Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40522583›Full record

ArticleDiscover oncology2025

Identification of DCAF5 as a novel cancer prognostic and immunotherapy biomarker through pan-cancer analysis and renal clear cell carcinoma clinical data validation.

Huaqing Yan, Liqi Zhang, Fan Xu, Tieding Chen, Rubing Li

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Discover oncology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

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0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

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1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Huaqing YanDepartment of Urology, Ningbo Medical Center Lihuili Hospital, Ningbo, 315000, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China. yanhuaqing@zju.edu.cn.
Liqi ZhangDepartment of Reproductive Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315000, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China.
Fan XuDepartment of Urology, Ningbo Medical Center Lihuili Hospital, Ningbo, 315000, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China.
Tieding ChenDepartment of Urology, Ningbo Medical Center Lihuili Hospital, Ningbo, 315000, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China.
Rubing LiDepartment of Urology, Ningbo Medical Center Lihuili Hospital, Ningbo, 315000, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China. lhluro@163.com.

Funding

Project of Zhejiang Medical and Health Science and technology plan 2024KY300Project of Zhejiang Medical and Health Science and technology plan 2025KY1285The Natural Science Foundation of Ningbo 202003N4258The Natural Science Foundation of Ningbo 2022J259The Natural Science Foundation of Ningbo 2023J145
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundDCAF5 encodes a component of ubiquitin ligase complex, thereby influencing protein ubiquitination. Recent research underscored its potential to revert the malignant phenotype, as evidenced in vivo studies, while the scarcity of research about DCAF5 challenges for its development as a novel target for cancer treatment.

methodsWe conducted an immunohistochemical analysis to compare the expression levels of DCAF5 in renal clear cell carcinoma tissues with those in adjacent non-neoplastic tissues. Subsequently, we performed survival analyses to explore the correlation between DCAF5 expression and patient outcomes. Multiple public databases were used such as the UCSC Xena platform, The Cancer Genome Atlas, and the Genotype-Tissue Expression project. The raw data extracted from the UCSC Xena platform was subsequently processed utilizing online analytical tools to facilitate further in-depth examination.

resultsOur investigation has discovered a significant reduction in DCAF5 expression within renal clear cell carcinoma tissues when juxtaposed with adjacent non-cancerous tissues. Further experimental validation demonstrated that patients with higher pathology grades exhibited lower DCAF5 expression. In a broader oncological context, our comprehensive analysis across various cancer types revealed a heterogeneous expression pattern of DCAF5. Concurrently, an examination of publicly accessible databases has highlighted a notable correlation between DCAF5 expression and both immune scores and immune cell infiltration in a range of cancer types. It is noteworthy that DCAF5 's potential as an immunotherapy biomarker was recognized, distinguishing it from several established markers in this domain. Finally, our analysis of genetic alterations identified gene amplification as the predominant form of aberration affecting the DCAF5 gene.

conclusionOur findings reveal that DCAF5 exhibits context-dependent dual roles across cancers and demonstrates superior predictive value over traditional biomarkers like TMB in immunotherapy. This highlights its potential as a dual-functional biomarker for prognosis and immunotherapy personalization, particularly in SMARCB1-deficient malignancies.

Indexed as

Bioinformatic analysisDCAF5ImmunizationPan-cancerPrognosis

Identifiers

PMID40522583
PMCPMC12170971

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.