Bioinformatics-Based Analysis of SORT1 on the Pathogenesis of Pancreatic Cancer

Abstract

There are few effective treatment options for patients with pancreatic cancer (PC), and SORT1 has been implicated in many cancers. However, its role in pancreatic cancer is still unclear. This study aimed to investigate the diagnostic and prognostic value of SORT1 in pancreatic cancer and the mechanisms influencing its biological function in this disease. Immunohistochemical testing confirmed that SORT1 is upregulated in pancreatic cancer, and its expression in the nucleus (NSE) has significant diagnostic value. Univariate and multivariate analyses revealed that NSE was an independent prognostic factor in PC patients. Multiple bioinformatic analyses of pancreatic cancer revealed SORT1 may promote pancreatic cancer by ubiquitinating genes in the TP53 pathway and by interacting with MMP9, elucidating a novel mechanism for the pathogenesis of pancreatic cancer. These phenomena were also confirmed via in vitro cell experiments, where proliferation, invasion and migration of PC cells were inhibited following SORT1 suppression. In conclusion, SORT1 is a promising biomarker for the diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of pancreatic cancer, and its mechanism of action may be related to the SORT1 / TP53 / MMP 9 pathway.