Exploration of prognostic genes related to T cell-mediated tumor killing in uterine corpus endometrial cancer based on transcriptome data and experimental verification

Exploration of prognostic genes related to T cell-mediated tumor killing in uterine corpus endometrial cancer based on transcriptome data and experimental verification | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Exploration of prognostic genes related to T cell-mediated tumor killing in uterine corpus endometrial cancer based on transcriptome data and experimental verification Wen Li, Licui Ye, Haifeng Liu, Zhiling Yang, Jingyi Wang, Xia Meng This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-9261722/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Revision Version 1 posted 10 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Background Uterine corpus endometrial carcinoma (UCEC) is a heterogeneous endometrial malignancy. T cell-mediated tumor killing (TTK) activity is closely associated with prognosis. This study aimed to identify TTK-associated prognostic genes in UCEC and explore their clinical value. Methods Transcriptome data of UCEC and TTK-related genes were obtained from public databases. Candidate genes were identified by intersecting differentially expressed genes with TTK-related genes. Prognostic genes were screened using univariate Cox and LASSO regression analyses. Functional and bioinformatics analyses were performed, and a prognostic risk model was constructed and validated. Drug sensitivity and immune infiltration analyses were conducted between high- and low-risk groups. Gene expression was further verified by RT-qPCR and immunohistochemistry (IHC). Results Eight TTK-related prognostic genes were identified: SPDEF, CENPF, CDKN2A, E2F1, KLF2, TUBB2B, CKMT1B, and OTC. E2F1, CENPF, and SPDEF showed high functional similarity scores (> 0.5). Drug sensitivity analysis identified 175 drugs with significantly different sensitivities between the two risk groups (P < 0.05). Immune infiltration analysis revealed significant differences in 19 immune cell subsets (P < 0.05). IHC showed increased protein expression of CDKN2A, CENPF, CKMT1B, and E2F1 in tumor tissues, while RT-qPCR confirmed differential expression of SPDEF, E2F1, and KLF2. Conclusion Eight TTK-related prognostic genes were identified and a robust prognostic model was established, providing insight into prognosis assessment and potential therapeutic strategies for UCEC. Uterine carcinosarcomar endometrial cancer T cell-mediated tumor killing transcriptome immunity Prognostic genes Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Revision Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 30 Apr, 2026 Reviews received at journal 28 Apr, 2026 Reviews received at journal 28 Apr, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 22 Apr, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 21 Apr, 2026 Reviewers invited by journal 16 Apr, 2026 Editor invited by journal 15 Apr, 2026 Editor assigned by journal 15 Apr, 2026 Submission checks completed at journal 07 Apr, 2026 First submitted to journal 07 Apr, 2026 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-9261722","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":628030562,"identity":"7856dd14-57cd-4a80-96a6-710adcd83485","order_by":0,"name":"Wen Li","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College (China National Nuclear Corporation 416 Hospital)","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Wen","middleName":"","lastName":"Li","suffix":""},{"id":628030563,"identity":"9e8c3275-2351-44a7-8506-a48e3a6922a4","order_by":1,"name":"Licui 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endometrial cancer, T cell-mediated tumor killing, transcriptome, immunity, Prognostic genes","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9261722/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-9261722/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003ch2\u003eBackground\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eUterine corpus endometrial carcinoma (UCEC) is a heterogeneous endometrial malignancy. T cell-mediated tumor killing (TTK) activity is closely associated with prognosis. This study aimed to identify TTK-associated prognostic genes in UCEC and explore their clinical value.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eMethods\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eTranscriptome data of UCEC and TTK-related genes were obtained from public databases. Candidate genes were identified by intersecting differentially expressed genes with TTK-related genes. Prognostic genes were screened using univariate Cox and LASSO regression analyses. Functional and bioinformatics analyses were performed, and a prognostic risk model was constructed and validated. Drug sensitivity and immune infiltration analyses were conducted between high- and low-risk groups. Gene expression was further verified by RT-qPCR and immunohistochemistry (IHC).\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eResults\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eEight TTK-related prognostic genes were identified: SPDEF, CENPF, CDKN2A, E2F1, KLF2, TUBB2B, CKMT1B, and OTC. E2F1, CENPF, and SPDEF showed high functional similarity scores (\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;0.5). Drug sensitivity analysis identified 175 drugs with significantly different sensitivities between the two risk groups (P\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05). Immune infiltration analysis revealed significant differences in 19 immune cell subsets (P\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05). IHC showed increased protein expression of CDKN2A, CENPF, CKMT1B, and E2F1 in tumor tissues, while RT-qPCR confirmed differential expression of SPDEF, E2F1, and KLF2.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eConclusion\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eEight TTK-related prognostic genes were identified and a robust prognostic model was established, providing insight into prognosis assessment and potential therapeutic strategies for UCEC.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Exploration of prognostic genes related to T cell-mediated tumor killing in uterine corpus endometrial cancer based on transcriptome data and experimental verification","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2026-04-23 10:18:19","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9261722/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"decision","content":"Revision requested","date":"2026-04-30T07:22:51+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2026-04-29T02:20:01+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2026-04-28T10:20:22+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"174296287359859885887581298966468030928","date":"2026-04-22T23:50:31+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"224751636008318442133601063828364475145","date":"2026-04-21T09:40:37+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2026-04-16T06:01:23+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvited","content":"","date":"2026-04-15T05:32:44+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2026-04-15T04:42:58+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"checksComplete","content":"","date":"2026-04-07T18:58:59+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"Discover Oncology","date":"2026-04-07T15:08:04+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"discover-oncology","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"dion","sideBox":"Learn more about [Discover Oncology](https://www.springer.com/12672)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"","title":"Discover Oncology","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"Discover Series","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"75327547-64a9-4748-a073-a1e786566641","owner":[],"postedDate":"April 23rd, 2026","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[{"type":"decision","content":"Revision requested","date":"2026-04-30T07:22:51+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"in-revision","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-04-30T07:38:16+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2026-04-23 10:18:19","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-9261722","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-9261722","identity":"rs-9261722","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"XKTyCvWXoU3ODBz1xrDgd","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}