Systematic analysis of the expression profiles and prognostic values of the FAM72 family in liver cancer

Family with sequence similarity 72 (FAM72) plays a crucial role in the functions of neural stem cells, specifically in promoting the self-renewal capabilities of neural progenitor cells. The FAM72 family members FAM72A-D have been shown to play a role in tumorigenicity. However, their expression and prognostic significance in liver cancer remain unknown. In this study, we used bioinformatics analyses to assess the expression and prognostic relevance of FAM72A-D in liver cancer. The expression levels of FAM72A-D were markedly elevated in liver cancer tissues compared with normal tissues. FAM72A-D expression correlated with advanced clinical stage, high histological grade, and unfavorable prognosis in patients with liver cancer. Single-cell RNA sequencing results suggested that FAM72A-D are predominantly present in proliferative T cells. We examined genetic alterations in FAM72A-D and found that gene mutations were linked to low overall survival rates in patients with liver cancer. We further developed a robust FAM72 gene signature to predict the prognosis of patients with liver cancer, and the gene signature was associated with immune infiltration. Collectively, these findings indicate the involvement of the FAM72 family in liver tumorigenesis and suggest its potential utility as a biomarker for adverse prognostic outcomes.