Particularly, 11 proteins involved in tumor proliferation (MCM2, 4, 6, 7, and MSH2), metastasis (RCC2, CORO1C, CHD4, and IPO9), and cancer metabolism (PHGDH and TYMP) are identified as SCLC-specific proteins.
From the PPI network, the top 10 hub genes in SCLC were selected, including topoisomerase IIα, proliferating cell nuclear antigen, replication factor C subunit 4, checkpoint kinase 1, thymidylate synthase, minichromosome maintenance protein (MCM) 2, cell division cycle (CDC) 20, cyclin dependent kinase inhibitor 3, MCM3 and CDC6, the mRNA levels of which are upregulated in Oncomine SCLC datasets with the exception ofMCM2.