TWIST۱ and Stomach Adenocarcinoma: Deciphering the Molecular Landscape of Metastasis-Related Genes

The TWIST۱ gene encodes a basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor crucial forgene expression control[۱]. It forms homodimers and heterodimers when binding to DNA E-boxsequences and is involved in epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), a key process in metastasis[۲,۳]. High TWIST۱ expression indicates poor prognosis in metastatic cancer[۴]. This study investigatedTWIST۱ expression levels in stomach adenocarcinoma and their association with invasion andmetastasis-related genes. Genes associated with cancer hallmarks were obtained from several databases,and stomach adenocarcinoma transcriptome data was obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas(TCGA). High-expression and low-expression groups were created based on TWIST۱'s averageexpression in normal samples. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were analyzed (using Limma, anR package); Furthermore, univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed.Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was conducted, and gene enrichmentanalysis (using R packages named gProfiler۲ and enrichR) revealed pathways related to invasion andmetastasis. ۲۷۱ out of ۸۷۱۶ DEGs were up-regulated (logFC ≥ ۱, adjusted p-value ≤ ۰.۰۱), and foursignificant genes with p-value < ۰.۰۵ were identified from multivariate Cox analysis. WGCNA revealed"greenyellow" module with a ۰.۶۵ correlation rate with TWIST۱ trait. The findings suggest a potentialconnection between TWIST۱ and other cancer hallmarks, highlighting its potential as a therapeutictarget and prognostic indicator for cancer patients. This study emphasizes the importance of multi-omicsdata analysis in understanding cancer invasion and metastasis mechanisms.

کلیدواژه ها:

TWIST۱ ، Cancer Hallmarks ، Transcriptome Profiling ، Differential Expression Analysis ، Survival Analysis