GLRX5 is a prognostic marker in bladder cancer and correlates with activation of cancer-associated fibroblasts in the tumor microenvironment.

OBJECTIVE

Investigate the function of glutathione reductase-associated protein 5 (GLRX5) and its prognostic significance, as well as its association with CAFs and the TME.

METHODS

Based on data from TCGA and the GEO databases, this study investigates the expression of GLRX5 in BLCA and its association with clinical outcomes. Using the ssGSEA algorithm, we explored the association between functional features of GLRX5 and BLCA. We validated our findings using in vitro cellular functional assays. We explored the regulatory mechanisms associated with GLRX5 using GO, KEGG, and GSEA. Furthermore, based on single-cell and spatial transcriptomics data from bladder cancer, we analyzed the expression patterns and potential functions of GLRX5 in bladder cancer. The results of the above analyses were experimentally explored and validated.

RESULTS

High expression of GLRX5 in BLCA correlates with malignant biological behavior and poor prognosis. Enrichment analysis indicates that GLRX5 is primarily associated with malignant functional characteristics in bladder cancer, and its expression levels are also linked to EMT, OXPHOS, and FAM. The above analyses have all been validated through in vitro experiments. Single-cell and spatial transcriptomics analyses indicate that GLRX5 is also expressed in CAFs and participates in metabolic pathways. Experiments demonstrated that GLRX5 promotes the activation of CAFs and may enhance tumor cell migration by influencing pathways within the TME.

CONCLUSION

High expression of GLRX5 in tumor cells promotes malignant biological behavior and predicts poor prognosis. At the same time, high expression of GLRX5 in CAFs promotes tumor cell migration by affecting the TME.