Integrative bioinformatics analysis identifies C1orf198 as a novel prognostic biomarker in colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality, necessitating the identification of novel prognostic biomarkers to improve patient management. In this study, we integrated bioinformatics analyses and experimental validation to explore the role of C1orf198 in CRC. Data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) revealed significantly upregulated C1orf198 mRNA in CRC tissues compared to normal counterparts, confirmed by immunohistochemistry (IHC) in clinical samples. High C1orf198 expression correlated with advanced tumor stages (T, N, M) and poor survival outcomes, including shorter overall survival (OS), disease-specific survival (DSS), and progression-free interval (PFI). Functional enrichment analyses highlighted involvement in extracellular matrix organization, cell adhesion, and oncogenic signaling pathways such as PI3K-AKT and focal adhesion. Immune infiltration analysis showed positive correlations with stromal/immune scores and M2 macrophage infiltration, linking C1orf198 to tumor microenvironment (TME) remodeling. Notably, C1orf198 was strongly associated with cytokines CXCL12 and receptors CXCR5, which mirrored its immune cell correlations. Collectively, our findings identify C1orf198 as a potential prognostic biomarker in CRC, implicating its role in TME modulation and oncogenic progression.