Adenylosuccinate lyase (ADSL) is a pan-cancer prognostic and immune biomarker with distinct roles in hepatocellular carcinoma.

backgroundThe role of ADSL in various types of cancer remains inadequately understood. We encompassed a comprehensive examination of the mechanistic features of ADSL and explored its viability as a broad-spectrum predictor for malignancies.

methodsThrough a comprehensive pan-cancer examination, methylation assessment, immune infiltration evaluation, and further integration of single-cell transcriptome analysis, cellular communication, nomogram modeling, and prospective drug prediction in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), we have undertaken a thorough investigation of the biological roles of ADSL in neoplasms, especially in HCC.

resultsADSL is markedly overexpressed in neoplastic tissues. ADSL downregulation is significantly correlated with improved overall survival (OS) across diverse cancer types, particularly in HCC. Moreover, in a broad spectrum of cancer subtypes, there is a reduction in the promoter methylation levels of ADSL. In single-cell transcriptome analysis, compared to the ADSL low expression group, the interactions between HCC cells and other cells in the ADSL high expression group were significantly enhanced in both quantity and intensity, suggesting that the ADSL high expression group may have a more complex cell communication network, with key pathways related to tumor progression possibly being significantly activated. Subsequent drug prediction assessments revealed that ADSL is linked to multiple pharmaceuticals, including Thapsigargin, Doramapimod, Elesclomol, and PF - 562271.

conclusionsADSL holds potential as a promising prognostic marker for OS in various cancer types, particularly in HCC. Additional research is needed to confirm these findings and to understand how ADSL affects cancer development.