Abstract
BACKGROUND: Prostate cancer (PCa) is a highly prevalent malignancy among men, with significant regional variations in incidence and poor survival rates in advanced stages. Ribosome biogenesis (RB) is pivotal for cancer cell proliferation, yet the specific role of the ribosomal biogenesis factor (RBIS) gene in PCa remains underexplored. This study aims to elucidate the biological and clinical relevance of RBIS in PCa progression. METHODS: We analyzed RNA-sequencing data from the TCGA database and three GEO datasets to compare RBIS expression in normal versus tumor tissues. The relationship between RBIS expression and clinicopathological features, including tumor stage, Gleason score, and progression-free survival (PFS), was assessed. Co-expression and functional enrichment analyses identified key biological processes involving RBIS, while genetic alterations, immune infiltration, and drug sensitivity were also evaluated. RESULTS: RBIS expression was significantly higher in PCa tissues and correlated with advanced tumor stage, higher Gleason scores, and poorer PFS. Multivariate analysis confirmed RBIS as an independent prognostic marker. Functional analysis implicated RBIS in energy metabolism and protein synthesis. Moreover, RBIS expression was associated with immune cell infiltration and drug sensitivity, highlighting its potential as a therapeutic target. CONCLUSION: RBIS represents a promising biomarker for PCa diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy. Further research is required to validate these findings and advance RBIS's clinical application, offering novel insights into PCa management.