# Comprehensive analysis of COLGALT1 in tumor microenvironment regulation and prognosis of clear cell renal cell carcinoma

## TL;DR

This study explores the role of COLGALT1 in clear cell renal cell carcinoma, finding it linked to immune cell infiltration and a potential biomarker for prognosis.

## Contribution

The study identifies COLGALT1 as a novel prognostic biomarker and potential therapeutic target in ccRCC.

## Key findings

- COLGALT1 expression is significantly upregulated in ccRCC at both mRNA and protein levels.
- COLGALT1 correlates with infiltration of monocytes, T helper 2 cells, macrophages, regulatory T cells, and natural killer cells.
- COLGALT1 is strongly associated with M2 macrophage markers, indicating a role in immunosuppressive tumor environments.

## Abstract

Collagen galactosyltransferase 1 (COLGALT1), a key enzyme involved in collagen post-translational modification, has been implicated in extracellular matrix remodeling across multiple cancer types, yet its prognostic significance and relationship with the tumor immune microenvironment in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) remain unclear. In this study, we analyzed multi-omics datasets from public repositories to assess COLGALT1 expression patterns, clinical relevance, and prognostic value in ccRCC. Quantitative real-time PCR was performed to validate its expression in renal cancer cell lines and normal renal tubular epithelial cells. Immune infiltration profiles were characterized using multiple computational algorithms, and a competing endogenous RNA network was constructed to explore regulatory mechanisms. Our results demonstrated that COLGALT1 expression was significantly upregulated in ccRCC at both mRNA and protein levels and was positively associated with the infiltration of monocytes, T helper 2 cells, macrophages, regulatory T cells, and natural killer cells. Notably, COLGALT1 expression correlated strongly with markers of M2 macrophages, suggesting a role in promoting an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. These findings identify COLGALT1 as a novel prognostic biomarker and potential therapeutic target in ccRCC, highlighting its contribution to extracellular matrix remodeling and immune regulation.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10238-026-02041-6.