Multi-omics pan-cancer analyses identify MCM4 as a promising prognostic and diagnostic biomarker

Sep 21, 2026

Uploaded by Finn

Pan-cancer research targets the minichromosome maintenance complex component 4 (MCM4) to address the lack of a unified, cross-cancer evaluation of its biological and clinical significance. The study integrates multi-omics data from multiple databases and applies bioinformatic analyses of expression, genetic alterations, phosphorylation states, immune-cell infiltration, immune subtypes, functional enrichment, disease prognosis, diagnostic value, and drug responsiveness. Results link MCM4 to tumor oncogenesis and to prognosis and diagnosis across diverse cancers, supporting its potential as a biomarker for cancer development and treatment.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages18

Reading Time45 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Pan-cancer analysis and biomarker discovery

Background on MCM4 and the MCM2-7 complex

Methods overview (multi-omics integration)

Results overview (expression, prognosis, diagnosis, immune patterns)

Conclusion (biomarker potential)

[www. nature.com/scientificreports](www. nature.com/scientificreports) OPEN Multi‑omics pan‑cancer analyses identify MCM4 as a promising prognostic and diagnostic biomarker Yanxing Li1, Wentao Gao1, Zhen Yang1, Zhenwei Hu1 & Jianjun Li2* Minichromosome Maintenance Complex Component 4 (MCM4) is a vital component of the mini‑ chromosome maintenance complex family, crucial for initiating the replication of eukaryotic genomes. Recently, there has been a growing interest in investigating the significance of MCM4 in different types of cancer. Despite the existing research on this topic, a comprehensive analysis of MCM4 across various cancer types has been lacking. This study aims to bridge this knowledge gap by presenting a thorough pan‑cancer analysis of MCM4, shedding light on its functional implications and potential clinical applications. The study utilized multi‑omics samples from various databases. Bioinformatic tools were employed to explore the expression profiles, genetic alterations, phosphorylation states, immune cell infiltration patterns, immune subtypes, functional enrichment, disease prognosis, as well as the diagnostic potential of MCM4 and its responsiveness to drugs in a range of cancers. Our research demonstrates that MCM4 is closely associated with the oncogenesis, prognosis and diagnosis of various tumors and proposes that MCM4 may function as a potential biomarker in pan‑cancer, providing a deeper understanding of its potential role in cancer development and treatment. Keywords MCM4, Multi-omics, Pan-cancer, Bioinformatics, Immune infiltration, Prognosis, Biomarker Abbreviations ACC Adrenocortical carcinoma BLCA Bladder urothelial carcinoma BRCA Breast invasive carcinoma CESC Cervical squamous cell carcinoma and endocervical adenocarcinoma CHOL Cholangiocarcinoma COAD Colon adenocarcinoma DLBC Lymphoid neoplasm diffuse large B-cell lymphoma ESCA Esophageal carcinoma GBM Glioblastoma multiforme HNSC Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma KICH Kidney chromophobe KIRC Kidney renal clear cell carcinoma KIRP Kidney renal papillary cell carcinoma LAML Acute myeloid leukemia LGG Brain lower grade glioma LIHC Liver hepatocellular carcinoma LUAD Lung adenocarcinoma LUSC Lung squamous cell carcinoma MESO Mesothelioma OV Ovarian serous cystadenocarcinoma PAAD Pancreatic adenocarcinoma PCPG Pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma 1Xi’an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi’an 710000, Shaanxi, People’s Republic of China. 2Department of Cardiology, Jincheng People’s Hospital Affiliated to Changzhi Medical College, Jincheng, Shanxi, People’s Republic of China.* email: [ljj2185161@163.com](ljj2185161@163.com) [www. nature.com/scientificreports/](www. nature.com/scientificreports/) PRAD Prostate adenocarcinoma READ Rectum adenocarcinoma SARC Sarcoma SKCM Skin cutaneous melanoma STAD Stomach adenocarcinoma TGCT Testicular germ cell tumors THCA Thyroid carcinoma THYM Thymoma UCEC Uterine corpus endometrial carcinoma UCS Uterine carcinosarcoma UVM Uveal melanoma Cancer imposes tremendous suffering on individuals, and its complex pathogenesis remains an intricate challenge for medical professionals1,2. Despite advances in cancer treatments such as radiotherapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapy and immunotherapy, there is still much to be discovered about the underlying mechanisms that drive tumor development and progression3,4. Recent advancements in bioinformatic analyses have significantly transformed the landscape of cancer research, offering robust methodologies for the identification of emerging biomarkers5. Central to this endeavor is the adoption of pan-cancer analysis, a sophisticated approach facilitating comparative investigations of gene expression patterns across a spectrum of cancer types6–8. This approach enables the identification of shared and distinct features among different cancer types, providing valuable information for diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic p

FAQs

What is the main goal of the study about MCM4?

To deliver a comprehensive pan-cancer analysis of MCM4, clarifying its functional implications and possible clinical applications where prior work was fragmented across individual cancer types.

Which multi-omics factors were analyzed for MCM4?

The study assesses MCM4 expression profiles, genetic alterations, phosphorylation states, immune cell infiltration patterns, immune subtypes, functional enrichment, disease prognosis, diagnostic potential, and drug responsiveness across cancers.

How does the study characterize the relationship between MCM4 and cancer?

MCM4 is reported to be closely associated with oncogenesis as well as with prognosis and diagnosis across multiple tumor types, suggesting it may act as a potential biomarker in pan-cancer contexts.

Sep 21, 2026

Uploaded by Finn