Analyzing the Functional Roles and Immunological Features of Chemokines in COAD - academic article

Sep 21, 2026

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Chemokines are essential proteins governing cell migration and immune regulation, shaping the tumor microenvironment, yet their expression patterns, prognostic impact, and specific functions in colon adenocarcinoma (COAD) remain unclear. Using TCGA data, the study analyzes mutational characteristics, differential expression, and immunological properties of chemokines. Functional insights come from GO terms and KEGG enrichment, while univariate and multivariate Cox regression builds chemokine-based prognostic risk models. GSEA and GSVA compare immune responses and pathways across risk groups, identifying key chemokines and signaling programs.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages18

Reading Time45 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Chemokines and their relevance to immune regulation

Colon cancer burden and clinical need for biomarkers

Methods

TCGA-based analyses of mutation and differential expression

GO and KEGG enrichment

Cox regression risk modeling

GSEA and GSVA immune/pathway comparisons

Results

Differentially expressed chemokines and immune-related processes

Risk models based on selected chemokines

Immune response and pathway differences across risk groups

Conclusion

Article Analyzing the Functional Roles and Immunological Features of Chemokines in COAD Houxi Xu 1 and Yihua Song 2, * Citation: Xu, H.; Song, Y. Analyzing the Functional Roles and Immunological Features of Chemokines in COAD. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25, 5410. [https://doi.org/](https://doi.org/)[ ](https://doi.org/)[10.3390/ijms25105410](10.3390/ijms25105410) Academic Editor: Naoko Kanda Received: 16 April 2024 Revised: 13 May 2024 Accepted: 14 May 2024 Published: 15 May 2024 Copyright: © 2024 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license ([https://](https://)[ ](https://)[creativecommons.org/licenses/by/](creativecommons.org/licenses/by/)[ ](creativecommons.org/licenses/by/)[4.0/](4.0/)) . 1 School of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China; [houxixu@126.com](houxixu@126.com) 2 School of Artificial Intelligence and Information Technology, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China * [Correspondence: yihua.song@njucm.edu.cn](Correspondence: yihua.song@njucm.edu.cn) Abstract: Chemokines are key proteins that regulate cell migration and immune responses and are essential for modulating the tumor microenvironment. Despite their close association with colon cancer, the expression patterns, prognosis, immunity, and specific roles of chemokines in colon cancer are still not fully understood. In this study, we investigated the mutational features, differential expression, and immunological characteristics of chemokines in colon cancer (COAD) by analyzing the Tumor Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. We clarified the biological functions of these chemokines using Gene Ontology (GO) annotation and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis. By univariate and multivariate COX regression analyses, we developed chemokine-based prognostic risk models. In addition, using Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) and Gene Set Variant Analysis (GSVA), we analyzed the differences in immune responsesand signaling pathways among different risk groups. The results showed that the mutation rate of chemokines was low in COAD, but 25 chemokines were significantly differentially expressed. These chemokines function in several immune-related biological processes and play key roles in signaling pathways including cytokine–cytokine receptor interactions, NF-kappa B, and IL-17 . Prognostic risk models based on CCL22, CXCL1, CXCL8, CXCL9, and CXCL11 performed well. GSEA and GSVA analyses showed significant differences in immune responses and signaling pathways across risk groups. In conclusion, this study reveals the potential molecular mechanisms of chemokines in COAD and proposes a new prognostic risk model based on these insights. Keywords: chemokines; COAD; prognosis; immune infiltration; prognostic risk model 1. Introduction Colon cancer (COAD) ranks among the most prevalent malignancies worldwide. According to recent statistics, it is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths. The incidence of this disease is associated with various factors, including genetic predisposition, aging, dietary habits, and lifestyle [1,2] . However, early-stage colon cancer often presents no significant symptoms, resulting in the majority of patients being diagnosed at advanced stages [3] . Despite the widespread use of standard treatments like surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, the 5-year survival rate for advanced colon cancer patients is only 13%, with overall survival usually under 12 months [4] . Recently, the role of biomarkers in cancer diagnosis and treatment has gained increasing recognition [5] . Several studies have been conducted to identify molecular markers linked to the onset, progression, prognosis, and treatment response of colon cancer [6] . Despite the progress made, such as the discovery of

FAQs

What dataset and analysis framework are used to study chemokines in COAD?

The study analyzes chemokine mutational features, differential expression, and immunological characteristics using the Tumor Genome Atlas (TCGA) database.

How are prognostic risk models constructed for COAD patients?

Univariate and multivariate COX regression analyses are used to develop chemokine-based prognostic risk models, including models driven by CCL22, CXCL1, CXCL8, CXCL9, and CXCL11.

Which downstream analyses reveal immune responses and signaling pathway differences?

Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) and Gene Set Variant Analysis (GSVA) are applied to compare immune responses and signaling pathways among different risk groups.

Sep 21, 2026

Uploaded by Ivy