Role of uridine phosphorylase 1 in cancer - A comprehensive pan-cancer analysis highlighting its prognostic and therapeutic potential

Q: What is the main goal of this pan-cancer analysis of UPP1?

To clarify UPP1’s roles across cancer types and assess its value as a prognostic biomarker and potential therapeutic target by integrating expression, genetic changes, DNA methylation, and survival associations.

Q: How was UPP1 evaluated across cancer types?

The study analyzed UPP1 expression, genetic alterations, promoter methylation, and survival impact across 33 cancer types using multiple public genomics databases including TIMER, GEPIA, UALCAN, cBioPortal, and Kaplan–Meier Plotter.

Q: What relationships were observed between UPP1 expression and prognosis?

UPP1 was highly expressed in 19 of 33 cancers and down-regulated in 4. High UPP1 expression corresponded to poor prognosis in eight cancer types, with hazard ratios greater than 1 and P values below 0.05.

Sep 22, 2026

Upload by Olivia Brown

Uridine phosphorylase 1 (UPP1) is implicated in multiple cancers, yet a unified cross-cancer evaluation has been limited. This pan-cancer study systematically assesses UPP1 expression, genetic alterations, DNA methylation, and clinical outcome relevance across 33 cancer types. Using TIMER, GEPIA, UALCAN, cBioPortal, and Kaplan–Meier Plotter, the analysis links high UPP1 expression with poor prognosis in eight cancers and evaluates promoter methylation, tumor mutational burden, microsatellite instability, and immune infiltration.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages9

Reading Time23 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Uridine phosphorylase 1 (UPP1) in cancer metabolism and survival under nutrient stress

Key findings

UPP1 expression patterns and cancer types

Prognostic associations

Genetic alterations

Links to TMB and related biomarkers

® Observational Study Role of uridine phosphorylase 1 in cancer A comprehensive pan-cancer analysis highlighting its prognostic and therapeutic potential Shuihong Yu, MMa ,* , Tao Jiang, MMb | Abstract
Uridine phosphorylase 1 (UPP1) is implicated in numerous cancers, yet lacks comprehensive evaluation across cancer types. This pan-cancer study aims to elucidate UPP1’s roles and establish its potential as a biomarker and therapeutic target. This study analyzes the expression, genetic alterations, DNA methylation, and prognostic significance of UPP1 across 33 cancer types using multiple cancer genomics databases. We utilized databases such as TIMER, GEPIA, UALCAN, cBioPortal, and Kaplan–Meier Plotter to conduct a systematic analysis of UPP1 involving gene expression, genetic alteration patterns, promoter methylation, and survival impact in various cancers. UPP1 showed high expression in 19 out of 33 cancers and was down-regulated in 4. Notably, high UPP1 expression was associated with poor prognosis in 8 cancer types (OS: hazard ratios >1, P < .05) . The primary genetic alteration was amplification. Promoter methylation of UPP1 varied significantly across cancers, correlating inversely with expression levels. UPP1 expression also correlated significantly with tumor mutational burden and microsatellite instability (MSI) across multiple cancers and was linked to immune cell infiltration. UPP1 serves as a significant oncogenic factor in various cancers, highlighting its value as a prognostic biomarker and a potential therapeutic target. This study lays a foundation for further exploration of UPP1’s mechanisms and therapeutic applications in oncology. | | --- | | 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, GO = gene ontology, HNSC = head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, KEGG = Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes, KICH = kidney chromophobe, KIRC = kidney renal clear cell carcinoma, KIRP = kidney renal papillary cell carcinoma, LAML = acute myeloid leukemia, LGG = lower grade glioma, LIHC = liver hepatocellular carcinoma, LUAD = lung adenocarcinoma, LUSC = lung squamous cell carcinoma, MESO = mesothelioma, MSI = microsatellite instability, NSCLC = nonsmall cell lung cancer, OS = overall survival, OV = ovarian serous cystadenocarcinoma, PAAD = pancreatic adenocarcinoma, PCPG = pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma, PRAD = prostate adenocarcinoma, READ = rectum adenocarcinoma, SARC = sarcoma, SKCM = skin cutaneous melanoma, STAD = stomach adenocarcinoma, TCGA = The cancer genome atlas, TGCT = testicular germ cell tumor, THCA = thyroid carcinoma, THYM = thymoma, TMB = tumor mutational burden, UCEC = uterine corpus endometrial carcinoma, UCS = uterine carcinosarcoma, UPP1 = uridine phosphorylase 1, UVM = uveal melanoma. | | Keywords: DNA methylation, genetic alterations, immune infiltration, pan-cancer, prognostic biomarker, UPP1 | 1. Introduction Tumors rank among the most critical health challenges globally, with their incidence and mortality rates escalating worldwide. [1] Unraveling the molecular mechanisms underlying tumorigenesis and identifying reliable biomarkers for cancer diagnosis and treatment are essential for effective cancer management and prevention. Utilizing bioinformatics tools and extensive public databases, pan-cancer analysis provides a powerful strategy for The present work was supported by the Science Foundation of Anhui Province, China (Grant No. 2022AH052549) and the Anhui Provincial University Young and Middle-aged Teacher Development Program (Discipline/Professional Leader Cultivation Project), China (Grant No. DTR2025077). The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclos

FAQs

What is the main goal of this pan-cancer analysis of UPP1?

To clarify UPP1’s roles across cancer types and assess its value as a prognostic biomarker and potential therapeutic target by integrating expression, genetic changes, DNA methylation, and survival associations.

How was UPP1 evaluated across cancer types?

The study analyzed UPP1 expression, genetic alterations, promoter methylation, and survival impact across 33 cancer types using multiple public genomics databases including TIMER, GEPIA, UALCAN, cBioPortal, and Kaplan–Meier Plotter.

What relationships were observed between UPP1 expression and prognosis?

UPP1 was highly expressed in 19 of 33 cancers and down-regulated in 4. High UPP1 expression corresponded to poor prognosis in eight cancer types, with hazard ratios greater than 1 and P values below 0.05.

Sep 22, 2026

Upload by Olivia Brown