Integrated single cell and bulk RNA sequencing analyses reveal the impact of tryptophan metabolism on prognosis and immunotherapy in colon cancer

Abstract Tryptophan metabolism is intricately associated with the progression of colon cancer. This research endeavored to meticulously analyze tryptophan metabolic characteristics in colon cancer and forecast immunotherapy responses. This study analyzed colon cancer samples from a training cohort o...

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Main Authors: Yanyan Hu, Ximo Xu, Hao Zhong, Chengshen Ding, Sen zhang, Wei Qin, Enkui Zhang, Duohuo Shu, Mengqin Yu, Naijipu Abuduaini, Xiao Yang, Bo Feng, Jianwen Li
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Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-04-01
Series:Scientific Reports
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-85893-4
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author Yanyan Hu
Ximo Xu
Hao Zhong
Chengshen Ding
Sen zhang
Wei Qin
Enkui Zhang
Duohuo Shu
Mengqin Yu
Naijipu Abuduaini
Xiao Yang
Bo Feng
Jianwen Li
author_facet Yanyan Hu
Ximo Xu
Hao Zhong
Chengshen Ding
Sen zhang
Wei Qin
Enkui Zhang
Duohuo Shu
Mengqin Yu
Naijipu Abuduaini
Xiao Yang
Bo Feng
Jianwen Li
author_sort Yanyan Hu
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Tryptophan metabolism is intricately associated with the progression of colon cancer. This research endeavored to meticulously analyze tryptophan metabolic characteristics in colon cancer and forecast immunotherapy responses. This study analyzed colon cancer samples from a training cohort of 473 tumors and 41 normal tissues from TCGA, with validation in 902 cancer patients across multiple GEO datasets. Patients were stratified into subtypes through consistent clustering, and a tryptophan metabolic risk score model was constructed using the random forest algorithm. Based on these risk scores, patients were delineated into high and low-risk groups, and their clinicopathologic characteristics, immune cell infiltration, immune checkpoint expression, and signaling pathway disparities were examined. The Oncopredict algorithm facilitated the identification of sensitive chemotherapeutic agents, while the immune escape score was employed to evaluate the immunotherapy response across risk groups. Transcriptomic sequencing findings were corroborated by single-cell sequencing from Shanghai Ruijin Hospital. Two distinct subtypes of colon cancer patients emerged, exhibiting significant prognostic and immune cell infiltration differences. The high-risk group demonstrated a poorer prognosis (p < 0.001), advanced clinical stage (p < 0.001), and elevated immunosuppressive cell expression (p < 0.05). Additionally, three chemotherapeutic drugs showed efficacy in the high-risk cohort, displaying a heightened immune escape potential (p < 0.05) and diminished response to immunotherapy. Single-cell sequencing validated the overexpression of tryptophan-related genes in epithelial cells. In conclusion, tryptophan metabolism significantly influences the colon cancer immune microenvironment, with high-risk patients experiencing adverse prognoses and potentially reduced efficacy of immunotherapy.
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spelling doaj-art-38d7faf48e0b40ffbc8eb61ac9c9503a2025-08-20T02:17:05ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-04-0115111410.1038/s41598-025-85893-4Integrated single cell and bulk RNA sequencing analyses reveal the impact of tryptophan metabolism on prognosis and immunotherapy in colon cancerYanyan Hu0Ximo Xu1Hao Zhong2Chengshen Ding3Sen zhang4Wei Qin5Enkui Zhang6Duohuo Shu7Mengqin Yu8Naijipu Abuduaini9Xiao Yang10Bo Feng11Jianwen Li12Department of General Surgery, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of MedicineDepartment of General Surgery, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of MedicineDepartment of General Surgery, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of MedicineDepartment of General Surgery, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of MedicineDepartment of General Surgery, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of MedicineDepartment of General Surgery, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of MedicineDepartment of General Surgery, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of MedicineDepartment of General Surgery, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of MedicineDepartment of General Surgery, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of MedicineDepartment of General Surgery, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of MedicineDepartment of General Surgery, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of MedicineDepartment of General Surgery, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of MedicineDepartment of General Surgery, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of MedicineAbstract Tryptophan metabolism is intricately associated with the progression of colon cancer. This research endeavored to meticulously analyze tryptophan metabolic characteristics in colon cancer and forecast immunotherapy responses. This study analyzed colon cancer samples from a training cohort of 473 tumors and 41 normal tissues from TCGA, with validation in 902 cancer patients across multiple GEO datasets. Patients were stratified into subtypes through consistent clustering, and a tryptophan metabolic risk score model was constructed using the random forest algorithm. Based on these risk scores, patients were delineated into high and low-risk groups, and their clinicopathologic characteristics, immune cell infiltration, immune checkpoint expression, and signaling pathway disparities were examined. The Oncopredict algorithm facilitated the identification of sensitive chemotherapeutic agents, while the immune escape score was employed to evaluate the immunotherapy response across risk groups. Transcriptomic sequencing findings were corroborated by single-cell sequencing from Shanghai Ruijin Hospital. Two distinct subtypes of colon cancer patients emerged, exhibiting significant prognostic and immune cell infiltration differences. The high-risk group demonstrated a poorer prognosis (p < 0.001), advanced clinical stage (p < 0.001), and elevated immunosuppressive cell expression (p < 0.05). Additionally, three chemotherapeutic drugs showed efficacy in the high-risk cohort, displaying a heightened immune escape potential (p < 0.05) and diminished response to immunotherapy. Single-cell sequencing validated the overexpression of tryptophan-related genes in epithelial cells. In conclusion, tryptophan metabolism significantly influences the colon cancer immune microenvironment, with high-risk patients experiencing adverse prognoses and potentially reduced efficacy of immunotherapy.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-85893-4Colon cancerTryptophan metabolismRisk scorePrognosisImmunotherapy
spellingShingle Yanyan Hu
Ximo Xu
Hao Zhong
Chengshen Ding
Sen zhang
Wei Qin
Enkui Zhang
Duohuo Shu
Mengqin Yu
Naijipu Abuduaini
Xiao Yang
Bo Feng
Jianwen Li
Integrated single cell and bulk RNA sequencing analyses reveal the impact of tryptophan metabolism on prognosis and immunotherapy in colon cancer
Scientific Reports
Colon cancer
Tryptophan metabolism
Risk score
Prognosis
Immunotherapy
title Integrated single cell and bulk RNA sequencing analyses reveal the impact of tryptophan metabolism on prognosis and immunotherapy in colon cancer
title_full Integrated single cell and bulk RNA sequencing analyses reveal the impact of tryptophan metabolism on prognosis and immunotherapy in colon cancer
title_fullStr Integrated single cell and bulk RNA sequencing analyses reveal the impact of tryptophan metabolism on prognosis and immunotherapy in colon cancer
title_full_unstemmed Integrated single cell and bulk RNA sequencing analyses reveal the impact of tryptophan metabolism on prognosis and immunotherapy in colon cancer
title_short Integrated single cell and bulk RNA sequencing analyses reveal the impact of tryptophan metabolism on prognosis and immunotherapy in colon cancer
title_sort integrated single cell and bulk rna sequencing analyses reveal the impact of tryptophan metabolism on prognosis and immunotherapy in colon cancer
topic Colon cancer
Tryptophan metabolism
Risk score
Prognosis
Immunotherapy
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-85893-4
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