In silico analysis reveals the protective role of the HBB gene in cancers

Abstract

Hemoglobin subunit beta (HBB) plays a critical role in the oxygen-transporting function of red blood cells. Emerging evidence suggests that altered HBB expression is associated with the progression of several cancers, and reduced expression has been linked with poor prognosis in malignancies such as anaplastic thyroid cancer, ovarian cancer, and acute myeloid leukemia. In this study, we investigated the potential functional role of HBB in cancer using computational approaches. The analysis suggested a potential interaction between HBB and the tumor suppressor protein p53, suggesting their possible involvement in the folate metabolism pathway. Further analysis using the GEPIA and NCBI GEO databases indicated that the expression of HBB is lower in several cancerous tissues compared to their healthy counterparts. These analyses also showed that HBB shared similar expression patterns with the reported antitumor-associated proteins KLF6, BLCAP, BTNL9 and TBRG1 across squamous lung cancer, atypical ductal hyperplasia, ductal carcinoma in situ, mammary gland, and ovarian adenocarcinoma, respectively. Furthermore, the Kaplan-Meier plot from the Human Protein Atlas database showed better survival rates in kidney renal carcinoma, pancreatic cancer, and melanoma patients having higher levels of HBB expression. All these observations suggest that HBB may have protective effects against certain cancers. 

J. Bangladesh Acad. Sci. 50(3); 579–587: September 2026