Computational identification of ECT2 as a potential pan-cancer biomarker and therapeutic target through integrated genomic data analysis

The ECT2 gene, encoding a guanine nucleotide exchange factor, plays crucial roles in cell cycle progression and cytoskeletal dynamics, implicating its involvement in various cancers. However, a comprehensive pan-cancer analysis integrating genomic data is still lacking. This study employed an integrated approach using data from multiple cancer genomics databases to assess ECT2 across various malignancies. Expression profiles of ECT2 were analyzed for differential expression across tumor stages and its association with clinical outcomes. Correlation analyses examined the relationship between ECT2 expression and immune cell infiltration levels. Pathway enrichment analysis identified biological processes influenced by ECT2 dysregulation in cancer progression. These methods facilitated a comprehensive exploration of ECT2's role in cancer biology, revealing potential implications for diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy. Analysis across 33 tumor types consistently shows elevated ECT2 expression. ECT2 correlates with tumor staging in 8 cancers and molecular subtypes in 13 cancers, and shows associations with immune subtypes in 22 cancers, suggesting its role in cancer progression and immune modulation. ECT2 demonstrates strong diagnostic potential (the area under the ROC curve > 0.9) in 16 cancers and correlates with poorer overall survival in 11 cancers. ECT2 expression correlates positively with microsatellite instability in STAD, MESO, UCEC, and READ, and negatively in DLBC; it correlates positively with tumor mutational burden in STAD, PAAD, ACC, LGG, and LUAD, and negatively in THYM. ECT2 also exhibits diverse correlations with immune checkpoint genes and specific immune cell types identified through CIBERSORT analysis. ECT2 interacts with proteins like RACGAP1, KIF23, enriched in pathways involving cell polarity, Ras signaling, and tight junctions, impacting cancer progression and stemness in various cancer types. This study offers comprehensive insights into ECT2's role in cancer biology through integrative bioinformatics analyses. The results advocate for ECT2 as a potential biomarker and therapeutic target in diverse malignancies, suggesting avenues for personalized oncology strategies.