Identification of Metabolic Alterations in Breast Cancer Using Mass Spectrometry-Based Metabolomic Analysis
Abstract
Breast cancer (BC) is a major global health issue and remains the second leading cause of cancer-related death in women, contributing to approximately 41,760 deaths annually. BC is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Although various molecular diagnostic tools have been developed to improve diagnosis of BC in the clinical setting, better detection tools for earlier diagnosis can improve survival rates. Given that altered metabolism is a characteristic feature of BC, we aimed to understand the comparative metabolic differences between BC and healthy controls. Metabolomics, the study of metabolism, can provide incredible insight and create useful tools for identifying potential BC biomarkers. In this study, we applied two analytical mass spectrometry (MS) platforms, including hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC) and gas chromatography (GC), to generate BC-associated metabolic profiles using breast tissue from BC patients. These metabolites were further analyzed to identify differentially expressed metabolites in BC and their associated metabolic networks. Additionally, Chemical Similarity Enrichment Analysis (ChemRICH), MetaMapp, and Metabolite Set Enrichment Analysis (MSEA) identified significantly enriched clusters and networks in BC tissues. Since metabolomic signatures hold significant promise in the clinical setting, more effort should be placed on validating potential BC biomarkers based on identifying altered metabolomes.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Apr 24, 2020
- Source ID
- 10.3390/metabo10040170
Entities
People
- Arash Asher
- Jayoung Kim
- Muhammad Shahid
- Peng Jin
- Sili Fan
Organizations
- Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- National Institutes of Health Clinical Center
- United States Department of Defense