Association of High Tumor-Stroma Ratio with Prostate Cancer Progression: Insights from Clinical and Genomic Data

Wenbo Xu,1,2 Qian Niu,3 Kun Zhao,1,2 Haozhi Zhao,1,2 Long Zhang,1,2 Wenxuan Li,1,2 Hong Yan,3 Zhilong Dong1,2 1Institute of Urology, Gansu Province Clinical Research Center for Urinary System Disease, The Second Hospital & Clinical Medical School, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730030,...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Xu W, Niu Q, Zhao K, Zhao H, Zhang L, Li W, Yan H, Dong Z
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Dove Medical Press 2025-05-01
Series:International Journal of General Medicine
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.dovepress.com/association-of-high-tumor-stroma-ratio-with-prostate-cancer-progressio-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-IJGM
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849430959724691456
author Xu W
Niu Q
Zhao K
Zhao H
Zhang L
Li W
Yan H
Dong Z
author_facet Xu W
Niu Q
Zhao K
Zhao H
Zhang L
Li W
Yan H
Dong Z
author_sort Xu W
collection DOAJ
description Wenbo Xu,1,2 Qian Niu,3 Kun Zhao,1,2 Haozhi Zhao,1,2 Long Zhang,1,2 Wenxuan Li,1,2 Hong Yan,3 Zhilong Dong1,2 1Institute of Urology, Gansu Province Clinical Research Center for Urinary System Disease, The Second Hospital & Clinical Medical School, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730030, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Urology, The Second Hospital & Clinical Medical School, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Pathology, The Second Hospital & Clinical Medical School, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730030, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Hong Yan, Department of Pathology, The Second Hospital & Clinical Medical School, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730030, People’s Republic of China, Email 363891078@qq.com Zhilong Dong, Department of Urology, The Second Hospital & Clinical Medical School, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730030, People’s Republic of China, Email dzl19780829@163.comBackground: Tumor stroma ratio (TSR) is a prognostic factor in various cancers, but its role in prostate adenocarcinoma (PRAD) remains unclear. This study investigates TSR’s prognostic value in PRAD using clinicopathological data, bulk/single-cell RNA sequencing to explore tumor-stroma interactions and identify therapeutic targets.Methods: Two PRAD cohorts (The Cancer Genome Atlas cohort, TCGA; Lanzhou University Second Hospital, LUSH) were analyzed for TSR associations with clinicopathological features and biochemical recurrence (BCR). TSR was assessed via digital image analysis and expert pathologist review. Publicly available bulk/single-cell RNA sequencing data were analyzed to identify TSR-associated genes and predict drug targets, pathways, and immunotherapy responses. Quantitative real-time PCR validated mRNA expression. In vitro assays assessed cell proliferation, growth, and migration, while in vivo xenograft assays validated BGN’s role in promoting tumorigenesis.Results: TSR significantly correlated with clinicopathological features (age, Gleason score, stage, seminal vesicle invasion, BCR) in both TCGA (n = 453) and LUSH (n = 320) cohorts. High TSR independently predicted BCR in multivariable Cox regression. High TSR was associated with copy number variations, differentially expressed miRNAs/transcription factors, and metabolic pathways. Predicted anti-cancer drug targets, like Ki8751, showed potential benefit in high-TSR patients. High TSR may correlate with poor immunotherapy response. Notably, downregulation of BGN in cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) significantly suppressed cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro, and in vivo xenograft assays confirmed that BGN downregulation inhibited tumor growth.Conclusion: This study highlights TSR’s prognostic significance in prostate cancer and its association with adverse clinical outcomes and complex tumor-stroma interactions, identifying BGN, a stromal cell-related gene, as a potential therapeutic target for CAFs. However, these findings are limited by the retrospective design, necessitating prospective validation.Keywords: prostate cancer, tumor-stroma ratio, genomic, single-cell RNA sequencing, prognosis
format Article
id doaj-art-429f4e62590f44888d1ecf4c246c560c
institution Kabale University
issn 1178-7074
language English
publishDate 2025-05-01
publisher Dove Medical Press
record_format Article
series International Journal of General Medicine
