MUC5B regulates alterations in the immune microenvironment in nasopharyngeal carcinoma via the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway

Objective: To screen potential differentially expressed genes related to immune function in nasopharyngeal carcinoma through an online database, and to verify their mechanism of action, so as to provide a reference for the diagnosis and treatment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma in the future.

Methods: Differentially expressed genes were analyzed from the GSE227541 dataset, and functional enrichment analysis was conducted. With Mucin 5B, oligomeric mucus/gel-forming as the focus, the correlation between its expression and immune indexes was analyzed by using the TIMER database. The expressions of Mucin 5B, oligomeric mucus/gel-forming in clinical NPC tissues and adjacent tissue samples were detected Furthermore, Mucin 5B, oligomeric mucus/gel-forming abnormal expression vectors were constructed and transfected into human NPC cell CNE-2Z to detect alterations in cell activity, Ferroptosis and the immune microenvironment. In addition, the role of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in nasopharyngeal carcinoma was observed, and the influence of Mucin 5B, oligomeric mucus/gel-forming on this pathway was discussed.

Results: A total of 42 differentially expressed genes were found in the GSE227541 dataset, among which Mucin 5B, oligomeric mucus/gel-forming was obviously at the core of the entire network. In nasopharyngeal carcinoma tissues, the research team observed the upregulated expression of Mucin 5B, oligomeric mucus/gel-forming (P < 0.05). In vitro, increased expression of elevated Mucin 5B, oligomeric mucus/gel-forming activates nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell activity and immune escape and inhibits Ferroptosis. In terms of pathways, upregulating Mucin 5B, oligomeric mucus/gel-forming expression could activate the Wnt/β-catenin pathway.

Conclusions: Mucin 5B, oligomeric mucus/gel-forming regulates the immune escape of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells and participates in tumor progression by mediating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.

Bioinformatics; Immunization; Mucin 5B; Nasopharyngeal carcinoma; Oligomeric mucus/gel-forming; Wnt signaling pathway; β-catenin.