Multi-omics and network toxicology prioritize ADAMTS13 as a candidate gene computationally linked to TDCPP targets in hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND

Tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TDCPP), a widely used organophosphate flame retardant, has been increasingly recognized as a potential environmental risk factor for human cancers. However, its potential association with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and the underlying molecular mechanisms remain largely unclear.

METHODS

An integrative network toxicology and multi-omics approach was employed to explore the potential computational link between TDCPP‑related targets and HCC transcriptomic changes. TDCPP-associated targets were collected from public databases and intersected with differentially expressed genes from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) and machine learning algorithms were applied to identify candidate genes. Functional enrichment, immune infiltration, single-cell RNA sequencing, and molecular docking analyses were subsequently performed.

RESULTS

A total of six candidate genes were identified, among which ADAMTS13 exhibited strong discriminative performance in the predictive models. Functional analyses suggested that these genes may be involved in pathways related to extracellular matrix organization, immune regulation, and tumor microenvironment remodeling. Immune infiltration and single-cell analyses indicated a potential association between ADAMTS13 expression and tumor microenvironment characteristics. Molecular docking analysis further suggested a potential interaction between TDCPP and ADAMTS13 at the structural level.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest a computational association between TDCPP-related targets and HCC transcriptomic changes, with ADAMTS13 emerging as a computationally prioritized candidate gene for further experimental investigation. This study provides a hypothesis-generating framework for understanding possible molecular links between environmental contaminants and hepatocarcinogenesis, but does not establish causality or confirm actual TDCPP exposure in the analyzed patient cohorts.