Plasma proteins and osteosarcoma: Mendelian randomization analysis and targeted therapeutic discovery

Prior research has hinted at a possible link between plasma protein metabolites and osteosarcoma (OS). However, no conclusive evidence has been presented to firmly establish a direct connection between particular plasma proteins and OS. To fill this research void, our study utilizes Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to meticulously assess the causal impact of plasma proteins on the development of OS. Additionally, we aim to discover new plasma protein biomarkers that could serve as potential targets for therapeutic strategies in the treatment of OS. In this study, we leveraged the plasma protein quantitative trait locis data from Ferkingstad et al genome-wide analysis as the exposure variables. Meanwhile, the summary statistics of OS were sourced from the FinnGen database. We constructed a robust analytical framework that integrated enrichment analysis, protein-protein interaction network analysis, drug target prediction, and molecular docking. This comprehensive approach enabled us to thoroughly investigate the biological mechanisms and therapeutic prospects of the identified protein targets. In the MR analysis, a total of 81 genetic loci exhibited significant associations with the development of OS (P < .05). However, the reverse MR analysis demonstrated that the occurrence of OS did not significantly influence the levels of these 81 plasma proteins (P > .05). The protein-protein interaction network analysis pinpointed core genes, such as EGFR, IGFBP3, PLG, and TAGLN. These genes play crucial roles in the key pathological processes of OS, such as cell proliferation, extracellular matrix remodeling, and immune regulation. The drug prediction analysis identified potential therapeutic agents, including agarose, clofibrate, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), 6-aminohexanoic acid, and tetracycline. Molecular docking studies further revealed strong binding affinities between these drugs and the target proteins. This study systematically identified 81 potential therapeutic targets for OS, of which 10 key targets exhibited particularly high potential for clinical validation. These findings offer valuable insights into the molecular pathogenesis of OS and highlight novel opportunities for the development of targeted therapeutic strategies. Nevertheless, further functional investigations, large-scale cohort studies, and clinical trials are warranted to substantiate the causal relationships, assess therapeutic efficacy, and establish safety profiles, thereby advancing the prospects for clinical translation.