A novel ultraviolet-associated gene signature to predict prognosis and immunological features in patients with skin melanoma

Introduction: Research on the impact of ultraviolet (UV)-related genes on the prognosis of melanoma is rare. Objective: This study aimed to explore the role of UV-associated genes in skin melanoma and their impact on prognosis. Methods: We evaluated the prognostic implications of UV-associated genes in cutaneous melanoma and developed a predictive model for patient outcomes utilizing skin melanoma datasets sourced from The Cancer Genome Atlas. Subsequently, we investigated the correlation between UV-associated genes and the local immune environment within cutaneous melanoma. Results: The developed prognostic model for cutaneous melanoma holds significant value for clinicians in assessing patient outcomes. The expression levels of UV-associated genes appear to influence the infiltration degree of various immune cells within the tumor microenvironment, including T cells and M1 macrophages. In addition, the model was able to predict melanoma prognosis and stratify melanoma patients, with patients in the high-risk group having a worse prognosis. Results also indicated that the high-risk group exhibited reduced infiltration of cytotoxic immune cells in the tumor tissue than the low-risk group. Conclusion: The findings from this novel study have the potential to identify new therapeutic targets in treating cutaneous melanoma.