NEK8 and colorectal carcinoma: We validated our findings using TCGA and GEO datasets, assessing immune infiltration and spatial gene localization to determine the relationship between NEK8 and immune modulation.<h4>Results</h4>Our NECSO-derived five-gene signature (NEK8, DRD4, EPHB2, CYTH2, ACOT11) effectively stratified CRC patients into high- and low-risk groups.