Abstract
BACKGROUND: This study aimed to identify significant genes associated with cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) initiation and development. METHODS: The overlapped differential expressed genes (DEGs) between normal and CSCC samples were firstly screened out, followed by KEGG analysis. The top 10 hub genes were then detected from the whole protein-protein interaction (PPI) network. Further, important biomarkers continuously associated with actinic keratosis (AK), CSCC, and CSCC invasion was successively filtrated. GSEA analysis was finally performed to reveal potential mechanisms associated with biomarkers. RESULTS: A total of 179 DEGs were identified, which were enriched in pathways in cancer, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, and human papillomavirus infection. The 10 hub genes were firstly identified from the PPI network, and they were all highly expressed in AK tissues compared with normal tissues. Next, we found that 6 genes were overexpressed in CSCC compared with AK tissues. Further, we identified that the expression of 2 genes (MYBL2 and TK1) was higher in CSCC invasion groups compared with samples without invasion. Through a series of filtrations, we confirmed that MYBL2 and TK1 were the most significant biomarkers associated with CSCC initiation and progression. The pan-cancer analysis further supported their prognostic value in human cancers. GSEA analysis found that they positively correlated with N glycan biosynthesis and p53 signaling pathways. CONCLUSION: MYBL2 and TK1 were proved to play a vital role in CSCC tumorigenesis and progression, which may act as promising biomarkers or therapeutic targets for accurate diagnosis and treatment of CSCC.