Amino Acid Metabolism-Related Gene Kynureninase (KYNU) as a Prognostic Predictor and Regulator of Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma.

Dysregulation of amino acid metabolism is recognized to have a substantial influence on tumorigenesis and the modulation of tumor microenvironment. However, the role of amino acid metabolism-related genes in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) remains undefined. Therefore, we aimed to explore the influence of amino acid metabolism-related genes in DLBCL using bioinformatics approaches. Consensus clustering demonstrated that the reprogramming of amino acid metabolism has prognostic value in DLBCL. Subsequently, we developed a risk model using LASSO-Cox regression analysis to accurately predict DLBCL prognosis and identified kynureninase (KYNU) as a potentially valuable biomarker. Analysis of immune infiltration was conducted to examine the correlation between risk scores and immune profiles. Furthermore, RT-qPCR showed that the KYNU mRNA levels were upregulated in OCI-LY1, OCI-LY3, and OCI-LY10 DLBCL cells compared with normal CD19+B lymphocytes. Cell proliferation assays and flow cytometry analysis showed that inhibition of KYNU expression reduced cell proliferation and induced apoptosis of DLBCL cells. Overall, we demonstrated the significant impact of amino acid metabolism on DLBCL. Our findings may help improve the assessment of disease prognosis and provide potential therapeutic strategies for DLBCL.