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The following is a summary of “Retinoid X receptor γ predicts the prognosis and is associated with immune infiltration in kidney renal clear cell carcinoma: a qRT-PCR, TCGA and in silico research,” published in the March 2025 issue of BMC Urology by Dong et al. 

Kidney clear cell carcinoma (KIRC) is a common and heterogeneous urological malignancy. The molecular mechanisms driving its tumorigenesis remain unclear, including the role of Retinoid X receptor γ (RXRG). 

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to examine RXRG in KIRC pathogenesis. 

They performed qRT-PCR to assess RXRG expression in KIRC. RNA-seq data and clinicopathological details from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) determined RXRG’s prognostic significance. Bioinformatics analyses explored its molecular mechanisms in KIRC tumorigenesis. 

The results showed significant downregulation of RXRG in KIRC tumor tissues compared to normal tissues in local and TCGA cohorts. Lower RXRG expression correlated with larger tumors, higher clinical stage, and advanced histologic grade. Cox regression showed that reduced RXRG was linked to poorer overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). Bioinformatics revealed RXRG-related differentially expressed genes (DEGs) that regulated tumorigenesis and metabolism. Use of ssGSEA indicated RXRG expression was significantly associated with NK cells and macrophages. 

Investigators provided evidence that RXRG was involved in KIRC tumorigenesis and could be a potential target for immunotherapy. 

Source: bmcurol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12894-025-01744-4