Abstract:ObjectiveAnoikis is a distinct form of apoptosis that primarily takes place when cells become detached from the extracellular matrix, resulting in the loss of anchoring. It plays a crucial role in preserving the homeostasis of the in vivo environment. This study is aimed at developing a gene set and prognostic model associated with anoikis in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), which could also be utilized to predict effective therapeutic interventions for patients.MethodsUnivariate and multivariate Cox analyses were conducted on TNBC patients within the TCGA-BRCA dataset to identify the anoikis-related gene signature (ARGS). The Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) dataset was employed for independent validation. Subsequently, a nomogram model was constructed by integrating ARGS with clinicopathological parameters. Multiple statistical methods were employed to assess the predictive capability of the model. The sensitivity to therapeutic agents was analyzed in stratified TNBC patients based on ARGS. To investigate the predicted drug susceptibility, CCK-8 cell viability assay and flow cytometry were performed.ResultsWe constructed a seven-gene ARGS and calculated the risk score, stratifying TNBC patients into high-risk and low-risk groups. Significantly worse overall survival (OS) was observed in the high-risk group compared with the low-risk group. Subsequently, we generated a nomogram model exhibiting excellent performance and stratification of patient survival, predicting heightened sensitivity to tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in high-risk TNBC patients. In addition, we found that the higher the risk score of the TNBC cell lines, the greater the sensitivity to TKIs.ConclusionsAn ARGS was established in TNBC to predict patient survival and drug sensitivity. Additionally, a nomogram model was constructed, incorporating clinicopathological parameters to further enhance the prediction ability of patient survival.
[1] Sung H, Ferlay J, Siegel R L, et al.Global Cancer Statistics 2020: GLOBOCAN Estimates of Incidence and Mortality Worldwide for 36 Cancers in 185 Countries[J]. CA Cancer J Clin, 2021, 71(3): 209-249. [2] Jiang Y Z, Ma D, Suo C, et al. Genomic and Transcriptomic Landscape of Triple-Negative Breast Cancers: Subtypes and Treatment Strategies [J]. Cancer Cell, 2019, 35(3): 428-440. e5. [3] Bianchini G, Balko J M, Mayer I A, et al.Triple-negative breast cancer: challenges and opportunities of a heterogeneous disease[J]. Nat Rev Clin Oncol, 2016, 13(11): 674-690. [4] Foulkes W D, Smith I E, Reis-Filho J S. Triple-negative breast cancer[J]. N Engl J Med, 2010, 363(20): 1938-1948. [5] Frisch S M, Screaton R A.Anoikis mechanisms[J]. Curr Opin Cell Biol, 2001, 13(5): 555-562. [6] Taddei M L, Giannoni E, Fiaschi T, et al.Anoikis: an emerging hallmark in health and diseases[J]. J Pathol, 2012, 226(2): 380-393. [7] Qin R, You F M, Zhao Q, et al.Naturally derived indole alkaloids targeting regulated cell death (RCD) for cancer therapy: from molecular mechanisms to potential therapeutic targets[J]. J Hematol Oncol, 2022, 15(1): 133. [8] Rebhan M, Chalifa-Caspi V, Prilusky J, et al.GeneCards: integrating information about genes, proteins and diseases[J]. Trends Genet, 1997, 13(4): 163. [9] Liang W, Yang P, Huang R, et al.A Combined Nomogram Model to Preoperatively Predict Histologic Grade in Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors[J]. Clin Cancer Res, 2019, 25(2): 584-594. [10] Vickers A J, Elkin E B.Decision curve analysis: a novel method for evaluating prediction models[J]. Med Decis Making, 2006, 26(6): 565-574. [11] Seashore-Ludlow B, Rees M G, Cheah J H, et al.Harnessing Connectivity in a Large-Scale Small-Molecule Sensitivity Dataset[J]. Cancer Discov, 2015, 5(11): 1210-1223. [12] Basu A, Bodycombe N E, Cheah J H, et al.An interactive resource to identify cancer genetic and lineage dependencies targeted by small molecules[J]. Cell, 2013, 154(5): 1151-1161. [13] Rees M G, Seashore-Ludlow B, Cheah J H, et al.Correlating chemical sensitivity and basal gene expression reveals mechanism of action[J]. Nat Chem Biol, 2016, 12(2): 109-116. [14] Kakavandi E, Shahbahrami R, Goudarzi H, et al.Anoikis resistance and oncoviruses[J]. J Cell Biochem, 2018, 119(3): 2484-2491. [15] Zhi Z, Ouyang Z, Ren Y, et al.Non-canonical phosphorylation of Bmf by p38 MAPK promotes its apoptotic activity in anoikis[J]. Cell Death Differ, 2022, 29(2): 323-336. [16] Jiang K, Yao G, Hu L, et al.MOB2 suppresses GBM cell migration and invasion via regulation of FAK/Akt and cAMP/PKA signaling[J]. Cell Death Dis, 2020, 11(4): 230. [17] Kim H, Choi P, Kim T, et al.Ginsenosides Rk1 and Rg5 inhibit transforming growth factor-beta1-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition and suppress migration, invasion, anoikis resistance, and development of stem-like features in lung cancer[J]. J Ginseng Res, 2021, 45(1): 134-148. [18] Wang C, Xu C, Niu R, et al.MiR-890 inhibits proliferation and invasion and induces apoptosis in triple-negative breast cancer cells by targeting CD147[J]. BMC Cancer, 2019, 19(1): 577. [19] Zhao S J, Zhao H D, Li J, et al.CD151 promotes breast cancer metastasis by activating TGF-beta1/Smad signaling pathway[J]. Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci, 2018, 22(21): 7314-7322. [20] Gao Y, Fang Y, Huang Y, et al.MIIP functions as a novel ligand for ITGB3 to inhibit angiogenesis and tumorigenesis of triple-negative breast cancer[J]. Cell Death Dis, 2022, 13(9): 810. [21] Fuentes P, Sese M, Guijarro P J, et al.ITGB3-mediated uptake of small extracellular vesicles facilitates intercellular communication in breast cancer cells[J]. Nat Commun, 2020, 11(1): 4261. [22] Lee K M, Giltnane J M, Balko J M, et al. MYC and MCL1 Cooperatively Promote Chemotherapy-Resistant Breast Cancer Stem Cells via Regulation of Mitochondrial Oxidative Phosphorylation [J]. Cell Metab, 2017, 26(4): 633-647. e7. [23] Tang D, Ma J, Chu Z, et al.Apatinib-induced NF-kappaB inactivation sensitizes triple-negative breast cancer cells to doxorubicin[J]. Am J Transl Res, 2020, 12(7): 3741-3753.