CDK16 as a potential prognostic biomarker correlated with an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment and benefits in enhancing the effectiveness of immunotherapy in human cancers

Sep 21, 2026

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Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 16 (CDK16) is biologically important across diseases, yet its cancer-type specific roles and links to the Tumor Immune Microenvironment (TIME) remain unclear. The study integrates CDK16 expression patterns, genetic alterations, clinical features, and prognostic value across pan-cancer datasets (TCGA and GTEx) plus in vitro experiments. TIMER2 and ImmuCellAI assess immune infiltration correlations, and immunotherapy response data evaluate effects on immunotherapy outcomes. CDK16 is overexpressed and predicts poor prognosis, while high CDK16 aligns with an immunosuppressive microenvironment and reduced immune gene/pathway activity and immune cell infiltration.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

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Pages18

Reading Time45 min

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ABSTRACT

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

INTRODUCTION

[www.aging-us.com](www.aging-us.com) AGING 2024, Vol. 16, No. 2 Research Paper CDK16 as a potential prognostic biomarker correlated with an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment and benefits in enhancing the effectiveness of immunotherapy in human cancers Juntao Qi1,2,*, Gujie Wu3,*, Min He3,*, You Xu3, Zheng Yang3, Liang Ding3, Yan Wang1, Zhi Zhang2 1 Department of Urology, Shenzhen Hospital of Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen 518000, China 2 Department of Health Management, The First Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan 410000, China 3 Research Center of Clinical Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226000, China * Equal contribution Correspondence to: Zhi Zhang, Yan Wang; email: [zz@hnucm.edu.cn](zz@hnucm.edu.cn); [szyywangyan1@163.com](szyywangyan1@163.com), [https://orcid.org/0009-0005-](https://orcid.org/0009-0005-)[ ](https://orcid.org/0009-0005-)[8590-132X](8590-132X) Keywords: CDK16, prognosis, immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, immunotherapy, human cancers Received: September 22, 2023 Accepted: December 14, 2023 Published: January 22, 2024 Copyright: © 2024 Qi et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. ABSTRACT Background: Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 16 (CDK16) plays significant biological roles in various diseases. Nonetheless, its function in different cancer types and its relationship with the Tumor Immune Microenvironment (TIME) are still not well-understood. Methods: We analyzed the expression profile, genetic alterations, clinical features, and prognostic value of CDK16 in pan-cancer using data from The Cancer Genome Atlas, Genotype-Tissue Expression databases, and in vitro experiments. Additionally, the TIMER2 and ImmuCellAI databases were utilized to assess the correlation between CDK16 expression and immune cell infiltration levels. Finally, we examined the correlation between CDK16 and the response to immunotherapy using collected immunotherapy data. Results: CDK16 is notably overexpressed in pan-cancer and is a risk factor for poor prognosis in various cancers. Our findings reveal that CDK16 regulates not only cell cycle-related functions to promote cell proliferation but also the autoimmunity-related functions of the innate and adaptive immune systems, along with other immune-related signaling pathways. Moreover, CDK16 overexpression contributes to an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, extensively suppressing immune-related features such as the expression of immunerelated genes and pathways, as well as the count of immune-infiltrating cells. Our analysis indicated that individuals with low CDK16 expression showed higher response rates to immune checkpoint inhibitors and longer overall survival compared to those with high CDK16 expression. Conclusions: This study establishes CDK16 as a potential biomarker for predicting poor prognosis in a wide range of cancers. Its role in shaping the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment and influencing the efficacy of immunotherapy highlights the urgent need for developing targeted therapies against CDK16, offering new avenues for cancer treatment and management. INTRODUCTION Malignant neoplasms, a major health concern, are leading causes of mortality worldwide, placing a significant strain on healthcare systems [1] . Even with substantial progress in cancer treatments, the prognosis for various cancers remains a critical issue, reflecting gaps in our current therapeutic approaches [2, 3] . Central to this challenge is the tumor microenvironment (TME), including the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME), which is crucial in cancer progression and metastasis [4] . Understanding and targeting the complexities of TME and TIME i

FAQs

What question does the study address about CDK16?

It investigates CDK16’s functions across cancer types and its relationship with the Tumor Immune Microenvironment (TIME), including how it may influence immunotherapy effectiveness.

Which data sources and methods are used to evaluate CDK16?

The analysis uses pan-cancer data from The Cancer Genome Atlas and Genotype-Tissue Expression, supported by in vitro experiments, and employs TIMER2 and ImmuCellAI to relate CDK16 expression with immune infiltration.

How does CDK16 expression relate to prognosis and immunotherapy response?

CDK16 overexpression is associated with poor prognosis, an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, and lower immune-related activity. Individuals with low CDK16 expression show higher response rates to immune checkpoint inhibitors and longer overall survival than those with high CDK16 expression.

Sep 21, 2026

Uploaded by Patrick