Detailed Examination of Telomere-Associated Changes and Their Prognostic Value in Glioblastoma

Abstract Background Telomeres protect chromosome ends from degradation and prevent the loss of genetic information during cell division. They also play a key role in cellular aging and stability by regulating the replicative lifespan of cells. The impact of telomere-related genes on glioblastoma is not well understood. Methods We retrieved the telomere-related expression profiles of 160 glioma patients from the TCGA database (https://portal.gdc.cancer.gov). Using the Cox proportional hazards model, we studied the relationship between telomere-related gene expression profiles and patient prognosis, and validated the findings in the GSE4412 dataset. We explored the associations between the prognostic model, pathway enrichment, and immune infiltration. Additionally, at the single-cell level, we analyzed the subgroup distribution of CPPED1 to investigate its biological role in glioma cells. Results In the telomere-related prognostic model, patients in the high-risk group had poorer outcomes. Telomere-related genes were mainly enriched in pathways regulating the cytoskeleton. High-risk patients exhibited stronger memory B cell infiltration and activated pathways such as inflammation-promoting, Type I IFN Response, and cytolytic activity. Reducing CPPED1 expression inhibited the proliferation and migration of glioma cells. Conclusion Eleven telomere-related genes can predict patient prognosis and provide insights for personalized treatment.