Pseudogene expression as predictors of survival in colorectal cancer: Focus on CCT6P1 and SMPD4BP

Abstract

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a highly prevalent form of cancer, and molecular studies show that differential gene expression is strongly linked to its progression. Evidence confirmed the significant impact of pseudogenes in the development of various cancers. This study aimed to analyse the expression level of CCT6P1 and SMPD4BP pseudogenes, and their impact on the patient survival rate in CRC. CCT6P1 and SMPD4BP were candidates using TCGA Biolinks packages among pseudogenes involved in CRC. Clinical data was analysed with Cox regression test and a predictive model of survival rate illustrated by Kaplan-Meier plots. RT-qPCR was applied to samples to validate the finding. TCGA data revealed that CCT6P1 and SMPD4BP were overexpressed in CRC and associated with poor survival. These findings were also confirmed through our experimental analysis of RT-qPCR. Coexpression network and pathway enrichment analyses revealed that CCT6P1 and SMPD4BP are significantly coexpressed (R > 0.5) with genes involved in cell cycle-related pathways, highlighting their potential role in cell division signaling in CRC. Our findings suggest that the differential expression of these genes could serve as two biomarkers in CRC patients, with their increased levels significantly linked to tumor progression and poor prognosis.