Identification of Ferroptosis- and Hypoxia-related Genes in iPSC-derived Oligodendrocyte Precursor Cells from Multiple Sclerosis Patients.

Abstract

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory disorder characterized by demyelination, with failed remyelination leading to progressive axon loss in chronic stages. Oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) are critical for remyelination. Recent studies suggest that both hypoxia and ferroptosis play crucial roles in the dysfunctional differentiation of OPCs. This research seeks to identify key genes linked to hypoxia and ferroptosis and immune infiltration characteristics in OPCs derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) of MS patients and to construct a diagnostic model centered on these pivotal genes. We analyzed gene expression data from the GSE196575 and GSE147315 datasets and compared MS patients with healthy individuals. Using weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA), we pinpointed primary module genes and essential genes associated with hypoxia, ferroptosis, and MS. The ferroptosis Z score and the hypoxia Z score calculated via gene set variation analysis (GSVA) were greater in the iPSC-derived OPCs of MS patients than those of the control group. The implicated genes are predominantly linked to the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway, as identified through Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses. A protein-protein interaction (PPI) network of crucial genes revealed 10 central hub genes (COL4A1, COL4A2, ITGB5, ITGB1, ITGB8, ITGAV, VIM, FLNA, VCL, and SPARC). The robust expression of ITGB1, ITGB8, and VIM was validated in the GSE151306 dataset, supporting their role as key hub genes. Additionally, an interaction network between transcription factors (TFs) and hub genes was established via Transcriptional Regulatory Relationships Unraveled by Sentence-based Text (TRRUST), which identified five key TFs. The results of this study could help elucidatenovel biomarkers or therapeutic targets for MS.