Unveiling the oncogenic significance of thymidylate synthase in human cancers

Abstract Background Thymidylate synthase (TYMS) constitutes a pivotal and potent target in the context of chemoresistance. However, the oncogenic role of TYMS has received insufficient attention. Methods Leveraging data from the Cancer Genome Atlas and various public databases, we conducted an extensive investigation into the oncogenic role of TYMS across 33 cancer types. Results TYMS exhibited pronounced expression across a spectrum of cancers and demonstrated associations with clinical outcomes in diverse cancer patient cohorts. Furthermore, genetic alterations were identified as potential influencers of overall survival in specific tumor types. Notably, the expression of thymidylate synthase correlated with tumor-infiltrating CD4+ cells in select cancers. Additionally, the functional mechanism of TYMS encompassed nucleotidase activity, chromosome segregation, and DNA replication progress. Conclusions This study furnishes a comprehensive understanding of the oncogenic role played by TYMS in human tumors.