Use Large-Scale Samples to Identify Colon-Adenocarcinoma Metastasis-Associated Genetic Signatures and Exploit Potential Targeted Drug Molecules

Aim: Distant metastasis is the main cause of death in patients with colon cancer. Due to the lack of effective molecular markers and treatment, the prognosis of patients with metastatic colon cancer is still rather poor. This research attempts to explore the molecular markers related to colon cancer metastasis and provide potential treatment methods through bioinformatics analysis. Methods: RNASeq data and clinical follow-up information were downloaded from TCGA and GEO, the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of stage I and stage IV in colon cancer were screened and further verified in GSE41258 dataset. Univariate cox risk regression model is used to analyze the relationship between DEGs and the prognosis of metastatic events. L1000FWD and DGIdb databases are used to mine small molecular substances related to DEGs. Results: Sixteen genes related to metastasis were identified and defined as metastatic related signatures (MRS). Prognostic analysis showed that 14 MRS genes are significantly related to the overall survival. Further functional enrichment analysis showed that MRS gene was significantly related to important biological functions such as cell migration, and apoptosis. Conclusion: This study has screened and identified a group of genes associated with metastasis in patients with colon cancer. Furthermore, the exploration of the potential function and potential drug of MRS gene increases the understanding of the factors affecting the metastasis of colon cancer and provides a potential treatment for metastatic patients. Funding Statement: The authors stated: "No funding." Declaration of Interests: The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest. Ethics Approval Statement: The authors stated: "Not applicable."