Pan-cancer analysis of the role of ARHGDIB in human cancers

Background Rho GDP dissociation inhibitor 2 (ARHGDIB), a key regulator of Rho GTPase, plays a significant role in the onset and progression of cancer by participating in various biological processes. However, the diverse biological roles of ARHGDIB across pan-cancer remain systematically and comprehensively unexplored. We aimed to elucidate the diagnostic and prognostic roles of ARHGDIB and its potential tumor-related mechanisms in human cancers, using bioinformatics approaches. Methods Data on 33 tumor types were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas, and R software was used to statistically analyze ARHGDIB expression levels and prognostic significance across pan-cancer. Western blot was used to verify the protein expression of ARHGDIB in breast cancer and liver cancer cell lines. Additionally, various databases, including UALCAN, GEPIA, cBioPortal, TIMER, CancerSEA, GSCALite, and GSEA, were used to examine ARHGDIB protein expression across pan-cancer, its correlation with tumor pathological staging, ARHGDIB mutation types and frequencies, and immune cell infiltration. Furthermore, functional analyses at the single-cell level, drug sensitivity assessments, and explorations of related signaling pathways were performed. Results ARHGDIB exhibits abnormal expression at mRNA and protein levels across various cancers. Western blot results show that ARHGDIB is highly expressed in breast cancer and liver cancer cells. ARHGDIB influences the prognosis of lower-grade glioma, bladder cancer, sarcoma, and skin cutaneous melanoma. It exhibits the highest frequency of gene alterations in uterine carcinosarcoma, primarily characterized by gene amplification. Additionally, ARHGDIB is strongly associated with immune-infiltrating cells and immune checkpoints in the tumor microenvironment. It potentially influences cancer progression through multiple signaling pathways. Conclusions ARHGDIB is a potential prognostic marker in various cancers and a crucial regulator of the tumor microenvironment. It represents a promising therapeutic target by modulating cancer progression through multiple biological behaviors and signaling pathways.