Investigation on Potential Correlation Between the RNA-Binding Protein of Evolutionarily Conserved MEX3 Family and Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer

Background: As mRNA binding proteins, MEX3 (muscle excess 3) family highlights its unique characteristics and plays an emerging role in post-transcriptionally regulating programmed of biological processes, including tumor cell death and immunological relevance. These have been shown to be involved in various diseases, however, the role of MEX3 in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has not been fully elucidated. Results In this study, we found that the sequence or copy number of MEX3 gene did not change significantly, which can explain the stability of malignant tumor development through the COSMIC database. Further, gene expression in NSCLC was examined using the Oncomine™ database, and the prognostic value of each gene was analyzed by Kaplan-Meier analysis. The results showed that overexpressed of MEX3A, MEX3B, MEX3C and MEX3D were associated with significantly lower OS in patients with NSCLC and LUAD, while overexpressed of MEX3D was associated with significantly poorer OS in patients with LUSC. We also applied the Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER) tool to assess the correlations between distinct MEX3 and the infiltrating immune cell landscape. Conclusion On this subject, we have learned about the complexity and heterogeneity of NSCLC through MEX3. We found that most of MEX3 is highly expressed in NSCLC. High expression indicates a poor prognosis and has a certain immune correlation. Therefore, these conclusions can lay a framework for the prognosis of NSCLC patients and the development of treatment strategies in the future.