Pan-Cancer Analysis Reveals SKA3 as a Potential Diagnostic and Prognostic Biomarker

Abstract

SKA3, an important factor in cell cycle regulation, is involved in spindle assembly and kinetochore function, playing a critical role in maintaining cancer cell proliferation and division. However, its specific roles and regulatory mechanisms in cancer remain not fully understood. Large-scale datasets from multiple public databases, including The Cancer Genome Atlas and Genotype-Tissue Expression, covering various cancer types, were integrated. Systematic analysis revealed that SKA3 exhibits aberrant expression patterns in multiple cancers and is significantly associated with tumor progression and poor patient prognosis in certain cancers. We explored the status of SKA3 gene mutation, gene amplification and promoter region methylation in various tumors. In the context of immunotherapy, we assessed the value of SKA3 in cancer. Analyzing the correlation between SKA3 expression levels and immune checkpoints and immune cell infiltration, we discovered that SKA3 could serve as a novel immunotherapy biomarker across multiple cancers, guiding clinical immunotherapy decisions. Finally, SKA3 knockdown inhibited lung adenocarcinoma cell proliferation and metastasis. In conclusion, this study provides new insights into the role of SKA3 in cancer and offers significant theoretical and experimental evidence for its development as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker.