2. Academic Validation
  3. UBTF facilitates acute myeloid leukemia development and immune escape via PD-L1 regulation

UBTF facilitates acute myeloid leukemia development and immune escape via PD-L1 regulation

  • Int Immunopharmacol. 2025 Apr 16:152:114433. doi: 10.1016/j.intimp.2025.114433.
Chunxia Yang 1,  Junzhao Wan 2,  Yan Wang 3,  Ying Yang 4,  Yunsheng Ran 2,  Fenli Zhang 4,  Man Zhou 4,  Ping Liu 5,  Qian Kang 5,  Dan Ma 6,  Xiaoyan Yang 7
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 School of Clinical Medicine, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550004, GuiZhou, China; Department of Pediatrics, Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550004, GuiZhou, China.
  • 2 State Key Laboratory of Discovery and Utilization of Functional Components in Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550004, GuiZhou, China; Guizhou Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Chemical Drug R&D, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550004, GuiZhou, China.
  • 3 Department of Hematology, Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550004, GuiZhou, China.
  • 4 School of Clinical Medicine, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550004, GuiZhou, China.
  • 5 Department of Hematology, Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550004, GuiZhou, China; Guizhou Provincial Institute of Hematological Malignancies, Guiyang 550004, GuiZhou, China.
  • 6 State Key Laboratory of Discovery and Utilization of Functional Components in Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550004, GuiZhou, China; Guizhou Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Chemical Drug R&D, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550004, GuiZhou, China; Department of Hematology, Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550004, GuiZhou, China; Guizhou Provincial Institute of Hematological Malignancies, Guiyang 550004, GuiZhou, China. Electronic address: readying100@163.com.
  • 7 Department of Pediatrics, Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550004, GuiZhou, China. Electronic address: 469389553@qq.com.
PMID: 40080926 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2025.114433
Abstract

UBTF has been implicated in the development of multiple cancers, yet its specific biological function in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) remains unclear. This study utilized expression profiles and clinical data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Therapeutically Applicable Research to Generate Effective Treatments (TARGET) databases, with UBTF expression data obtained from the GEPIA database. Analysis via the R software package CIBERSORT explored immune cell infiltration levels under different UBTF expression levels. LASSO COX analysis with optimized penalty parameters identified genes associated with survival outcomes, leading to the construction of a prognostic risk model using multivariate COX regression analysis. Prognostic significance was evaluated and validated through Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Experimental validation using stable AML cell lines with UBTF overexpression or knockdown, transcriptome Sequencing, and a CD8+ T cell killing assay were performed. Ultimately, in vivo experimental validation was conducted. Results revealed that UBTF is overexpressed in AML compared to normal tissues and correlates with poor clinical prognosis. UBTF overexpression is associated with increased expression of PD-L1 (CD274) and immune cell infiltration, suggesting its role in promoting AML progression via PD-L1 (CD274)-mediated immune evasion. These findings highlight UBTF as a potential prognostic biomarker and a novel therapeutic target for tumor immunotherapy in AML.

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