Prognostic potential of m7G-associated lncRNA signature in predicting bladder cancer response to immunotherapy and chemotherapy

Abstract

Objectives: The influence of N7-methylguanosine (m7G) on cancer prognosis and immune response has been well-reported. However, the role of m7G-related long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in bladder cancer (BC) remains largely unexplored. This study wanted to explore the relationship between m7G-related lncRNAs and BC. Methods: To construct the m7G-related lncRNA signature, we utilized data obtained from TCGA. The collected data was then analyzed using R (version 4.2.1, Bell Laboratories, Boston, USA) and relevant packages. Results: The m7G-related lncRNA signature consisted of seven lncRNAs (including GATA3-AS1, LINC00930, LINC01341, MED14OS, MIR100HG, RUSC1-AS1, SNHG4). The prognostic and clinical relevance of the risk score was corroborated in both the TCGA and IMvigor210 datasets. Individuals characterized by a high-risk score displayed substantial enrichment in pathways associated with immunity, notably those pertaining to the innate immune response, cytokine-mediated signaling pathways, and the adaptive immune system. Additionally, the high-risk score group showed a positive correlation with many immune checkpoints, including CD274, CD40, CTLA4, PDCD1, PDCD1LG2, among others. Moreover, a significant difference in the TCIA score was observed between the high-risk and low-risk score groups, indicating the potential distinct immunotherapy response rates. Furthermore, patients with a high-risk score demonstrated increased sensitivity to cisplatin, docetaxel, doxorubicin, gemcitabine, and vinblastine. Conclusions: This m7G-related lncRNA signature demonstrates considerable promise as a prognostic biomarker in BC, facilitating the anticipation of responses to both immunotherapy and chemotherapy. This study provides a solid foundation for future investigations into the role of m7G-related lncRNAs in BC.