Prognostic Value of EEF1A1 and Its Correlation with Immune Regulation in Kidney Renal Clear Cell Carcinoma

Background: Eukaryotic translation elongation factor 1 alpha 1 (EEF1A1) primarily participates in protein synthesis by binding aminoacyl-tRNA complexes to facilitate peptide chain elongation on ribosomes. Its expression and functional roles exhibit significant heterogeneity across various malignancies, exerting dual regulatory effects as both an oncogene and a tumor suppressor. This study aims to investigate the potential prognostic value and tumor-suppressive role of EEF1A1 in kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC). Methods: We analyzed the differential expression of EEF1A1 in KIRC and its correlation with patient prognosis based on the TCGA, GEO, and HPA databases. The STRING and GEPIA databases were utilized to perform functional enrichment analysis of its interacting proteins and co-expressed genes. The xCell algorithm was employed to assess the correlation between EEF1A1 and immune cell infiltration, immune checkpoints, and immunomodulatory molecules. Furthermore, drug sensitivity analysis was conducted to evaluate its clinical application potential. Finally, the expression of EEF1A1 in 786-0 and A498 cell lines was validated via qRT-PCR and Western blotting. Furthermore, CCK-8, wound healing, and Transwell migration/invasion assays were performed to evaluate cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, respectively. Results: EEF1A1 may function as a negative regulator of malignant behaviors in KIRC tissues and cell lines, and its expression level was closely associated with clinicopathological features and prognosis of patients. GO, KEGG, and GSEA enrichment analyses revealed that low EEF1A1 expression is closely linked to immunosuppressive pathways. Further immunological analysis confirmed significant correlations between EEF1A1 and various immune cell infiltrates, immune checkpoints, tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, and immunomodulatory molecules. Moreover, cells with high EEF1A1 expression exhibited increased sensitivity to anti-tumor drugs, with expression levels negatively correlated with inhibitory activity (IC50). Finally, overexpression of EEF1A1 significantly inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion of clear cell renal cell carcinoma cells. Conclusions: EEF1A1 serves as a potential prognostic biomarker in KIRC and is associated with clinical progression, immune-related characteristics, metabolic pathways, and drug sensitivity. Functional validation further supports its role in regulating malignant phenotypes of KIRC cells.