Identification of lncRNAs associated with T cells as potentialbiomarkers and therapeutic targets in lung adenocarcinoma

Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is the most common and deadliest subtype of lung cancer. To select moretargeted and effective treatments for individuals, further advances in classifying LUAD are urgently needed. Thenumber, type, and function of T cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME) determine the progression andtreatment response of LUAD. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), may regulate T cell differentiation, development,and activation. Thus, our aim was to identify T cell-related lncRNAs (T cell-Lncs) in LUAD and to investigatewhether T cell-Lncs could serve as potential stratifiers and therapeutic targets. Seven T cell-Lncs were identified tofurther establish the T cell-related lncRNA risk score (TRS) in LUAD. Low TRS individuals were characterized byrobust immune status, fewer genomic alterations, and remarkably longer survival than high TRS individuals. Theexcellent accuracy of TRS in predicting overall survival (OS) was validated in the TCGA-LUAD training cohort andthe GEO-LUAD validation cohort. Our data demonstrated the favorable predictive power of the TRS-basednomogram, which had important clinical significance in estimating the survival probability for individuals. Inaddition, individuals with low TRS could respond better to chemotherapy and immunotherapy than those with highTRS. LINC00525 was identified as a valuable study target, and the ability of LUAD to proliferate or invade wassignificantly attenuated by downregulation of LINC00525. In conclusion, the TRS established by T cell-Lncs couldunambiguously classify LUAD patients, predict their prognosis and guide their management. Moreover, our identifiedT cell-Lncs could provide potential therapeutic targets for LUAD.