Integrated bioinformatics analysis identified cuproptosis-related hub gene Mpeg1 as potential biomarker in spinal cord injury
Abstract Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a profound ailment lacking a well-defined molecular mechanism and effective treatments. Cuproptosis, identified as a recently discovered cell death pathway, exhibits diverse roles in various cancers. Nevertheless, its involvement in SCI is yet to be elucidated. F...
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Nature Portfolio
2025-01-01
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-86170-0 |
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| author | Dandan Mao Qi Chen Shuolan Tong Zixia Xu Guofeng Yu Chuan Chang Yao Lv |
| author_facet | Dandan Mao Qi Chen Shuolan Tong Zixia Xu Guofeng Yu Chuan Chang Yao Lv |
| author_sort | Dandan Mao |
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| description | Abstract Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a profound ailment lacking a well-defined molecular mechanism and effective treatments. Cuproptosis, identified as a recently discovered cell death pathway, exhibits diverse roles in various cancers. Nevertheless, its involvement in SCI is yet to be elucidated. Firstly, the RNA sequencing data of 1, 3, 7 dpi SCI samples were collected from GEO database. We performed differential expression analysis on these samples with varying cuproptosis-related scores calculating by ssGSEA. Subsequently, we conducted enrichment analyses with KEGG, GO, and GSEA. Simultaneously, we executed WGCNA analysis using cuproptosis-related scores, selecting the most relevant module for enrichment analysis. Hub genes were identified at the intersection of PPI analysis results from two modules and cuproptosis-related DEGs. Additionally, relying on the immune infiltration landscape associated with cuproptosis, we carried out immune cell correlation analysis on hub genes. Finally, to corroborate our earlier findings, we utilized single-cell RNA-seq analysis and in vitro experimental validation. Based on ssGSEA, differential expression analysis and WGCNA analysis, we identified two modules that were highly relevant to cell division and immune processes, respectively. From these modules, we identified two hub genes, Cd48 and Mpeg1, which exhibited a strong positive correlation (R = 0.92) and shared similar pathways. Furthermore, we observed a positive correlation between M2 macrophages and Cd48/Mpeg1. To validate our findings, we performed external cohort validation using a single-cell RNA sequencing dataset. The results confirmed that Mpeg1 was highly expressed in microglia (macrophages in center nervous system) following spinal cord injury. Additionally, we conducted in vitro experiments to further validate the molecular functions of Mpeg1 in SCI. In summary, targeting Mpeg1, as well as cuproptosis and immune cell infiltration, holds promise as a potential strategy for reducing spinal cord tissue damage and promoting recovery after SCI. These findings provide valuable insights for future therapeutic interventions. |
| format | Article |
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| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
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| spelling | doaj-art-d9f3716c5b6b4f4e9b931415f39a44c12025-01-19T12:17:02ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-01-0115111510.1038/s41598-025-86170-0Integrated bioinformatics analysis identified cuproptosis-related hub gene Mpeg1 as potential biomarker in spinal cord injuryDandan Mao0Qi Chen1Shuolan Tong2Zixia Xu3Guofeng Yu4Chuan Chang5Yao Lv6Department of Neurosurgery, The Quzhou Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Quzhou People’s HospitalDepartment of Nursing, Huashan Hospital, Fudan UniversityThe First Clinical Medical College, Wenzhou Medical UniversityThe First Clinical Medical College, Wenzhou Medical UniversityDepartment of Neurosurgery, The Quzhou Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Quzhou People’s HospitalDepartment of Neurosurgery, Huashan hospital, Fudan UniversityDepartment of Neurosurgery, The Quzhou Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Quzhou People’s HospitalAbstract Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a profound ailment lacking a well-defined molecular mechanism and effective treatments. Cuproptosis, identified as a recently discovered cell death pathway, exhibits diverse roles in various cancers. Nevertheless, its involvement in SCI is yet to be elucidated. Firstly, the RNA sequencing data of 1, 3, 7 dpi SCI samples were collected from GEO database. We performed differential expression analysis on these samples with varying cuproptosis-related scores calculating by ssGSEA. Subsequently, we conducted enrichment analyses with KEGG, GO, and GSEA. Simultaneously, we executed WGCNA analysis using cuproptosis-related scores, selecting the most relevant module for enrichment analysis. Hub genes were identified at the intersection of PPI analysis results from two modules and cuproptosis-related DEGs. Additionally, relying on the immune infiltration landscape associated with cuproptosis, we carried out immune cell correlation analysis on hub genes. Finally, to corroborate our earlier findings, we utilized single-cell RNA-seq analysis and in vitro experimental validation. Based on ssGSEA, differential expression analysis and WGCNA analysis, we identified two modules that were highly relevant to cell division and immune processes, respectively. From these modules, we identified two hub genes, Cd48 and Mpeg1, which exhibited a strong positive correlation (R = 0.92) and shared similar pathways. Furthermore, we observed a positive correlation between M2 macrophages and Cd48/Mpeg1. To validate our findings, we performed external cohort validation using a single-cell RNA sequencing dataset. The results confirmed that Mpeg1 was highly expressed in microglia (macrophages in center nervous system) following spinal cord injury. Additionally, we conducted in vitro experiments to further validate the molecular functions of Mpeg1 in SCI. In summary, targeting Mpeg1, as well as cuproptosis and immune cell infiltration, holds promise as a potential strategy for reducing spinal cord tissue damage and promoting recovery after SCI. These findings provide valuable insights for future therapeutic interventions.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-86170-0CuproptosisSpinal cord injuryWGCNAImmune infiltrationSingle-cell RNA sequencing analysis |
| spellingShingle | Dandan Mao Qi Chen Shuolan Tong Zixia Xu Guofeng Yu Chuan Chang Yao Lv Integrated bioinformatics analysis identified cuproptosis-related hub gene Mpeg1 as potential biomarker in spinal cord injury Scientific Reports Cuproptosis Spinal cord injury WGCNA Immune infiltration Single-cell RNA sequencing analysis |
| title | Integrated bioinformatics analysis identified cuproptosis-related hub gene Mpeg1 as potential biomarker in spinal cord injury |
| title_full | Integrated bioinformatics analysis identified cuproptosis-related hub gene Mpeg1 as potential biomarker in spinal cord injury |
| title_fullStr | Integrated bioinformatics analysis identified cuproptosis-related hub gene Mpeg1 as potential biomarker in spinal cord injury |
| title_full_unstemmed | Integrated bioinformatics analysis identified cuproptosis-related hub gene Mpeg1 as potential biomarker in spinal cord injury |
| title_short | Integrated bioinformatics analysis identified cuproptosis-related hub gene Mpeg1 as potential biomarker in spinal cord injury |
| title_sort | integrated bioinformatics analysis identified cuproptosis related hub gene mpeg1 as potential biomarker in spinal cord injury |
| topic | Cuproptosis Spinal cord injury WGCNA Immune infiltration Single-cell RNA sequencing analysis |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-86170-0 |
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