The potential of mitochondrial permeability transition-driven necrosis-related genes in prognostic evaluation of colorectal cancer patients

Background Mitochondrial permeability transition-driven necrosis (MPTDN) has been implicated in a variety of diseases, but its relationship with colorectal cancer (CRC) prognosis is unclear. Methods In this study, TCGA-COAD and TCGA-READ datasets were analyzed to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in CRCs. Differentially expressed MPTDNGRs (DE-MPTDNRGs) were identified by comparing DEGs to MPTDN-related genes (MPTDNRGs). Univariate Cox, Minimum Absolute Contraction and Selection Operator (LASSO) regression and risk scoring analysis divided TCGA-CRC patients into high- and low-risk cohorts. Results The prognostic genes LMNB2 , CASP7 , PRKCB , GZMB and ENDOG were identified, and the survival rate of high-risk patients was poor. Independent prognostic factors, including risk score, age, and N stage, are effective predictors of survival. Immunoassays revealed that high-risk patients had 9 elevated immune checkpoints, while low-risk patients were more susceptible to pazopanib and temsirolimus. In addition, single-cell analysis showed that PRKCB and GZMB were highly expressed in stem cells, while LMNB2 was more abundantly expressed in mast cells. Real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) confirmed low levels of CASP7 , PRKCB , and ENDOG mRNA in CRC tissues, with no significant difference between LMNB2 and GZMB . Conclusion These findings highlight 5 MPTDN-associated prognostic genes in CRC, providing insights for individualized treatment and prognosis.