Squamous cell carcinoma of the lung: gene expression and network analysis during carcinogenesis

Lung cancer is one of the most common and deadliest types of cancer. Most often, diagnosis is made in the later stages of the disease, with few treatment options available. Squamous cell carcinoma of the lung (SCCL) is one of the most common types of lung cancer. Knowledge concerning its carcinogenic process lags behind that of other cancers of the lungs. Aiming to understand the biological phenomena underlying each stage of the disease and unveil the most significant genes, the current study carried out bioinformatic analysis of different samples that corresponded to the carcinogenic process. New relevant genes for early diagnosis and treatment are proposed and expression profiles for each stage are presented. Based on Protein-Protein interaction networks of these genes, this study proposes that they function as gatekeepers for a wide variety of processes. MYC, MCM2, AURKA, CUL3, and DDIT4L are proposed as a possible group for treatment of SCCL. This work provides a general panorama of the transcriptome profile of SCCL, with a plethora of information regarding its carcinogenesis. Results obtained by this in silico approach constitute a guide for further experimental works necessary for corroborating and validating their potential application for diagnosis and treatment of the disease.