ALKBH family gene expression associates with metastasis and clinical features in colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a major cause of cancer-related morbidity and mortality worldwide. Members of the AlkB homolog (ALKBH) family, Fe(II)/α-ketoglutarate-dependent dioxygenases, are involved in the repair of alkylation damage and regulation of RNA modifications such as N6-methyladenosine (m⁶A). Although their dysregulation has been reported in several malignancies, the role of ALKBH family genes in CRC remains insufficiently characterized. The expression profiles of all nine human AlkB homologs ( ALKBH1–ALKBH8 and FTO ) were systematically analyzed in colorectal cancer tissues and matched adjacent non-tumor tissues. Gene expression was assessed using qPCR, and correlated with clinicopathological parameters, including tumor stage, grade, and metastasis. Several ALKBH genes were significantly dysregulated in CRC compared with control tissues. Elevated ALKBH2 , ALKBH3 , and ALKBH8 expression correlated with advanced disease stage and metastatic status. ALKBH5 demonstrated context-dependent roles consistent with dual oncogenic and tumor-suppressive activities. Correlation and ROC analyses indicated that ALKBH2 , ALKBH3, and ALKBH8 showed the strongest discriminatory performance for metastatic disease, while ALKBH7 exhibited associations with tumor localization and stage. This study provides a comprehensive evaluation of ALKBH family gene expression in colorectal cancer, demonstrating clinically relevant expression alterations. These findings suggest that selected ALKBH genes, particularly ALKBH2 , ALKBH3 , and ALKBH8 , warrant further investigation as candidate biomarkers pending external validation.