CMTM3 as a Potential New Immune Checkpoint Regulator

Qian Shen; Zhirong Cong; Ying Zhou; Yue Teng; Jin Gao; Weiyan Tang

doi:10.1155/2022/2103515

CMTM3 as a Potential New Immune Checkpoint Regulator

J Oncol. 2022 Sep 20:2022:2103515. doi: 10.1155/2022/2103515. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Qian Shen¹, Zhirong Cong¹, Ying Zhou¹, Yue Teng², Jin Gao², Weiyan Tang²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Hematologic Lymphoma, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, China.
² Department of Medical Oncology, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital and Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research and The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.

Abstract

Objectives: To evaluate the role of CKLF-like MARVEL transmembrane domain containing 3 (CMTM3) in tumor microenvironment and cancer immunotherapy and explore its potential mechanism.

Method: The cancer genome map was obtained from the UCSC Xena database. RNAseq data from the Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) databases were utilized for evaluating the expression and prognostic value of CMTM3 through survival data of clinical trials. The enrichment analysis of CMTM3 was performed using the R package "clusterProfiler." The scores of immune cell infiltration in TCGA samples were downloaded from the ImmuCellAI database and TIMER2 database, and the relationship between both immune cell invasion and CMTM3 expression was investigated. Immunological activation and suppression genes, immune checkpoints, chemokines, and their receptors were all investigated in relation to CMTM3.

Results: Most tumor types had varied levels of CMTM3 expression and predicted poor survival status. The CMTM3 expression is closely associated with cancer-associated fibroblasts, macrophages, myeloid dendritic cells, endothelial cells, immune activation genes, immune suppressor genes, immune checkpoints, chemokines, and related receptors.

Conclusion: Our data reveal that CMTM3 might be used as a cancer biomarker. CMTM3 may work in conjunction with other immunological checkpoints to alter the immune milieu, which could lead to the establishment of new immunotherapy medicines.