IMR Press / FBL / Volume 29 / Issue 7 / DOI: 10.31083/j.fbl2907239
Open Access Original Research
An Apoptosis-Related Specific Risk Model for Breast Cancer: From Genomic Analysis to Precision Medicine
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Affiliation
1 Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, 400016 Chongqing, China
2 Department of Hepatobiliary surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, 400016 Chongqing, China
3 School of Basic Medical Science, Chongqing Medical University, 400016 Chongqing, China
4 Department of Pathology, Chongqing Medical University, 400016 Chongqing, China
5 Molecular Medicine Diagnostic and Testing Center, Chongqing Medical University, 400016 Chongqing, China
6 Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, 400016 Chongqing, China
*Correspondence: pqlpzy@cqmu.edu.cn (Qiling Peng); jiangning@cqmu.edu.cn (Ning Jiang); weiyuxian@cqmu.edu.cn (Yuxian Wei)
These authors contributed equally.
Front. Biosci. (Landmark Ed) 2024, 29(7), 239; https://doi.org/10.31083/j.fbl2907239
Submitted: 23 November 2023 | Revised: 29 March 2024 | Accepted: 8 April 2024 | Published: 27 June 2024
Copyright: © 2024 The Author(s). Published by IMR Press.
This is an open access article under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Abstract

Background: Breast cancer (BC) ranks as the most prevalent malignancy affecting women globally, with apoptosis playing a pivotal role in its pathological progression. Despite the crucial role of apoptosis in BC development, there is limited research exploring the relationship between BC prognosis and apoptosis-related genes (ARGs). Therefore, this study aimed to establish a BC-specific risk model centered on apoptosis-related factors, presenting a novel approach for predicting prognosis and immune responses in BC patients. Methods: Utilizing data from The Cancer Gene Atlas (TCGA), Cox regression analysis was employed to identify differentially prognostic ARGs and construct prognostic models. The accuracy and clinical relevance of the model, along with its efficacy in predicting immunotherapy outcomes, were evaluated using independent datasets, Receiver Operator Characteristic (ROC) curves, and nomogram. Additionally, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and Gene Ontology (GO) analyses were used to predict potential mechanical pathways. The CellMiner database is used to assess drug sensitivity of model genes. Results: A survival risk model comprising eight prognostically relevant apoptotic genes (PMAIP1, TP53AIP1, TUBA3D, TUBA1C, BCL2A1, EMP1, GSN, F2) was established based on BC patient samples from TCGA. Calibration curves validated the ROC curve and nomogram, demonstrating excellent accuracy and clinical utility. In samples from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets and immunotherapy groups, the low-risk group (LRG) demonstrated enhanced immune cell infiltration and improved immunotherapy responses. Model genes also displayed positive associations with sensitivity to multiple drugs, including vemurafenib, dabrafenib, PD-98059, and palbociclib. Conclusions: This study successfully developed and validated a prognostic model based on ARGs, offering new insights into prognosis and immune response prediction in BC patients. These findings hold promise as valuable references for future research endeavors in this field.

Keywords
breast cancer
prognostic risk model
apoptosis-related genes
immuno-infiltration analysis
drug sensitivity analysis
Funding
81972023/ National Natural Science Foundation of China
cstc2021jcyj-msxm0172/ Natural Science Foundation of Chongqing City
KJQN201900425/ Science and Technology Research Program of Chongqing Education Commission of China
CXQT21017/ Creative Research Group of CQ University
Program for Youth Innovation in Future Medicine from Chongqing Medical University
Figures
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