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Article

Artificial Intelligence-Enabled Integration Suggests TP53 Pathway Alterations as Prognostic Biomarkers in Populations with Disproportionate Health Burdens

by
Fernando C. Diaz
1,
Brigette Waldrup
2,
Francisco G. Carranza
2,
Sophia Manjarrez
2 and
Enrique Velazquez-Villarreal
2,3,*
1
Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27514, USA
2
Department of Integrative Translational Sciences, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
3
City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2026, 27(3), 1607; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27031607
Submission received: 15 November 2025 / Revised: 3 February 2026 / Accepted: 5 February 2026 / Published: 6 February 2026

Abstract

The incidence of early-onset colorectal cancer (EOCRC; <50 years) continues to increase, with the most rapid rises occurring among Hispanic/Latino (H/L) populations who remain underrepresented in molecular research. Because the TP53 signaling pathway is a key driver of colorectal tumorigenesis, this study aimed to clarify its prognostic significance in FOLFOX-treated EOCRC across ancestry groups. We analyzed 2515 colorectal cancer (CRC) cases (266 H/L, 2249 non-Hispanic White [NHW]) stratified by ancestry, age at onset, and FOLFOX exposure. Fisher’s exact, chi-square, and Kaplan–Meier’s analyses were applied, and multi-dimensional data integration was performed using AI-HOPE and AI-HOPE-TP53, conversational artificial intelligence platforms enabling natural language-driven exploration of clinical, genomic, and therapeutic features. TP53 pathway alterations were common in both H/L (85%) and NHW (83%) FOLFOX-treated patients. Among late-onset NHW cases, FOLFOX treatment was associated with higher TP53 mutation frequencies and lower ATM and CDKN2A mutation rates compared with untreated counterparts, while CHEK2 alterations were significantly less frequent in late-onset H/L patients. Missense mutations were the predominant alteration type across groups. These findings suggest that TP53 pathway alterations may be associated with ancestry- and treatment-specific clinical patterns in EOCRC and illustrate how AI-enabled integrative analytic frameworks can facilitate hypothesis generation and prioritize candidate biomarkers for future validation in precision oncology.
Keywords: early-onset colorectal cancer; TP53 signaling pathway; tumor suppressor; Hispanic/Latino health disparities; FOLFOX chemotherapy; artificial intelligence; AI-agents; biomarkers early-onset colorectal cancer; TP53 signaling pathway; tumor suppressor; Hispanic/Latino health disparities; FOLFOX chemotherapy; artificial intelligence; AI-agents; biomarkers

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MDPI and ACS Style

Diaz, F.C.; Waldrup, B.; Carranza, F.G.; Manjarrez, S.; Velazquez-Villarreal, E. Artificial Intelligence-Enabled Integration Suggests TP53 Pathway Alterations as Prognostic Biomarkers in Populations with Disproportionate Health Burdens. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2026, 27, 1607. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27031607

AMA Style

Diaz FC, Waldrup B, Carranza FG, Manjarrez S, Velazquez-Villarreal E. Artificial Intelligence-Enabled Integration Suggests TP53 Pathway Alterations as Prognostic Biomarkers in Populations with Disproportionate Health Burdens. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2026; 27(3):1607. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27031607

Chicago/Turabian Style

Diaz, Fernando C., Brigette Waldrup, Francisco G. Carranza, Sophia Manjarrez, and Enrique Velazquez-Villarreal. 2026. "Artificial Intelligence-Enabled Integration Suggests TP53 Pathway Alterations as Prognostic Biomarkers in Populations with Disproportionate Health Burdens" International Journal of Molecular Sciences 27, no. 3: 1607. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27031607

APA Style

Diaz, F. C., Waldrup, B., Carranza, F. G., Manjarrez, S., & Velazquez-Villarreal, E. (2026). Artificial Intelligence-Enabled Integration Suggests TP53 Pathway Alterations as Prognostic Biomarkers in Populations with Disproportionate Health Burdens. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 27(3), 1607. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27031607

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