Autophagy-related gene SQSTM1 predicts the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma

Abstract Purpose : Studies have shown a clear correlation between autophagy-related genes and the development and progression of HCC. However, the mechanisms at work are not completely known. Our aim is to construct a prognostic model for HCC and to identify new molecular targets and develop effective therapies for HCC. Methods: Using difference as well as prognostic analysis, a prognostic model was constructed based on lasso regression, and the hub gene SQSTM1 was selected based on PPI, and difference analysis, clinical analysis and drug sensitivity analysis were performed to determine whether SQSTM1 was the key gene for the induction of HCC. Results: Finally, we built a prognostic model using 12 prognostic differential genes. We verified this model and discovered that the prediction was accurate and could be used as a standalone prognostic feature. We also discovered that SQSTM1, a crucial gene among these 12 genes, was inversely correlated with patient prognosis; this suggests that SQSTM1 may function as a separate prognostic factor. Additionally, we discovered that patients with HCC and high SQSTM1 expression are responsive to 17-AGG. Conclusions： We developed a prognosis model based on 12 DEARGS that is predictive and may be applied to predict the prognostic mortality of HCC patients. By identifying the molecular and immunological components of our prognostic model, we were able to pinpoint potential therapeutic targets for HCC treatment. SQSTM1 is also a crucial gene for HCC therapy and for predicting the prognosis of patients. In order to treat hepatocellular cancer, 17-AGG can inhibit SQSTM1's function.