AUTHOR=Li Xianbin , Zhang Xueli , Liu Tao , Zhang Guodao , Chen Dan , Lin Suxian 

TITLE=Identification of immune characteristic biomarkers and therapeutic targets in cuproptosis for rheumatoid arthritis by integrated bioinformatics analysis and single-cell RNA sequencing analysis

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Medicine

VOLUME=Volume 12 - 2025

YEAR=2025

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/medicine/articles/10.3389/fmed.2025.1520400

DOI=10.3389/fmed.2025.1520400

ISSN=2296-858X

ABSTRACT=IntroductionRheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disorder intricately liked with inflammation. Cuproptosis, an emerging type of cell death, has been implicated in the initiation and development of RA. However, the exact alterations in the expression and biological function of cuproptosis-related genes (CRGs) in RA remain poorly understood. Therefore, our study aims to elucidate the potential association between CRGs and RA, with the goal of identifying novel biomarkers for the treatment and prognosis of RA.MethodsIn this study, we identified ten differentially expressed cuproptosis-related genes (DE-CRGs) between patients with RA and controls. Through comprehensive functional enrichment and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis, we explored the functional roles of the DE-CRGs. Additionally, we investigated the correlation between DE-CRGs and immune infiltration, immune factors, diagnostic efficacy, and potential therapeutic drugs.ResultsLeveraging single-cell RNA sequencing data, we conducted a detailed analysis to elucidate alterations in various cell clusters associated with RA. Our study unveiled a significant association between DE-CRGs and diverse biological functions, as well as potential drug candidates.DiscussionThese findings provide crucial insights into the involvement of DE-CRGs in the pathogenesis of RA and shed light on potential therapeutic strategies.