Abstract
BACKGROUND: Retinoid-binding proteins (RBPs) regulate retinoid metabolism and signaling, but their roles across human cancers remain incompletely defined. METHODS: We conducted a comprehensive analysis using bioinformatics tools and experimental validations, examining RBP expression profiles across cancer types based on data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). We employed survival analysis using the Kaplan-Meier method and utilized single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) to investigate the roles of RBP4 and RBP7 in the tumor microenvironment. RESULTS: Our analysis revealed significant downregulation of RBPs in multiple cancers, with RBP4 and RBP7 showing notable expression variations linked to tumor stages and grades. Cox analysis identified RBP4 as a protective gene in kidney renal papillary cell carcinoma (KIRP), liver hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC), and mesothelioma (MESO), while RBP7 exhibited protective effects in breast cancer (BRCA) and uveal melanoma (UVM). CONCLUSIONS: This pan-cancer and single-cell integrative analysis highlights the complex roles of RBPs in cancer progression and their potential as prognostic biomarkers, particularly RBP4 and RBP7 in breast cancer. These findings warrant further investigation into the functional mechanisms of RBPs, which may provide valuable strategies for therapeutic interventions.