FSCN1 drives sarcoma progression and immunosuppression revealed by pan-cancer analysis and functional assays

Sep 22, 2026

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Sarcoma is a highly aggressive, heterogeneous malignancy that remains difficult to treat because the mechanisms driving progression are insufficiently understood, limiting biomarker development for therapy efficacy and prognosis. FSCN1, an actin-bundling protein, localizes to actin structures involved in migrating cells. This study performs pan-cancer bioinformatics analyses to characterize FSCN1 expression, epigenetic features, and genetic alterations, with sarcoma-centered functional validation.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

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Pages14

Reading Time35 min

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Abstract

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Introduction

Xu etal. Discover Oncology (2026) 17:863 [https://doi.org/10.1007/s12672-026-04985-3](https://doi.org/10.1007/s12672-026-04985-3) Discover Oncology RESEARCH Open Access FSCN1 drives sarcoma progression and immunosuppression revealed by pancancer analysis and functional assays Lingli Xu1,2†, Shan Jin2†, Xingxing Dong1,3†, Xia Zhao1, Tong Xu2, Yunmiao Guo2, Lin Tao1* and Lijuan Pang2* †Lingli Xu, Shan Jin and Xingxing Dong contributed equally to this work. *Correspondence: Lin Tao [2401451135@qq.com](2401451135@qq.com) Lijuan Pang [ocean123456@163.com](ocean123456@163.com)[ ](ocean123456@163.com)1Department of Pathology, Key Laboratory for Xinjiang Endemic and Ethnic Diseases, Shihezi University School of Medicine/ The First Affiliated Hospital, Shihezi University, Shihezi 832002, P. R. China 2Central People’s Hospital of Zhanjiang, Guangdong Medical University Zhanjiang Central Hospital, Zhanjiang 524000, Guangdong, P. R. China 3The Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shihezi University, Shihezi 832002, P. R. China Abstract Background Sarcoma accounts for less than 1% of human malignancies but is a highly aggressive and heterogeneous group of tumors originating from mesenchymal tissues. Current treatments yield unsatisfactory results due to unclear progression mechanisms, highlighting the need for novel biomarkers for treatment efficacy and prognosis prediction. FSCN1 is an actin-bundling protein that localizes to the core actin bundles within microvillar projections and filopodial extensions in migrating cells. This study aims to investigate the role of FSCN1 in pan-cancer, with a particular focus on sarcoma, by conducting comprehensive bioinformatics analysis. Methods We analyzed FSCN1’s pan-cancer expression, epigenetic status, and genetic alterations. FSCN1 expression in tumor and normal tissues was assessed using multiple databases. Its association with pathological stages was analyzed, and prognostic and diagnostic values were evaluated via TCGA data and ROC curves. Genetic alterations, DNA methylation, and mRNA modifications were studied using relevant tools. The FSCN1-lncRNA-miRNA regulatory network was constructed in sarcoma, and co-expressed gene functional analysis was also carried out. Results Our findings demonstrate that FSCN1 is frequently upregulated across a broad spectrum of human cancers. Elevated FSCN1 expression correlates with unfavorable overall survival in multiple cancer types and exhibits robust diagnostic performance in pan-cancer cohorts, with particular prominence in sarcoma. The FSCN1 promoter region displays hypomethylation in sarcoma, and its transcript levels are positively associated with mRNA modification signatures. We constructed a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network encompassing FSCN1, lncRNAs, and miRNAs, and identified critical miRNA-FSCN1 interactions. Functional enrichment analysis of FSCN1 co-expressed genes uncovered key biological pathways. Immunohistochemical validation confirmed FSCN1 protein overexpression in selected sarcoma tissue specimens. Conclusions FSCN1 is a potential biomarker for the diagnosis, prognosis, and prediction of treatment response in sarcoma, and is involved in sarcoma progression through multiple mechanisms, providing insights for targeted sarcoma therapies. © The Author(s) 2026. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, which permits any non-commercial use, sharing, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if you modified the licensed material. You do not have permission under this licence to share adapted material derived from this article or parts of it. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Cre

FAQs

What is the study’s main goal regarding FSCN1?

To investigate FSCN1’s role in pan-cancer with a particular focus on sarcoma by combining comprehensive bioinformatics analysis with functional assays.

How did the researchers evaluate FSCN1’s clinical relevance?

They assessed FSCN1 expression in tumor and normal tissues, analyzed associations with pathological stage, and evaluated prognostic and diagnostic values using TCGA data and ROC curves.

What key findings link FSCN1 to sarcoma and patient outcomes?

FSCN1 is frequently upregulated across cancers, correlates with poorer overall survival, shows strong diagnostic performance, and displays promoter hypomethylation in sarcoma with transcript levels tied to mRNA modification signatures.

Sep 22, 2026

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