Comprehensive bioinformatics analysis to identify a novel Ferroptosis-related gene and its ceRNA regulatory network and candidate Therapeutic Agents in UVB-irradiated human skin

Abstract

Abstract UVB light can be toxic to the skin, penetrating the epidermal layer and potentially causing skin disease. Ferroptosis is an iron-dependent form of regulated cell death that differs from apoptosis. To better understand the molecular biomarkers and potential mechanisms of UVB-induced skin damage with Ferroptosis-related genes, we downloaded two microarray datasets (GSE45493 and GSE56754) from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and performed bioinformatic analyses. By analyzing differential gene expression with the Limma package, we identified 35 DEGs (28 up-regulated and 7 down-regulated) and used Cytoscape 3.8.2 to screen for hub genes based on the degree of connectivity in the PPI network. IL6 was obtained by intersecting genes related to ferroptosis. We then proposed the ceRNA network of IL6 by searching multiple online miRNA and lncRNA databases. Finally, we screened 7 significant potential activating compounds using the CTD platform, including benzo(a)pyrene, bardoxolone methyl, tetrachlorodibenzodioxin, testosterone undecanoate, demecolcine, tetradecanoylphorbol acetate, and cyclosporine. Molecular docking experiments were conducted to verify the reliability of these potential drugs. This study provides insights into the molecular mechanism of UVB-irradiated human skin and identifies potential candidate drugs for treating it.