 differential metabolites linked to 9 significant signaling pathways, such as unsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis and amino acid metabolism. A thorough gene expression analysis revealed numerous differentially expressed genes (DEGs), with Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) showing significant changes in gene profiles of AD and POP. Network topology analysis highlighted central nodes in the AD-POP co-expressed genes network. Functional analyses indicated involvement in critical biological processes and pathways. Molecular docking studies showed strong interactions between cysteine and proteins PTGS2 and GZMA, and molecular dynamics simulations confirmed the stability of these complexes. In vitro validation demonstrated that cysteine reduced ROS levels and protected cell viability. GZMA was widely expressed in various cancers, associated with immune cells, and correlated with patient survival prognosis. Conclusions: Multi-omics analysis revealed the role of peripheral blood metabolites in the molecular dynamics of AD and their interactions with POP. This study identified potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets, emphasizing the effectiveness of integrative approaches in treating AD and POP concurrently. The findings highlight the need for in-depth research on novel targets and biomarkers to advance therapeutic strategies.

    Keywords: Alzheimer's disease, Pelvic Organ Prolapse, Multi-omics analysis, Metabolomics, Transcriptomics

    Received: 11 Jun 2024; Accepted: 30 Jul 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Li, Wang, Kong, Yong, Yang and Liu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Chongdong Liu, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100020, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.