Unlocking hidden potential: The Prognostic Value and Immunoinfiltration of CACUL1 in Malignant Tumours

Background: CDK2 associated cullin domain 1 (CACUL1), also named C10ORF46, is a poorly understood gene. Growing evidence illustrates that CACUL1 plays a potential role in malignant tumors. However, the prognostic value of CACUL1 in malignant tumors didn’t significant. Methods: In this study, HPA, TCGA, GEO, TIMER2, GEPIA, GTEx, CPTAC, TISCH, and a variety of other bioinformatics tools were used. The expression was verified by immunohistochemistry. Results: CACUL1 was markedly overexpressed in tumours and correlated with poor prognosis. It will be a potiental biomarker for predicting HCC prognosis. The evidence of a variety of genetic and epigenetic signatures of CACUL1 in different types of cancer has been studied, and some of the results are also in relation to prognosis. Additionally, CACUL1 is associated with the expression of currently recognised immune checkpoints or infiltrates. Further analysis of CACUL1 and tumour-associated immune cells revealed a link between CACUL1 and macrophages in multiple tumour types. The promotion of poor prognosis by CACUL1 may be associated with a tumor-promoting phenotype of macrophages. Functional prediction of CACUL1 has focused on the molecular pathways of metabolism and the pathways in cancer. It is suggested that metabolic pathways may be the mechanism by which CACUL1 exerts its function to affect macrophage polarisation and thus promote poor prognosis. Finally, immunohistochemistry staining demonstrated that CACUL1 expression is markedly higher in tumour tissues. Conclusion: This first pan-cancer study of CACUL1 suggests a carcinogenic function in multiple tumors, and its closeness to immune cells hints at its potential application in anti-tumor immunotherapy.