Exosomal C5orf46 gene: a Potential Prognosis Risk Indicator with Implication in KIRC included Pan-cancer Tumor Microenvironment Remodeling

Abstract Background Exosomes have been important particles that mediate not only cellular communication, but also participate in multiple critical processes of cancer development. The aim of the study is to explore the role of a specific exosome C5orf46 gene in the development of human pan-cancer for potential clinical application. Methods The study started with the physicochemical property, and then gene expression as well as alteration patterns of C5orf46 in cancers, followed by post transcription modulation of the gene and then survival analysis in cancers. Moreover, the correlation between C5orf46 and multiple critical cancer parameters including angiogenesis, cancer stemness, DNA repair, and immune infiltration were in succession explored, which were partly validated using local hospital KIRC samples. Results Firstly, physicochemical properties of C5orf46 were computed including its aminoacid composition, estimated molecular weight and protein half life. Then, based on gene expression as well as survival analysis result, C5orf46 was shown to be up-regulated in KIRC included various human cancers which was partly due to DNA methylation modulation. And of more clinical significance, the changed expression correlated with worse patients survival. Moreover, the association between C5orf46 and multiple critical cancer traits including microenvironment angiogenesis, immune infiltration, extra cellular matrix (ECM) degradation and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) were validated. Further, C5orf46 gene was indicated to correlate with the sensitivity of several chemotherapy related drugs. Conclusions Based on TCGA pan-cancer data and local hospital samples experiments, we discovered that exosome containing C5orf46 potentially works as an oncogene which was associated with multiple important clinical cancers traits. Although more detailed experiments are needed to validate the gene function, the study shall reveal valuable strategy concerning the role of C5orf46 gene in the development of human cancers.