Cartilage Oligomeric Matrix Protein (COMP) Correlates with Disease Progression, Selected Immune Checkpoint Molecules and SIGLEC9 in Colorectal Cancer

Limanówka, Piotr; Kot, Anna; Wagner, Wiktor; Ochman, Błażej; Mielcarska, Sylwia; Kula, Agnieszka; Dawidowicz, Miriam; Hudy, Dorota; Szrot, Monika; Piecuch, Jerzy; Czuba, Zenon; Świętochowska, Elżbieta; Gisterek-Grocholska, Iwona; Waniczek, Dariusz

doi:10.3390/ijms27136032

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Cartilage Oligomeric Matrix Protein (COMP) Correlates with Disease Progression, Selected Immune Checkpoint Molecules and SIGLEC9 in Colorectal Cancer

by

Piotr Limanówka

^1,*,†

,

Anna Kot

^1,†,

Wiktor Wagner

¹

,

Błażej Ochman

¹,

Sylwia Mielcarska

¹,

Agnieszka Kula

²,

Miriam Dawidowicz

²,

Dorota Hudy

¹

,

Monika Szrot

³,

Jerzy Piecuch

³,

Zenon Czuba

⁴

,

Elżbieta Świętochowska

^1,*,

Iwona Gisterek-Grocholska

⁵

and

Dariusz Waniczek

²

¹

Department of Medical and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Zabrze, Medical University of Silesia, 41-808 Zabrze, Poland

²

Department of Oncological Surgery, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Zabrze, Medical University of Silesia, 41-808 Katowice, Poland

³

Department of General and Bariatric Surgery and Emergency Medicine in Zabrze, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Zabrze, Medical University of Silesia, 41-800 Zabrze, Poland

⁴

Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Zabrze, Medical University of Silesia, 41-808 Zabrze, Poland

⁵

Department of Oncology and Radiotherapy, Medical University of Silesia, 40-615 Katowice, Poland

^*

Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.

^†

These authors contributed equally to this work.

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2026, 27(13), 6032; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27136032 (registering DOI)

Submission received: 10 June 2026 / Revised: 30 June 2026 / Accepted: 3 July 2026 / Published: 5 July 2026

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Colorectal Cancer: Molecular and Cellular Basis)

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Abstract

Cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) influences extracellular matrix remodeling. We investigated its clinical, prognostic, and immunomodulatory significance in colorectal cancer (CRC). COMP was quantified via ELISA in 107 paired CRC and normal tissues. Expression was correlated with clinicopathological features, mutational profiles, microsatellite instability (MSI), tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), immune checkpoints, and multiplex cytokine networks. For transcriptomic validation, the FieldEffectCrc dataset was used for Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA), and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) CRC cohort for survival analysis. COMP was significantly upregulated in CRC tissues (p < 0.001) and correlated with advanced T, N, and overall pathological stages (all p < 0.05, tau = 0.18, 0.21, and 0.23, respectively). High COMP expression was linked to restricted immune infiltration (reduced stromal TILs, p < 0.05, tau = −0.23), elevated levels in microsatellite stable (MSS) compared to MSI tumors (p < 0.01), and correlated positively with immune exhaustion markers (T-cell immunoglobulin and mucin-domain containing-3 (TIM-3), galectin-9 (GAL9), sialic acid-binding Ig-like lectin 9 (SIGLEC9)). Transcriptomic data linked high COMP to worse disease-specific and progression-free survival, and enrichment in pro-tumorigenic pathways (epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, angiogenesis, IL-6 signaling). COMP upregulation defines an immunosuppressive microenvironment in CRC, particularly in MSS tumors. It represents an important prognostic biomarker and potential therapeutic target for overcoming immunotherapy resistance.

Keywords: cartilage oligomeric matrix protein; colorectal cancer; tumor microenvironment; tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes; TIM-3; galectin 9; SIGLEC9

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MDPI and ACS Style

Limanówka, P.; Kot, A.; Wagner, W.; Ochman, B.; Mielcarska, S.; Kula, A.; Dawidowicz, M.; Hudy, D.; Szrot, M.; Piecuch, J.; et al. Cartilage Oligomeric Matrix Protein (COMP) Correlates with Disease Progression, Selected Immune Checkpoint Molecules and SIGLEC9 in Colorectal Cancer. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2026, 27, 6032. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27136032

AMA Style

Limanówka P, Kot A, Wagner W, Ochman B, Mielcarska S, Kula A, Dawidowicz M, Hudy D, Szrot M, Piecuch J, et al. Cartilage Oligomeric Matrix Protein (COMP) Correlates with Disease Progression, Selected Immune Checkpoint Molecules and SIGLEC9 in Colorectal Cancer. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2026; 27(13):6032. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27136032

Chicago/Turabian Style

Limanówka, Piotr, Anna Kot, Wiktor Wagner, Błażej Ochman, Sylwia Mielcarska, Agnieszka Kula, Miriam Dawidowicz, Dorota Hudy, Monika Szrot, Jerzy Piecuch, and et al. 2026. "Cartilage Oligomeric Matrix Protein (COMP) Correlates with Disease Progression, Selected Immune Checkpoint Molecules and SIGLEC9 in Colorectal Cancer" International Journal of Molecular Sciences 27, no. 13: 6032. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27136032

APA Style

Limanówka, P., Kot, A., Wagner, W., Ochman, B., Mielcarska, S., Kula, A., Dawidowicz, M., Hudy, D., Szrot, M., Piecuch, J., Czuba, Z., Świętochowska, E., Gisterek-Grocholska, I., & Waniczek, D. (2026). Cartilage Oligomeric Matrix Protein (COMP) Correlates with Disease Progression, Selected Immune Checkpoint Molecules and SIGLEC9 in Colorectal Cancer. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 27(13), 6032. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27136032

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Cartilage Oligomeric Matrix Protein (COMP) Correlates with Disease Progression, Selected Immune Checkpoint Molecules and SIGLEC9 in Colorectal Cancer

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