Bioinformatics analysis techniques identify the ferroptosis-related gene MYC as a potential therapeutic target for spinal cord injury: an observational study based on the GEO database

Zha, Xiaowei*

Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany

*Correspondence to: Xiaowei Zha, MD, xiaowei.zha@stud.uni-heidelberg.de.

Advanced Technology in Neuroscience 2(2):p 59-71, June 2025. | DOI: 10.4103/ATN.ATN-D-24-00026

Spinal cord injury is a destructive disease with limited effective treatment options. Ferroptosis, a form of regulated cell death, has been suggested to be related to the pathogenesis of spinal cord injury. This study aimed to elucidate the prognostic value and therapeutic potential of ferroptosis-related genes in spinal cord injury using advanced bioinformatics techniques. We retrieved datasets related to spinal cord injury from the GEO database and identified differentially expressed genes between the spinal cord injury and control groups. These differentially expressed genes were intersected with ferroptosis-related genes to identify differentially expressed ferroptosis-related genes. A hub gene was identified through the cytoHubba plugin of Cytoscape, and miRNA–mRNA–transcription factor and drug–biomarker networks were constructed to reveal potential molecular targets and therapeutic compounds. The results revealed a highly upregulated hub gene, MYC, in the spinal cord injury group. Subsequent analyses revealed 30 miRNAs, 30 transcription factors, and 30 drugs as potential targets associated with this hub gene for the treatment of spinal cord injury. These findings suggest that bioinformatics analysis techniques provide new insights into the role of ferroptosis-related genes in spinal cord injury, highlighting MYC as a potential biomarker and therapeutic target for spinal cord injury. This study lays the foundation for personalized treatment of spinal cord injury, facilitating the development of therapeutic strategies tailored to the unique molecular characteristics of individual patients.

中文摘要

脊髓损伤是一种破坏性疾病，有效治疗方案有限。铁死亡（Ferroptosis）是一种受调控的细胞死亡形式，已被证明与脊髓损伤的发病机制相关。本研究旨在利用先进的生物信息学技术阐明铁死亡相关基因在脊髓损伤中的预后价值和治疗潜力。我们从GEO数据库中检索了与脊髓损伤相关的数据集，并确定了脊髓损伤组和对照组之间的差异表达基因。将这些差异表达基因与铁死亡相关基因进行交叉分析，以识别铁死亡相关差异表达基因。通过Cytoscape的cytoHubba插件识别了一个枢纽基因，并构建了miRNA-mRNA-转录因子和药物-生物标志物网络，以揭示潜在的分子靶点和治疗化合物。结果显示，在脊髓损伤组中，一个高度上调的枢纽基因MYC。后续分析揭示了与该枢纽基因相关的30个miRNA、30个转录因子和30种药物，这些药物可能是治疗脊髓损伤的潜在靶点。这些发现表明，生物信息学分析技术为铁死亡相关基因在脊髓损伤中的作用提供了新的见解，并凸显了MYC作为脊髓损伤的潜在生物标志物和治疗靶点的重要性。这项研究为脊髓损伤的个体化治疗奠定了基础，有助于制定针对个体患者独特分子特征的治疗策略。