Exploring the potential mechanisms of PFAS exposure on colorectal cancer via combined bioinformatics analyses and experiments

We constructed a novel prognostic model based on 15 PFAS-related DEGs to predict the survival and responses to potential drugs and immunotherapy of CRC patients. Furthermore, we identified and assessed the feasibility of the critical gene PRAME in prognostic model as a vital marker for CRC. Our findings further suggested that PFOS exposure may increase the risk of CRC development via upregulation of PRAME-mediated PI3K/Akt/mTOR signalling pathway, indicating its potential as a novel therapeutic target for CRC in the future.