KEY TAKEAWAYS
- The study aimed to identify key pathogenic genes associated with TNBC and MDD.
- The study’s findings revealed that G3BP1, MAF, NCEH1, and TMEM45A as significant pathological genes in both TNBC and MDD.
Individuals diagnosed with major depressive disorder (MDD) face heightened susceptibility to breast cancer (BC), suggesting shared pathological mechanisms between these conditions.
Hua Xie and the team aimed to identify key pathogenic genes associated with the development of both triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and major depressive disorder (MDD).
Researchers analyzed public datasets GSE65194 and GSE98793 to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) shared by both. They constructed a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network using STRING and Cytoscape, then identified key PPI genes using cytoHubba.
Hub DEGs were obtained by intersecting hub genes from the PPI network with genes in disease-associated Weighed Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA) modules. Hub gene expression was validated using independent datasets (TCGA and GSE76826) and RT-qPCR.
About 113 overlapping DEGs between TNBC and MDD. A PPI network was constructed, identifying 35 hub DEGs. Through WGCNA, modules blue, brown, and turquoise showed a high correlation with TNBC, while brown, turquoise, and yellow modules correlated strongly with MDD. Notably, G3BP1, MAF, NCEH1, and TMEM45A emerged as hub DEGs, appearing in both modules and PPI hub DEGs.
In datasets GSE65194 and GSE98793, G3BP1 and MAF exhibited significant downregulation in TNBC and MDD groups compared to controls, while NCEH1 and TMEM45A showed significant upregulation. These findings were validated by the TCGA and GSE76826 datasets and through RT-qPCR.
The study concluded that G3BP1, MAF, NCEH1, and TMEM45A are pivotal pathological genes in both TNBC and MDD.
Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38755543/
Xie H, Ding C, Li Q, et al. (2024). “Identification of shared gene signatures in major depressive disorder and triple-negative breast cancer.” BMC Psychiatry. 2024 May 16;24(1):369. doi: 10.1186/s12888-024-05795-z. PMID: 38755543.
