Abstract 5090: Bioinformatics analysis of the role of asymmetric self renewal associated genes in the cancer progression

Abstract Adult stem cells possess a unique ability for asymmetric self-renewal, enabling the simultaneous production of non-stem cell progenitors and self-renewing stem cells, distinguishing them from symmetrical cell division. In cancer cells, the regulation of cell division is often disrupted to sustain proliferation. However, specific patterns might be essential for evading cell death and adapting to the tumor microenvironment. In this study, transcriptomic data from engineered p53-expressing and p53-null mouse fibroblasts were re-analyzed to identify expression signatures of asymmetric self-renewal associated (ASRA) and p53/IMPDH2-related self-renewal patterns associated (SRPA). Pathway analysis revealed that ASRA signatures were enriched in immune regulation and angiogenesis pathways, in addition to cell cycle regulation. Genomic analysis using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database demonstrated correlations between ASRA signatures and survival outcomes, as well as molecular properties across various cancer types, including stomach adenocarcinoma (STAD). Additionally, public single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and clinical dataset analyses revealed the role of ASRA genes in the interactions between tumor cells and surrounding immune and stromal cells. These findings suggested that targeting ASRA signatures is a promising strategy for developing novel cancer therapies. Citation Format: Seokyoung Hwang, Minju Lee, Jayhyun Cho, Minkyu Kim, Sang Kook Lee, Minsoo Noh. Bioinformatics analysis of the role of asymmetric self renewal associated genes in the cancer progression [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2025; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2025 Apr 25-30; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2025;85(8_Suppl_1):Abstract nr 5090.