PLAT-M8 prognostic biomarker, its related genes, and mechanistic insights in ovarian cancer: A systematic review with bioinformatic validation
File(s)
Published version
Author(s)
Habiburrahman, Muhammad
Flanagan, James
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Ovarian cancer is a leading cause of gynecologic cancer-related death, necessitating reliable prognostic
biomarkers. PLAT-M8 has emerged as a promising DNA-methylation biomarker influencing key genetic
pathways in relapsed ovarian cancer; however, its associated gene expression and the downstream
mechanisms of PLAT-M8 methylation in primary ovarian cancer (particularly in driving chemoresistance and
recurrence) remain less well understood. A systematic review of preclinical and clinical studies (2008–2023)
was conducted to explore the prognostic potential of genes associated with PLAT-M8 loci in ovarian cancer,
resulting in 27 studies for inclusion. Bioinformatics tools (KM-plotter, TNMplot, Cancer Hallmark) were used to
validate the clinical relevance of PLAT-M8 genes [cg05529343 (ZNF385D), cg12992827 (ZPLD1), cg16172923 (MAD1L1), cg07960624 (SAMD12), cg25953130 (ARID5B), cg13691961 (DUSP6), cg01692018 (PPP2R5E), and cg07573872 (SBNO2)] by analysing overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), gene
correlations, and tumour vs. normal tissue. As signature, PLAT-M8-associated genes were significantly
associated with OS (HR 1.38, 95%CI: 1.13-1.70, p=0.0016) and PFS (HR 1.38, 95%CI: 1.14-1.66, p=0.0008).
These findings were consistent across subgroup analyses accounting for treatment, surgery, stage, and
histological type. Notably, strong correlations between PLAT-M8 methylation and gene expression were
observed, with DUSP6, ZNF385D, and ARID5B emerging as key prognostic markers. These results highlight the prognostic value of PLAT-M8 to inform personalised treatment strategies and identify new therapeutic targets, aiming to improve outcomes for ovarian cancer patients.
biomarkers. PLAT-M8 has emerged as a promising DNA-methylation biomarker influencing key genetic
pathways in relapsed ovarian cancer; however, its associated gene expression and the downstream
mechanisms of PLAT-M8 methylation in primary ovarian cancer (particularly in driving chemoresistance and
recurrence) remain less well understood. A systematic review of preclinical and clinical studies (2008–2023)
was conducted to explore the prognostic potential of genes associated with PLAT-M8 loci in ovarian cancer,
resulting in 27 studies for inclusion. Bioinformatics tools (KM-plotter, TNMplot, Cancer Hallmark) were used to
validate the clinical relevance of PLAT-M8 genes [cg05529343 (ZNF385D), cg12992827 (ZPLD1), cg16172923 (MAD1L1), cg07960624 (SAMD12), cg25953130 (ARID5B), cg13691961 (DUSP6), cg01692018 (PPP2R5E), and cg07573872 (SBNO2)] by analysing overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), gene
correlations, and tumour vs. normal tissue. As signature, PLAT-M8-associated genes were significantly
associated with OS (HR 1.38, 95%CI: 1.13-1.70, p=0.0016) and PFS (HR 1.38, 95%CI: 1.14-1.66, p=0.0008).
These findings were consistent across subgroup analyses accounting for treatment, surgery, stage, and
histological type. Notably, strong correlations between PLAT-M8 methylation and gene expression were
observed, with DUSP6, ZNF385D, and ARID5B emerging as key prognostic markers. These results highlight the prognostic value of PLAT-M8 to inform personalised treatment strategies and identify new therapeutic targets, aiming to improve outcomes for ovarian cancer patients.
Date Issued
2026-03-23
Date Acceptance
2026-02-22
Citation
Heliyon, 2026, 12 (6)
ISSN
2405-8440
Publisher
Elsevier
Journal / Book Title
Heliyon
Volume
12
Issue
6
Copyright Statement
© 2026 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ).
License URL
Identifier
10.1016/j.heliyon.2026.e44652
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
e44652
Date Publish Online
2026-03-23