Pancancer Analysis and the Oncogenic Role of UBTF in Breast Invasive Carcinoma

Upstream binding transcription factor (<i>UBTF</i>) is a nuclear transcription factor implicated in ribosome biogenesis, yet its pancancer relevance and immunological associations remain incompletely understood. We integrated datasets from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx), Human Protein Atlas (HPA), Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia (CCLE), and cBioPortal databases to characterize <i>UBTF</i> expression, genomic alterations, and prognostic value across 33 cancer types. Immune microenvironment analyses were performed using ESTIMATE and multiple deconvolution algorithms. CRISPR-Cas9-mediated <i>UBTF</i> depletion was conducted in breast invasive carcinoma (BRCA) cell lines to evaluate functional roles. <i>UBTF</i> was broadly upregulated in multiple tumors with recurrent copy number gains. Survival analyses revealed cancer type-dependent prognostic associations. <i>UBTF</i> expression correlated with immune/stromal contexture, checkpoint features, and predicted immunotherapy response. In BRCA, <i>UBTF</i> depletion reduced proliferation and migration while increasing apoptosis. A <i>UBTF</i>-related prognostic signature effectively stratified patient outcomes and was associated with immune infiltration and predicted immunotherapy response. <i>UBTF</i> represents a pancancer biomarker linked to tumor immunity, with validated functional significance in BRCA and potential utility for risk stratification.