TERT promoter methylation predicts overall survival, immune cell infiltration and response to immunotherapy in clear cell renal cell carcinoma.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

Telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) is one of the most well-established oncogenes in tumor development and progression. It is widely known that TERT promoter hypermethylation is associated with its transcription activation. Despite its canonical role in maintaining telomere length in cancer cells, TERT is also involved in various oncogenic processes independent of its enzymatic activity. However, the role of TERT in the tumor immune microenvironment has been largely unexplored. Hence, we assessed the associations between TERT promoter methylation and its expression, clinicopathological features, overall survival, immune cell infiltration, and response to immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy in clear cell renal cell carcinoma.

Methods

A single-sample gene-set enric

SUBMITTER: Guan X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12125838 | biostudies-literature | 2025 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature