Systematic analysis of RNASET2 gene as a potential prognostic and immunological biomarker in clear cell renal cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND: RNASET2 has been identified as an oncogene with anti-angiogenic and immunomodulatory effects in a variety of cancers, but its function in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is still not well understood. METHODS: The RNASET2 expression matrix was extracted from the The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets and analyzed for diagnostic and prognostic value. RNASET2 mRNA expression was detected by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) in ccRCC patients and renal cancer cell lines. Wound healing assay, transwell assay, western blotting, and tube formation assays were used to evaluate the function of RNASET2 in renal cancer in vitro. In addition, transcriptome sequencing was performed on knockdown RNASET2 kidney cancer cells to analyze their potential signaling pathways. Moreover, the immune microenvironment and mutational status were evaluated to predict the potential mechanisms of RNASET2 involvement in renal cancer progression. Sensitivity to common chemotherapeutic and targeted agents was assessed according to the Genomics of Drug Sensitivity in Cancer (GDSC) database. RESULTS: RNASET2 expression was significantly upregulated in ccRCC tissues and renal cancer cell lines, predicting poor prognosis for patients. In vitro experiments showed that silencing RNASET2 inhibited the migration and pro-angiogenic ability of renal cancer cells. Transcriptome sequencing suggested its possible involvement in the remodeling of the immune microenvironment in renal cell carcinoma. Furthermore, bioinformatics analysis and immunohistochemical staining showed that RNASET2 was positively correlated with the infiltration abundance of regulatory T cells. Finally, we mapped the mutational landscape of RNASET2 in ccRCC and found its predictive value for drug sensitivity. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that RNASET2 is a promising biomarker and therapeutic target in ccRCC. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12885-023-11356-6.