Enhanced IL36RN Expression and Its Association With Immune Microenvironment Predicts Poor Prognosis in Gastric Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Gastric cancer (GC) remains a prevalent and lethal malignancy worldwide, underscoring the urgent need to identify novel therapeutic targets and elucidate the tumor microenvironment (TME) to enhance clinical outcomes. METHODS: IL36RN mRNA expression in GC tissues was analyzed using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset. Bioinformatics approaches, cellular models, and clinical tissue microarrays were employed to investigate the functional role of IL36RN, its interactions within the TME, and its prognostic significance. RESULTS: IL36RN expression was markedly upregulated in GC tissues and associated with unfavorable survival outcomes. Functional assays demonstrated that IL36RN silencing suppressed GC cell proliferation and invasion. Elevated IL36RN expression correlated with enhanced CD8(+) T cell infiltration in the TME and served as an independent prognostic indicator in GC. CONCLUSIONS: IL36RN represents a potential prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target in GC, offering novel avenues for precision oncology and immunotherapeutic intervention.