DDX18 as a Prognostic Biomarker Associated with Pan-Cancer Immune Infiltration and Drug Sensitivity

Background:: In recent years, cancer-related mortality has risen considerably. Iden-tifying effective biomarkers is essential for enabling precise therapeutic strategies and accurate prognosis assessment, which could extend patient survival. Although abnormal expression of DDX18 has been implicated in several cancer types, its biological function remains incom-pletely characterized. This study aimed to investigate the expression profile of DDX18 and elucidate its oncogenic roles in solid tumors. Methods:: We performed bioinformatics analyses using multi-omics datasets derived from 31 different solid tumor types. Results:: Our analysis revealed a marked elevation in DDX18 RNA levels across 9 tumor types, along with increased protein expression in 10 tumor types, relative to adjacent non-cancerous tissues. Notably, higher DDX18 expression was linked to unfavorable clinical outcomes, in-cluding poorer prognosis and limited responsiveness to immunotherapy. Further investigation into DDX18-associated pathways revealed its potential to drive tumor cell proliferation, con-tribute to therapy resistance, and modulate immune cell infiltration. These factors collectively influence patient prognosis and treatment efficacy. Additionally, we explored molecular path-ways contributing to the upregulation of DDX18 in tumor contexts. Conclusion:: These findings indicate that DDX18 plays a pivotal role in tumor progression and highlight its promise as a prognostic biomarker across multiple cancers, although its predictive value may vary by tumor type. conclusion: Our results suggest that DDX18 plays a crucial role in the progression of various malignancies, underscoring its potential as both a therapeutic target and prognostic biomarker.