Exploring hypoxia-related genes in spinal cord injury: a pathway to new therapeutic targets

IntroductionSpinal cord injury (SCI) remains a debilitating condition with limited therapeutic options. Exploring hypoxia-related genes in SCI may reveal potential therapeutic targets and improve our understanding of its pathogenesis.MethodsWe developed a diagnostic model using LASSO regression and...

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Main Authors: Shihuan Cheng, Le Li, Mengmeng Xu, Ningyi Ma, Yinhua Zheng
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-05-01
Series:Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnmol.2025.1565430/full
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author Shihuan Cheng
Le Li
Mengmeng Xu
Ningyi Ma
Yinhua Zheng
author_facet Shihuan Cheng
Le Li
Mengmeng Xu
Ningyi Ma
Yinhua Zheng
author_sort Shihuan Cheng
collection DOAJ
description IntroductionSpinal cord injury (SCI) remains a debilitating condition with limited therapeutic options. Exploring hypoxia-related genes in SCI may reveal potential therapeutic targets and improve our understanding of its pathogenesis.MethodsWe developed a diagnostic model using LASSO regression and Random Forest algorithms to investigate hypoxia-related genes in SCI. The model identified critical biomarkers by analyzing differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and hypoxia-related DEGs (HRDEGs). Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA), and Gene Set Variation Analysis (GSVA) were conducted to explore the biological roles of HRDEGs. The model’s accuracy was validated using receiver operating characteristic curves, calibration plots, decision curves, and qPCR experiments.ResultsThe diagnostic model identified Casp6, Pkm, Cxcr4, and Hexa as critical biomarkers among 186 HRDEGs out of 9,732 altered genes in SCI. These biomarkers were significantly associated with SCI pathogenesis. GO and KEGG analyses highlighted their roles in hypoxia responses, particularly through the hypoxia-inducible factor 1 pathway. The model demonstrated high accuracy, with an area under the curve exceeding 0.9. GSEA and GSVA revealed distinct pathways in low- and high-risk SCI groups, suggesting potential clinical stratification strategies.DiscussionThis study constructed a diagnostic model that confirmed Casp6, Pkm, Cxcr4, and Hexa as important biomarkers for SCI. The findings provide valuable insights into SCI pathogenesis and pave the way for novel treatment strategies. The integration of multi-omics data and comprehensive bioinformatics analyses offers a robust framework for identifying therapeutic targets and improving patient outcomes.
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spelling doaj-art-e0e2ddedb10847948774c887404d79272025-08-20T03:07:28ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience1662-50992025-05-011810.3389/fnmol.2025.15654301565430Exploring hypoxia-related genes in spinal cord injury: a pathway to new therapeutic targetsShihuan Cheng0Le Li1Mengmeng Xu2Ningyi Ma3Yinhua Zheng4Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, ChinaDepartment of Rehabilitation Medicine, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, ChinaDepartment of Rehabilitation Medicine, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, ChinaDepartment of Rehabilitation Medicine, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, ChinaDepartment of Rehabilitation Medicine, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, ChinaIntroductionSpinal cord injury (SCI) remains a debilitating condition with limited therapeutic options. Exploring hypoxia-related genes in SCI may reveal potential therapeutic targets and improve our understanding of its pathogenesis.MethodsWe developed a diagnostic model using LASSO regression and Random Forest algorithms to investigate hypoxia-related genes in SCI. The model identified critical biomarkers by analyzing differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and hypoxia-related DEGs (HRDEGs). Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA), and Gene Set Variation Analysis (GSVA) were conducted to explore the biological roles of HRDEGs. The model’s accuracy was validated using receiver operating characteristic curves, calibration plots, decision curves, and qPCR experiments.ResultsThe diagnostic model identified Casp6, Pkm, Cxcr4, and Hexa as critical biomarkers among 186 HRDEGs out of 9,732 altered genes in SCI. These biomarkers were significantly associated with SCI pathogenesis. GO and KEGG analyses highlighted their roles in hypoxia responses, particularly through the hypoxia-inducible factor 1 pathway. The model demonstrated high accuracy, with an area under the curve exceeding 0.9. GSEA and GSVA revealed distinct pathways in low- and high-risk SCI groups, suggesting potential clinical stratification strategies.DiscussionThis study constructed a diagnostic model that confirmed Casp6, Pkm, Cxcr4, and Hexa as important biomarkers for SCI. The findings provide valuable insights into SCI pathogenesis and pave the way for novel treatment strategies. The integration of multi-omics data and comprehensive bioinformatics analyses offers a robust framework for identifying therapeutic targets and improving patient outcomes.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnmol.2025.1565430/fullspinal cord injuryhypoxia-related differentially expressed genesdiagnostic modelfunctional enrichment analysisgene regulatory networks
spellingShingle Shihuan Cheng
Le Li
Mengmeng Xu
Ningyi Ma
Yinhua Zheng
Exploring hypoxia-related genes in spinal cord injury: a pathway to new therapeutic targets
Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience
spinal cord injury
hypoxia-related differentially expressed genes
diagnostic model
functional enrichment analysis
gene regulatory networks
title Exploring hypoxia-related genes in spinal cord injury: a pathway to new therapeutic targets
title_full Exploring hypoxia-related genes in spinal cord injury: a pathway to new therapeutic targets
title_fullStr Exploring hypoxia-related genes in spinal cord injury: a pathway to new therapeutic targets
title_full_unstemmed Exploring hypoxia-related genes in spinal cord injury: a pathway to new therapeutic targets
title_short Exploring hypoxia-related genes in spinal cord injury: a pathway to new therapeutic targets
title_sort exploring hypoxia related genes in spinal cord injury a pathway to new therapeutic targets
topic spinal cord injury
hypoxia-related differentially expressed genes
diagnostic model
functional enrichment analysis
gene regulatory networks
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnmol.2025.1565430/full
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