DYNLRB1: A Potential Prognostic Biomarker Associated With an Immunosuppressive Microenvironment in Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the expression pattern, prognostic significance, immune relevance, and biological function of Dynein Light Chain Roadblock-Type 1 (DYNLRB1) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS: Publicly available datasets and analytical platforms, including TCGA, GTEx, TIMER2.0, TISIDB, LinkedOmics, GEPIA2, CancerSEA, and the Human Protein Atlas, were utilized to evaluate DYNLRB1 expression, prognostic value, and immune infiltration characteristics. In vitro functional assays-including CCK-8, EdU incorporation, colony formation, wound-healing, and Transwell assays-were performed to validate the biological role of DYNLRB1 in HCC cells. RESULTS: DYNLRB1 was significantly upregulated in HCC tissues and cell lines. Elevated DYNLRB1 expression was consistently associated with advanced clinicopathological features and poor survival outcomes across multiple metrics (including OS, DSS, DFI, and PFI). Furthermore, high DYNLRB1 expression correlated with an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment signature, characterized by elevated inhibitory immune checkpoints. Functional enrichment suggested involvement in ribosome biogenesis and cell-cycle-associated processes. In vitro, DYNLRB1 knockdown significantly inhibited HCC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. CONCLUSION: DYNLRB1 is a potential prognostic biomarker associated with tumor malignant progression and an immunosuppressive microenvironment in HCC. These findings suggest that DYNLRB1 may represent a potential therapeutic target warranting further investigation.