Machine learning and experimental screening of chromatin regulator signatures and potential drugs in hepatitis B related hepatocellular carcinoma

Many evidences have confirmed that chromatin regulator factors (CRs) are involved in the progression of cancer, but its potential mechanism of affecting hepatitis B related hepatocellular carcinoma still needs to be studied. Our study detected the CRs that affect hepatitis B related hepatocellular carcinoma (HBV-HCC) through machine learning analysis, conducted the analysis of immune cells, constructed the relevant risk model and immune function infiltration, and predicted the potential therapeutic drugs. We found that these CRs were significantly related to the immune cells of Macrophages, B cells, CD8+T cells, etc., and PBK, AURKA, TOP2A and AURKB were the potential risk CRs of HBV-HCC. The expression levels of these four CRs increased in HepG2.2.15 cells and the liver of HBV-HCC patients, consistent with the predicted risk model. Subsequently, ten potential drugs closely related to the risk CRs were finally obtained, experimental research on resveratrol has shown that it can inhibit the proliferation of HepG2.2.15 cells and potentially inhibit the occurrence and development of HBV-HCC. Our study provides novel insights into the function of CRs in HBV-HCC and certain ideas for more accurate targeted therapy.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.