IMPDH1 is a potential immune evasion-related oncoprotein in endometrial cancer

Endometrial cancer is one of the most common gynecologic malignancies, with increasing evidence suggesting the involvement of immune-related processes rather than direct immune evasion mechanisms in its progression. However, effective immune-related biomarkers for prognostic evaluation and therapeutic targeting remain limited. This study aimed to identify novel immune-associated molecules based on clinical endometrial cancer specimens using integrated proteomic and bioinformatic approaches. Proteomic analysis was performed on tumor and adjacent normal tissues from endometrial cancer patients. Differentially expressed proteins were screened and further analyzed through transcriptomic validation, survival analysis, immune infiltration assessment, and pathway enrichment to explore their clinical relevance and potential functional roles in the tumor immune microenvironment. IMPDH1 was identified as a significantly upregulated protein in endometrial cancer and was associated with unfavorable prognosis. High expression of IMPDH1 was correlated with reduced CD8⁺ T cell infiltration and features of an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. Functional enrichment suggested its involvement in purine metabolism and a potential role in immune-related processes. This study identifies IMPDH1 as a novel immune-related biomarker in endometrial cancer, with potential value for prognosis and immunotherapy.