TMEM71 is crucial for cell proliferation in lower-grade glioma and is linked to unfavorable prognosis.

OBJECTIVE: Transmembrane protein 71 (TMEM71) is implicated in multiple cellular physiological functions and has been demonstrated to be crucial in the advancement of different cancerous growths. However, its specific function in low-grade glioma (LGG) remains unclear. METHODS: We examined the expression patterns and prognostic importance of TMEM71 in various types of cancer by using pan-cancer analysis. The analyses of the correlations between TMEM71 expression and clinicopathological characteristics, prognosis, biological functions, immune characteristics, and genomic variations in LGG were conducted based on its expression patterns. Finally, the expression level and biological function of TMEM71 in LGG were verified by executing in vitro studies. RESULTS: Abnormal elevation of TMEM71 expression level was associated with poor prognosis of many tumors including LGG. Both multivariate and univariate Cox regression analyses indicated that the expression of TMEM71 served as a standalone prognostic biomarker for LGG. The levels of TMEM71 expression were associated with immune-related characteristics, infiltration of immune cells, immune checkpoint genes (ICPGs) expression, and tumor mutation burden (TMB) in patients with LGG. In laboratory studies, elevated levels of TMEM71 were found to be involved in activating the JAK2/STAT3 pathway, promoting CCAAT/Enhancer Binding Protein D (CEBPD) expression, and ultimately affecting the growth and motility of LGG cells. CONCLUSION: TMEM71 is an independent prognostic indicator for LGG and is strongly associated with the growth of LGG cells, positioning it as a potential novel target for treatment.