Abstract
MEX3A is a critical RNA-binding ubiquitin ligase that is upregulated in various types of cancer. However, the correlations of MEX3A with prognosis and its molecular mechanism in ovarian cancer (OC) remain unclear. The expression level, prognostic values, and the genetic variations of MEX3A were analyzed via Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) Oncomine, Kaplan–Meier plotter, and cBioPortal. We used the LinkedOmics database to investigate the functions of MEX3A coexpressed genes and performed visualizing gene interaction network analysis on the GeneMANIA website. The correlations between MEX3A and cancer immune infiltration were analyzed by the Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER) site and the TISIDB database. Furthermore, in vitro analysis was performed to evaluate the biological functions of MEX3A in OC cells. Our study showed that the expression of the MEX3A in OC was higher than in normal tissues; it had the greatest prognostic value in OC, and strong physical interaction with PABPC1, LAMTOR2, KHDRBS2, and IGF2BP2, which indicated the association between MEX3A and immune infiltration. We also found that MEX3A was negatively related to infiltrating levels of several types of immune cells, including macrophages, neutrophils, dendritic cells (DCs), B cells, and CD8+ T cells. Additionally, in vitro experiments demonstrated that MEX3A promotes proliferation and migration in OC cells. Taken together, MEX3A might influence the biological functions of OC cells by regulating the immune infiltration in the microenvironment as a prognostic biomarker and a potential therapeutic target.
Highlights
Ovarian cancer (OC) is a common gynecological malignancy with high mortality
OC is usually detected during the late stages; few patients are eligible for timely treatment
We explored a novel gene—MEX3A—which is an RNA-binding protein or an E3 ubiquitin ligase acting posttranscriptional regulation, associated with the diagnosis and prognosis of OC
Summary
Ovarian cancer (OC) is a common gynecological malignancy with high mortality. More than 70% of patients with OC are diagnosed with advanced-stage cancer (III and IV) [1]. The development of surgery and chemotherapy in ovarian cancer has been advanced in recent decades, the benefits of traditional treatment are limited [2]. It is necessary to select and identify reliable immune-related biomarkers and novel targets for immunotherapy strategies necessary to diagnose OC early. MEX3A has been reported as a novel biomarker promoting proliferation and migration in various cancers such as pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA), liver cancer, and colorectal cancer [6,7,8]; yet, its role in OC is still unclear. Our findings revealed the important role of MEX3A and provided a novel target and a valuable insight into the underlying mechanism between MEX3A and tumorimmune interactions in OC
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
