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Genetic implications of PSMA expression variability in breast cancer subtypes with a focus on triple-negative breast cancer

  • Human Genetics • Original Paper
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Abstract

Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) is a protein frequently found to be overexpressed in various non-prostate cancer types. Our investigation, based on data from the TCGA databases, revealed a wide range of differential PSMA (encoded by FOLH1 gene) mRNA expressions across several cancer types, with notable findings in triple-negative breast carcinoma. This preclinical study delves into the molecular underpinnings of utilizing PSMA-targeting radiopharmaceuticals within specific breast cancer subtypes. We conducted a transcriptomic expression analysis of PSMA across different subtypes of breast cancer, focusing particularly on the triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) subset. Our analysis encompassed 1100 patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas dataset. We observed a broad distribution of PSMA mRNA expressions across various subgroups within these cancer types. Notably, a subset of triple-negative breast cancer exhibited higher PSMA mRNA expression compared to non-triple-negative breast cancer. Intriguingly, we found that higher PSMA mRNA expression was associated with favorable outcomes in terms of distant metastasis-free and relapse-free survival in patients. Within a subset of TNBC patients, there is a prevalent overexpression of PSMA, which appears to be linked with improved relapse-free and distant metastasis-free survival. Our study succinctly highlights the significance of PSMA overexpression in TNBC and its potential impact on patient outcomes and provides a clear and concise overview of the study’s contributions to breast cancer research.

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Data Availability

The inclusion criteria for our study involved breast cancer patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset. Specifically, we focused on individuals representing different subtypes of breast cancer, with a particular emphasis on the triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) subset.

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Acknowledgements

The authors extend their appreciation to the Deputyship for Research & Innovation, "Ministry of Education" in Saudi Arabia for funding this research (IFKSUOR3-370-1).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2457, 11451, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

    Mudassar Shahid, Ahmed L. Alaofi, Mohammed S. Alqahtani & Rabbani Syed

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  1. Mudassar Shahid
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  2. Ahmed L. Alaofi
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  3. Mohammed S. Alqahtani
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  4. Rabbani Syed
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Correspondence to Rabbani Syed.

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Communicated by: Ewa Ziętkiewicz

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Shahid, M., Alaofi, A.L., Alqahtani, M.S. et al. Genetic implications of PSMA expression variability in breast cancer subtypes with a focus on triple-negative breast cancer. J Appl Genetics (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13353-023-00814-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13353-023-00814-3

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