Decoding the hypoxic tumor microenvironment in colorectal cancer for prognostic modeling and therapeutic target discovery.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Hypoxia is a hallmark of the colorectal cancer (CRC) tumor microenvironment (TME) that drives malignant progression, chemoresistance, and immune evasion. However, the cellular heterogeneity underpinning hypoxic responses in CRC and its impact on prognosis remain incompletely understood.

Methods

We integrated single-cell RNA sequencing data from 15 CRC samples (GSE166555 and GSE221575) to delineate hypoxic and normoxic cell populations and identify hypoxia-related genes (HRGs). Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) and enrichment profiling elucidated key biological processes associated with hypoxia. Cell-cell communication networks were inferred using CellChat, and transcription factor regulatory modules were reconstructed via SCENIC and GRNBoost2. A

SUBMITTER: Duan XC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12417453 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature