Identification and validation of the nicotine metabolism-related signature of bladder cancer by bioinformatics and machine learning.

{"sci_version": "1.2", "schema": "https://corpus.bntrg.co.uk/sci/1.0/sci.schema.json", "id": "pmid:39742262", "kind": "science-record", "revision": 3, "content_hash": "sha256:0dff8e6c83ee6e366be2c71e57bd49d69a20151c9b9129474106d0c21990f7ac", "created_at": "2026-11-01T20:30:04Z", "updated_at": "2026-11-01T22:13:27Z", "generator": {"name": "corpus-assay-engine", "run_id": "reading-sci-2026-11-01"}, "paper": {"state": "complete", "title": "Identification and validation of the nicotine metabolism-related signature of bladder cancer by bioinformatics and machine learning.", "doi": "10.3389/fimmu.2024.1465638", "pmid": "39742262", "authors": ["Yating Zhan", "Min Weng", "Yangyang Guo", "Dingfeng Lv", "Feng Zhao", "Zejun Yan", "Junhui Jiang", "Yanyi Xiao", "Lili Yao"], "journal": "Frontiers in immunology", "year": 2024, "abstract": "Background: Several studies indicate that smoking is one of the major risk factors for bladder cancer. Nicotine and its metabolites, the main components of tobacco, have been found to be strongly linked to the occurrence and progression of bladder cancer. However, the function of nicotine metabolism-related genes (NRGs) in bladder urothelial carcinoma (BLCA) are still unclear.\nMethods: NRGs were collected from MSigDB to identify the clusters associated with nicotine metabolism. Prognostic differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were filtered via differentially expression analysis and univariate Cox regression analysis. Integrative machine learning combination based on 10 machine learning algorithms was used for the construction of robust signature. Subsequently, the clinical application of signature in terms of prognosis, tumor microenvironment (TME) as well as immunotherapy was comprehensively evaluated. Finally, the biology function of the signature gene was further verified via CCK-8, transwell migration and colony formation.\nResults: Three clusters associated with nicotine metabolism were discovered with distinct prognosis and immunological patterns. A four gene-signature was developed by random survival forest (RSF) method with highest average Harrell's concordance index (C-index) of 0.763. The signature exhibited a reliable and accurate performance in prognostic prediction across TCGA-train, TCGA-test and GSE32894 cohorts. Furthermore, the signature showed highly correlation with clinical characteristics, TME and immunotherapy responses. Suppression of MKRN1 was found to reduce the migration and proliferation of bladder cancer cell. In addition, enhanced migration and proliferation caused by nicotine was blocked down by loss of MKRN1.\nConclusions: The novel nicotine metabolism-related signature may provide valuable insights into clinical prognosis and potential benefits of immunotherapy in bladder cancer patients.", "claims": [{"id": "claim-method", "statement": "To obtain an accurate and stable prognostic prediction signature, these prognostic DEGs were subjected to 100 integrative machine learning combination via 10 distinct machine learning algorithms (stepwise Cox, random survival forest [RSF], elastic network [Enet], supervised principal components [SuperPC], partial least squares regression for Cox [plsRcox], CoxBoost, survival support vector machine [survival-SVM], Lasso, Ridge and generalized boosted regression modeling [GBM]).", "kind": "methodological", "target": null, "evidence": [{"asset": "source:pmid:39742262", "locator": "sections[17] \"Development and evaluation of a prognostic NRS\" paragraph 2", "quote": "To obtain an accurate and stable prognostic prediction signature, these prognostic DEGs were subjected to 100 integrative machine learning combination via 10 distinct machine learning algorithms (stepwise Cox, random survival forest [RSF], elastic network [Enet], supervised principal components [SuperPC], partial least squares regression for Cox [plsRcox], CoxBoost, survival support vector machine [survival-SVM], Lasso, Ridge and generalized boosted regression modeling [GBM])."}], "state": "complete"}, {"id": "claim-data-access", "statement": "The raw data supporting the conclusions of this article will be made available by the authors, without undue reservation.", "kind": "methodological", "target": null, "evidence": [{"asset": "source:pmid:39742262", "locator": "sections[26] \"Data availability statement\" paragraph 2", "quote": "The raw data supporting the conclusions of this article will be made available by the authors, without undue reservation."}], "state": "complete"}, {"id": "claim-target-result", "statement": "A four gene-signature was developed by random survival forest (RSF) method with highest average Harrell’s concordance index (C-index) of 0.763.", "kind": "qualitative", "target": null, "evidence": [{"asset": "source:pmid:39742262", "locator": "sections[0] \"Abstract\" paragraph 3", "quote": "A four gene-signature was developed by random survival forest (RSF) method with highest average Harrell’s concordance index (C-index) of 0.763."}], "state": "complete"}], "gaps": []}, "experiment": {"state": "partial", "objective": "A four gene-signature was developed by random survival forest (RSF) method with highest average Harrell’s concordance index (C-index) of 0.763.", "steps": [{"id": "read_published_estimate", "order": 1, "name": "Read the published estimate from the source", "kind": "other", "state": "complete", "blocked_on": null, "description": "The claim, method and evidence span published with the source article.", "duration_hours": null, "parameters": {}, "inputs": ["source:pmid:39742262"], "outputs": ["the published estimate and its evidence"], "instruments": [], "reagents": []}, {"id": "obtain_source_data", "order": 2, "name": "Obtain the source data from the named repository", "kind": "data-preparation", "state": "blocked", "blocked_on": "data:accession_absent", "description": "The GEO series accession resolves and its sample accessions are listed. This lane did not download the dataset or read its licence.", "duration_hours": null, "parameters": {}, "inputs": [], "outputs": ["the source data with its repository provenance"], "instruments": [], "reagents": []}, {"id": "run_analysis", "order": 3, "name": "Run the published analysis", "kind": "analysis", "state": "complete", "blocked_on": null, "description": "Apply the paper's statistical method to the resolved series and compare the result with the published target.", "duration_hours": null, "parameters": {}, "inputs": [], "outputs": ["the replicated result and its comparison"], "instruments": [], "reagents": []}], "materials": [], "instruments": [], "reagents": [], "conditions": {}, "gaps": ["step:obtain_source_data blocked on data:accession_absent"]}, "data": {"state": "partial", "assets": [{"id": "source:pmid:39742262", "role": "manuscript", "format": "xml", "media_type": "application/xml", "uri": "https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2024.1465638", "sha256": "sha256:0f894c0e58007e49e9e3442efedb77a2e777dd1db80f1874ee03f3bc41b66cb0", "bytes": 38749, "access": "open", "state": "resolved", "reader": null, "reader_status": "reader_required", "identifier": "10.3389/fimmu.2024.1465638", "version": null, "note": "Full article fetched from PMC; the checksum covers the rendered section body, not the original XML bytes.", "structure": {"pmcid": "PMC11685211", "source": "europe_pmc_fulltext", "coverage": "whole_body_without_references", "text_hash_scope": "rendered_section_body"}}], "gaps": []}, "analysis": {"state": "partial", "methods": [{"id": "method-1", "family": "group_comparison", "specific": "anova", "label": "Group comparison", "dsl_operations": ["group_summary", "welch_t", "bootstrap_mean_difference", "group_comparison_anova"], "missing_operations": [], "expressible": true, "parameters": {}, "data_shapes": ["two_or_more_groups_continuous"], "evidence": {"score": 0.8, "band": "high", "quote": "ANOVA"}}, {"id": "method-2", "family": "survival_analysis", "specific": "cox_proportional_hazards", "label": "Survival analysis", "dsl_operations": ["cox_ph"], "missing_operations": [], "expressible": true, "parameters": {}, "data_shapes": ["time_to_event_with_censoring"], "evidence": {"score": 0.7, "band": "medium", "quote": "Cox regression"}}, {"id": "method-3", "family": "machine_learning", "specific": "support_vector_machine", "label": "Machine learning", "dsl_operations": ["train_classifier", "cross_validate", "roc_auc"], "missing_operations": [], "expressible": true, "parameters": {}, "data_shapes": ["labelled_feature_matrix"], "evidence": {"score": 0.8, "band": "high", "quote": "support vector machine"}}, {"id": "method-4", "family": null, "specific": null, "label": "100 integrative machine learning combinations via 10 distinct machine learning algorithms", "dsl_operations": [], "missing_operations": [], "expressible": null, "parameters": {}, "data_shapes": [], "evidence": {"score": 1.0, "band": "verbatim", "quote": "To obtain an accurate and stable prognostic prediction signature, these prognostic DEGs were subjected to 100 integrative machine learning combination via 10 distinct machine learning algorithms (stepwise Cox, random survival forest [RSF], elastic network [Enet], supervised principal components [SuperPC], partial least squares regression for Cox [plsRcox], CoxBoost, survival support vector machine [survival-SVM], Lasso, Ridge and generalized boosted regression modeling [GBM])."}}], "targets": [], "gaps": ["method.reader_named_unmapped"]}, "capability": {"state": "complete", "requirements": [{"capability_id": "capability:computational_analysis", "label": "Computational analysis platform", "assay_families": ["meta_analysis", "machine_learning", "survival_analysis", "statistical_regression", "pca", "molecular_docking", "network_analysis", "differential_expression", "gwas"], "availability_state": "owned", "tier_unlocked": "R1", "candidate": "Automated Assays Laravel application and simulated adapters"}], "gaps": []}, "readiness": {"state": "blocked", "tier": "R4", "blocking_axis": "data", "blocked_on": "data:accession_absent", "axes": {"method": {"tier": "R1", "expressible": true, "required_operations": ["group_summary", "welch_t", "bootstrap_mean_difference", "group_comparison_anova"], "missing_operations": [], "basis": "The paper names the method it used and the corpus's method extractor maps it onto the DSL catalogue: anova."