Purpose: The tumor microenvironment (TME) plays a crucial role in the progression and prognosis of gastric cancer (GC). This study investigated TME-associated genes and explored their roles in the GC microenvironment.
Methods: A total of 330 GC samples were extracted from TCGA. ESTIMATE and CIBERSORT algorithms were utilized to evaluate the stromal and immune scores of GC samples and the fraction of 22 immune cells infiltrated in the TME. Then, the TME-related differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were determined through integrative analysis. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network and Cox regression analysis were conducted to analyze DEGs, and CSF1R was determined as the most crucial gene. We further probed the role of CSF1R in the GC microenvironment and evaluated the prognostic value of CSF1R.
Results: We identified 560 TME-related DEGs and found CSF1R associated with the development and prognosis of GC. Further analysis showed that CSF1R was involved in immune-related signaling pathways. Furthermore, CIBERSORT analysis revealed that CSF1R expression correlated with several kinds of infiltrating immune cells, including tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), B cells, NK cells, neutrophils, eosinophils, T cells, dendritic cells, and so on.
Conclusion: In summary, CSF1R might take part in the modulation of immune-active status in the GC microenvironment and could be a promising biomarker for GC therapy and prognosis.
Keywords: CSF1R, gastric cancer, tumor microenvironment, infiltrating immune cells, ESTIMATE algorithm, CIBERSORT algorithm