Investigation of fatty acid metabolism-related genes in breast cancer: Implications for Immunotherapy and clinical significance

Liyang Tang; Xiaoyong Lei; Haihong Hu; Zhuo Li; Hongxia Zhu; Wendi Zhan; Taolan Zhang

doi:10.1016/j.tranon.2023.101700

Investigation of fatty acid metabolism-related genes in breast cancer: Implications for Immunotherapy and clinical significance

Transl Oncol. 2023 Aug:34:101700. doi: 10.1016/j.tranon.2023.101700. Epub 2023 May 27.

Authors

Liyang Tang¹, Xiaoyong Lei², Haihong Hu¹, Zhuo Li¹, Hongxia Zhu¹, Wendi Zhan¹, Taolan Zhang³

Affiliations

¹ School of Pharmacy, Hengyang Medical College, University of South China, 28 Western Changsheng Road, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, China; The First Affiliated Hospital, Department of Pharmacy, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, 69 Chuanshan Road, Hengyang, Hunan, 421001, China; The First Affiliated Hospital, Chinese Traditional Medicine(TCM) research platform of major Epidemic Treatment base, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, 69 Chuanshan Road, Hengyang, Hunan, 421001, China.
² School of Pharmacy, Hengyang Medical College, University of South China, 28 Western Changsheng Road, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, China.
³ School of Pharmacy, Hengyang Medical College, University of South China, 28 Western Changsheng Road, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, China; The First Affiliated Hospital, Department of Pharmacy, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, 69 Chuanshan Road, Hengyang, Hunan, 421001, China; The First Affiliated Hospital, Chinese Traditional Medicine(TCM) research platform of major Epidemic Treatment base, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, 69 Chuanshan Road, Hengyang, Hunan, 421001, China. Electronic address: 2018012564@usc.edu.cn.

Abstract

Breast cancer (BRCA) is a major global health issue, characterized by high mortality and low early diagnosis rates. The tumor immune microenvironment (TME) of BRCA is closely linked to fatty acid metabolism (FAM). This study aimed to identify FAM-related subtypes in BRCA based on gene expression and clinical data from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. The study found two distinct FAM-related subtypes, each with unique immune characteristics and prognostic implications. A FAM-related risk score prognostic model was developed and validated using TCGA and International Cancer Genome Consortium (GEO) cohorts, showing potential clinical applications for chemotherapy and immunotherapy. Additionally, a nomogram was established to facilitate clinical use of the risk score. These results highlight the significant correlation between FAM genes and TME in BRCA, and demonstrate the potential clinical utility of the FAM-related risk score in informing treatment decisions for BRCA patients.

Keywords: Breast cancer; Fatty acid metabolism; Immunotherapy; Tumor immune microenvironment; Unsupervised clustering.