A novel gene signature related to fatty acid metabolism predicts prognosis, immune landscape, and drug sensitivity in early-stage lung squamous cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Dysregulation of fatty acid metabolism (FAM) represents a significant metabolic alteration in tumorigenesis. However, the role of FAM-related genes (FAMRGs) in early-stage lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) remains incompletely understood.

METHODS: A series of bioinformatic analyses and machine learning strategies were performed to construct a FAMRGs-based signature to predict prognosis and guide personalized treatment for early-stage LUSC patients. FAMRGs were screened through the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) database and the Molecular Signature Database (MSigDB). Prognosis FAMRGs were identified using univariate Cox regression, and unsupervised clustering analysis facilitated the division of the cohort into different clusters. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO)-Cox regression and multivariate regression analysis were employed to develop a FAMRGs-based signature for predicting overall survival (OS). A nomogram was subsequently constructed to facilitate risk assessment for individual patients. Comprehensive analyses of metabolic pathways, immune infiltration, immunomodulators, and potentially applicable drugs were conducted across different FAMRGs-related risk groups.

RESULTS: The FAMRGs-based signature, comprising nine genes ( ACOT11, APOH, BMX, CYP2R1, DPEP3, FABP6, FADS2, GLYATL2, and THRSP ), demonstrated robust predictive capabilities for prognosis in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA)-LUSC dataset and validated across six independent Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO)-LUSC datasets. Notably, the FAMRGs-base signature exhibited superior prognostic capacity and accurate survival prediction compared to conventional clinicopathological features. Furthermore, the signature was closely associated with immune cell infiltration, human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genes, and immune checkpoint genes expression. Additionally, the signature demonstrated potential sensitivity to chemo-/target-therapy.

CONCLUSIONS: The FAMRGs-based signature demonstrated superior sensitivity in predicting the prognosis of early-stage LUSC. Detecting FAMRGs may provide predictive targets for the development of clinical treatment strategies.