DCLRE1B promotes tumor progression and predicts immunotherapy response through METTL3-mediated m6A modification in pancreatic cancer

Background: DCLRE1B is a 5'-to-3' exonuclease, which is involved in repairing ICL-related DNA damage. DCLRE1B has been reported to cause poor prognosis in a variety of cancers. Nonetheless, there is no research on DCLRE1B's biological role in pan-cancer datasets. Thus, ascertaining the processes via which DCLRE1B modulates tumorigenesis was the goal of the extensive bioinformatics investigation of pan-cancer datasets in the present research.

Methods: In our research, employing internet websites and databases including TIMER, GEPIA, TISIDB, Kaplan-Meier Plotter, SangerBox, cBioPortal, and LinkedOmics, DCLRE1B-related data in numerous tumors were extracted. To ascertain the association among DCLRE1B expression, prognosis, genetic changes, and tumor immunity, the pan-cancer datasets were examined. The DCLRE1B's biological roles in pancreatic cancer cells were ascertained by employing wound healing, in vitro CCK-8, and MeRIP-qPCR assays.

Result: According to the pan-cancer analysis, in numerous solid tumors, DCLRE1B upregulation was observed. Expression of DCLRE1B was found to be substantially related to the cancer patients' prognoses. Similarly, expression of DCLRE1B exhibited substantial association with immune cells in several cancer types. DCLRE1B expression correlated with immune checkpoint (ICP) gene expression and impacted immunotherapy sensitivity. According to in vitro trials, DCLRE1B promoted PC cells' proliferation and migration capacities. Also, according to GSEA enrichment analysis, DCLRE1B might participate in the JAK-STAT signaling pathway, which was confirmed by western blotting. In addition, we also found that the downregulation of DCLRE1B may be regulated by METTL3-mediated m6A modification.

Conclusions: In human cancer, the overexpression of DCLRE1B was generally observed, which aided cancer onset and advancement via a variety of processes comprising control of the immune cells' tumor infiltration. According to this study's findings, in a few malignant tumors, DCLRE1B is a candidate immunotherapeutic and prognostic biomarker.