MCUB Inhibits PRKN-Dependent Mitophagic Degradation of PD-L1 to Promote Immune Evasion in Bladder Cancer.

ABSTRACT: Muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) poses a severe threat to patient survival due to its high invasiveness and metastatic potential. Although immunotherapy has revolutionized treatment strategies for MIBC, immune evasion remains a major obstacle limiting therapeutic efficacy. In this study, the mitochondrial calcium uniporter regulatory subunit (MCUB) is investigated for its role in immune evasion in MIBC. Bulk RNA-seq, scRNA-seq, and proteomic analyses revealed a progressive upregulation of MCUB from normal to MIBC tissues, and strong positive correlations are uncovered between MCUB expression and both PD-L1/PD-1 signaling and poor outcomes. Spatial transcriptomics and clinical tissue staining confirmed spatial co-localization of MCUB and PD-L1. Functional experiments demonstrated that

SUBMITTER: Huang Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12849890 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature