Pan-cancer analysis reveals SMARCAL1 expression is associated with immune cell infiltration and poor prognosis in various cancers

Although immune checkpoint inhibition in particular has shown promise in cancer immunotherapy, it is not always efficient. Recent studies suggest that SMARCAL1 may play a role in tumor immune evasion, yet its pan-cancer role is unclear. We conducted a comprehensive analysis of SMARCAL1 using TCGA, GTEx, and CCLE databases, evaluating its expression, genetic alterations, epigenetic modifications, and their clinical correlations across 33 cancer types. Our findings indicate that SMARCAL1 is overexpressed in several cancers, such as Glioma, LUAD, KIRC, and LIHC, impacting prognosis. Elevated SMARCAL1 is linked to poor outcomes in Glioma, LUAD, and LIHC but correlates with better survival in KIRC. We also found significant associations between SMARCAL1 expression and DNA methylation in 13 cancers. Furthermore, SMARCAL1 expression correlates with immune infiltration, suggesting it as a potential therapeutic target in cancer immunotherapy. This study underscores the need for further research on SMARCAL1 to enhance immunotherapeutic strategies.