Identification of N6-Methylandenosine-Related lncRNAs for Subtype Identification and Risk Stratification in Gastric Adenocarcinoma

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of m6A-related lncRNAs in gastric adenocarcinoma (STAD) and determine their prognostic value. Materials and Methods: Gene expression and clinicopathological data were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Correlation analysis and univariate Cox regression analysis were conducted to identify m6A-related prognostic lncRNAs. Subsequently, different clusters of patients with STAD were identified via Consensus clustering analysis and a prognostic signature was established via least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) Cox regression analyses. The clinicopathological characteristics, tumor microenvironment (TME), immune checkpoint genes (ICGs) expression, and the response to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in different clusters and subgroups were explored. The prognostic value of the prognostic signature was evaluated using the Kaplan-Meier method, receiver operating characteristic curves, and univariate and multivariate regression analyses. Additionally, Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway, and Gene Ontology (GO) analysis were performed for biological functional analysis. Results: Two clusters based on 19 m6A-related lncRNAs were identified and a prognostic signature comprising 14 m6A-related lncRNAs was constructed, which had significant value in predicting the OS of patients with STAD, clinicopathological characteristics, TME, ICGs expression, and the response to ICIs. Biological processes and pathways associated with cancer and immune response were identified. Conclusion: We revealed the role and prognostic value of m6A-related lncRNAs in STAD. Together, our finding refreshed the understanding of m6A-related lncRNAs and provided novel insights to identify predictive biomarkers and immunotherapy targets for STAD.