FHOD1 is a promising biomarker for diagnosis, prognosis, and immunotherapy in colorectal cancer

FHOD1 is a crucial regulator of cellular actin dynamics, and growing evidence suggests its involvement in tumorigenesis. Nevertheless, the precise function of FHOD1 in colorectal cancer (CRC) is still not well-defined. FHOD1 expression was analyzed using TIMER 2.0, and its prognostic value was assessed using the Kaplan-Meier Plotter. Functional analysis was performed via LinkedOmics, and its role in immune infiltration was investigated using the TISCH2 database and GSVA package. Drug sensitivity related to FHOD1 was evaluated with R software. Additionally, the CCK-8 assay, colony formation assay, wound-healing assay, and Transwell migration assay were used to evaluate the impact of FHOD1 on the proliferation and migration of colorectal cancer cells. Our study proved that FHOD1 expression was substantially higher in CRC tissues than in normal tissues, correlating with poorer patient prognosis. Functional analysis indicated that FHOD1 was involved in immune-related processes and the tumor microenvironment, particularly affecting numerous types of immune cells, such as natural killer cells and T cells. FHOD1 expression was positively associated with sensitivity to multiple chemotherapeutic agents. Finally, knockdown of FHOD1 in HCT116 and RKO NL cell lines impaired cell proliferation and migration, highlighting its potential as a target for treatment in managing CRC. In conclusion, these findings underscore the importance of FHOD1 in CRC progression and treatment strategies.