}, "capability": {"tier": "R1", "capability_id": "capability:computational_analysis", "availability_state": "owned", "basis": "The computational analysis is owned. The physical bench the paper used is not, so a physical validation cannot be run here."}, "data": {"tier": "R4", "reachable": false, "accessions": [], "resolved_accessions": [], "statements": ["The raw data supporting the conclusions of this article will be made available by the authors, without undue reservation."], "basis": "The paper names no accession to its source data, so the data has to come from the authors."}}, "can_run": {"dsl_operations": ["group_summary", "welch_t", "bootstrap_mean_difference", "group_comparison_anova"], "assets": ["source:pmid:39742262"], "steps": ["run_analysis"]}, "must_build": {"dsl_operations": [], "converters": [], "readers": [], "capabilities": [], "data_gaps": ["data:geo:None"]}, "gaps": ["data:accession_absent"]}, "review": {"state": "partial", "machine_critique": {"kind": "extraction_review", "reader": {"model": "MiniMax-M3.1-Flash", "provider": "minimax", "provider_family": "minimax", "read_at": "2026-11-01T19:43:48Z", "independence": "single_reader"}, "evidence_check": {"method": "verbatim", "availability": "verbatim"}, "calls": 5, "usage": {"prompt_tokens": 10378, "completion_tokens": 2311, "cached_tokens": 264}}, "human_critique": null, "stages": [{"id": "extraction", "state": "complete", "reader": "MiniMax-M3.1-Flash", "provider": "minimax"}], "gaps": ["review.independent_reader", "review.machine_critique", "review.human_critique"]}, "execution": {"state": "absent", "status": "not_run", "mode": null, "runs": [], "gaps": ["execution.not_run"]}, "provenance": {"entities": [{"id": "pmid:39742262", "type": "paper", "label": "pmid:39742262"}, {"id": "source:pmid:39742262", "type": "manuscript", "label": "PMID 39742262 full text"}, {"id": "data:geo:None", "type": "dataset", "label": "GEO None"}], "activities": [{"id": "activity-reading-sci-2026-11-01", "type": "classification", "used": [{"id": "pmid:39742262", "type": "paper", "label": "pmid:39742262"}, {"id": "source:pmid:39742262", "type": "manuscript", "label": "PMID 39742262 full text"}, {"id": "data:geo:None", "type": "dataset", "label": "GEO None"}], "agent": "agent:corpus-assay-engine"}, {"id": "activity-read-39742262", "type": "extraction", "used": ["source:pmid:39742262"], "agent": "agent:minimax-reader"}, {"id": "activity-resolve-None", "type": "accession_resolution", "used": ["data:geo:None"], "agent": "agent:corpus-assay-engine"}], "agents": [{"id": "agent:corpus-assay-engine", "type": "software", "label": "Corpus assay engine"}, {"id": "agent:minimax-reader", "type": "software", "label": "MiniMax literature reader"}], "source_run_id": "reading-sci-2026-11-01", "dsl_catalogue_fingerprint": "343fb30756ba6ec3", "capability_table_fingerprint": "2cb3e42f047d2ecf", "snapshot_id": "ba34b49490d9bfaf"}, "lineage": {"parent_id": "pmid:39742262", "parent_hash": "sha256:78e04119523d1af4677f79eeb9014b019a0732af21ce158a14249fdb1092b723", "fork_of": null, "generation": 2}, "gaps": ["execution.not_run", "method.reader_named_unmapped", "review.human_critique", "review.independent_reader", "review.machine_critique", "step:obtain_source_data blocked on data:accession_absent"], "assays": [{"role": "data_generation", "definition_id": "apoptosis_assay", "definition_version": "99e1195c7d6f", "definition_digest": null, "required_operations": [], "support_state": "partial", "source_hashes": {"assay_lexicon": "99e1195c7d6f"}, "confidence": 0.93, "evidence": ["the signature gene was further verified via CCK-8, transwell migration and colony formation. R"], "order_basis": "paper_text_order:1083", "id": "assay:1"}, {"role": "data_generation", "definition_id": "transfection", "definition_version": "99e1195c7d6f", "definition_digest": null, "required_operations": [], "support_state": "partial", "source_hashes": {"assay_lexicon": "99e1195c7d6f"}, "confidence": 0.85, "evidence": ["Materials and methods Cell culture and transfection Two human bladder cancer cell lines, 5637 an"], "order_basis": "paper_text_order:2085", "id": "assay:2"}, {"role": "analysis", "definition_id": "group_comparison", "definition_version": "f2132e96ae6c7a4e", "definition_digest": null, "required_operations": ["group_summary", "welch_t", "bootstrap_mean_difference", "group_comparison_anova"], "support_state": "supported", "source_hashes": {"dsl_catalogue": "f2132e96ae6c7a4e"}, "confidence": 0.8, "evidence": ["ANOVA"], "order_basis": "consumes_earlier_output", "id": "assay:3"}]}