spelling doaj-art-429f4e62590f44888d1ecf4c246c560c2025-08-20T03:27:48ZengDove Medical PressInternational Journal of General Medicine1178-70742025-05-01Volume 18Issue 125992618103088Association of High Tumor-Stroma Ratio with Prostate Cancer Progression: Insights from Clinical and Genomic DataXu WNiu QZhao KZhao HZhang L0Li W1Yan H2Dong ZurologyThe Second Hospital & Clinical Medical School, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730030, Gansu, China.pathology departmentWenbo Xu,1,2 Qian Niu,3 Kun Zhao,1,2 Haozhi Zhao,1,2 Long Zhang,1,2 Wenxuan Li,1,2 Hong Yan,3 Zhilong Dong1,2 1Institute of Urology, Gansu Province Clinical Research Center for Urinary System Disease, The Second Hospital & Clinical Medical School, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730030, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Urology, The Second Hospital & Clinical Medical School, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Pathology, The Second Hospital & Clinical Medical School, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730030, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Hong Yan, Department of Pathology, The Second Hospital & Clinical Medical School, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730030, People’s Republic of China, Email 363891078@qq.com Zhilong Dong, Department of Urology, The Second Hospital & Clinical Medical School, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730030, People’s Republic of China, Email dzl19780829@163.comBackground: Tumor stroma ratio (TSR) is a prognostic factor in various cancers, but its role in prostate adenocarcinoma (PRAD) remains unclear. This study investigates TSR’s prognostic value in PRAD using clinicopathological data, bulk/single-cell RNA sequencing to explore tumor-stroma interactions and identify therapeutic targets.Methods: Two PRAD cohorts (The Cancer Genome Atlas cohort, TCGA; Lanzhou University Second Hospital, LUSH) were analyzed for TSR associations with clinicopathological features and biochemical recurrence (BCR). TSR was assessed via digital image analysis and expert pathologist review. Publicly available bulk/single-cell RNA sequencing data were analyzed to identify TSR-associated genes and predict drug targets, pathways, and immunotherapy responses. Quantitative real-time PCR validated mRNA expression. In vitro assays assessed cell proliferation, growth, and migration, while in vivo xenograft assays validated BGN’s role in promoting tumorigenesis.Results: TSR significantly correlated with clinicopathological features (age, Gleason score, stage, seminal vesicle invasion, BCR) in both TCGA (n = 453) and LUSH (n = 320) cohorts. High TSR independently predicted BCR in multivariable Cox regression. High TSR was associated with copy number variations, differentially expressed miRNAs/transcription factors, and metabolic pathways. Predicted anti-cancer drug targets, like Ki8751, showed potential benefit in high-TSR patients. High TSR may correlate with poor immunotherapy response. Notably, downregulation of BGN in cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) significantly suppressed cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro, and in vivo xenograft assays confirmed that BGN downregulation inhibited tumor growth.Conclusion: This study highlights TSR’s prognostic significance in prostate cancer and its association with adverse clinical outcomes and complex tumor-stroma interactions, identifying BGN, a stromal cell-related gene, as a potential therapeutic target for CAFs. However, these findings are limited by the retrospective design, necessitating prospective validation.Keywords: prostate cancer, tumor-stroma ratio, genomic, single-cell RNA sequencing, prognosishttps://www.dovepress.com/association-of-high-tumor-stroma-ratio-with-prostate-cancer-progressio-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-IJGMProstate CancerTumor-Stroma RatioGenomicsingle-cell RNA sequencingPrognosis
spellingShingle Xu W
Niu Q
Zhao K
Zhao H
Zhang L
Li W
Yan H
Dong Z
Association of High Tumor-Stroma Ratio with Prostate Cancer Progression: Insights from Clinical and Genomic Data
International Journal of General Medicine
Prostate Cancer
Tumor-Stroma Ratio
Genomic
single-cell RNA sequencing
Prognosis
title Association of High Tumor-Stroma Ratio with Prostate Cancer Progression: Insights from Clinical and Genomic Data
title_full Association of High Tumor-Stroma Ratio with Prostate Cancer Progression: Insights from Clinical and Genomic Data
title_fullStr Association of High Tumor-Stroma Ratio with Prostate Cancer Progression: Insights from Clinical and Genomic Data
title_full_unstemmed Association of High Tumor-Stroma Ratio with Prostate Cancer Progression: Insights from Clinical and Genomic Data
title_short Association of High Tumor-Stroma Ratio with Prostate Cancer Progression: Insights from Clinical and Genomic Data
title_sort association of high tumor stroma ratio with prostate cancer progression insights from clinical and genomic data
topic Prostate Cancer
Tumor-Stroma Ratio
Genomic
single-cell RNA sequencing
Prognosis
url https://www.dovepress.com/association-of-high-tumor-stroma-ratio-with-prostate-cancer-progressio-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-IJGM
work_keys_str_mv AT xuw associationofhightumorstromaratiowithprostatecancerprogressioninsightsfromclinicalandgenomicdata
AT niuq associationofhightumorstromaratiowithprostatecancerprogressioninsightsfromclinicalandgenomicdata
AT zhaok associationofhightumorstromaratiowithprostatecancerprogressioninsightsfromclinicalandgenomicdata
AT zhaoh associationofhightumorstromaratiowithprostatecancerprogressioninsightsfromclinicalandgenomicdata
AT zhangl associationofhightumorstromaratiowithprostatecancerprogressioninsightsfromclinicalandgenomicdata
AT liw associationofhightumorstromaratiowithprostatecancerprogressioninsightsfromclinicalandgenomicdata
AT yanh associationofhightumorstromaratiowithprostatecancerprogressioninsightsfromclinicalandgenomicdata
AT dongz associationofhightumorstromaratiowithprostatecancerprogressioninsightsfromclinicalandgenomicdata