Chromatin assembly factor 1 subunit B expression correlates with favorable prognosis and potential therapeutic response prediction in left-sided colorectal cancer

BACKGROUND Chromatin assembly factor 1 subunit B (CHAF1B) exhibits heterogeneous functions in human tumors.The location-related prognostic significance and biological roles of CHAF1B in colorectal cancer (CRC) remain poorly characterized.AIM To investigate the prognostic relevance of CHAF1B in CRC, with a particular focus on its biological functions and clinical implications in left-sided CRC (LCRC).METHODS CHAF1B expression was analyzed using The Cancer Genome Atlas and Gene Expression Omnibus datasets and validated by our single-center clinical cohort.Single-cell transcriptomic profiling was applied to delineate the cellular distribution of CHAF1B.In vitro functional assays were performed using the SW480 LCRC cell line.Bioinformatic enrichment analysis and western blotting were also performed to preliminarily explore the underlying molecular pathways and biological functions.RESULTS CHAF1B was universally overexpressed in CRC, with potential tumor suppressive effects observed in LCRC (SW480 cells).High CHAF1B independently predicted favorable overall survival in LCRC patients and suppressed cell migration, invasion, and cell viability in vitro.Elevated CHAF1B was associated with altered cellular sensitivity to first-line chemotherapies 5-fluorouracil and oxaliplatin.CHAF1B expression positively correlated with microsatellite instability-high 4 / 47 status and high tumor mutational burden, and may correlate with improved immunotherapy response.CONCLUSION CHAF1B expression is associated with favorable prognosis and may serve as a candidate biomarker for prognostic evaluation and therapeutic response prediction in LCRC.