Exploring Molecular Pathways in Metastasis of Breast Cancer Cells to the Brain: Insights from Gene Expression Analysis and Cellular Origins.
PMID 42824931 | PMCID PMC13630360 | DOI 10.4103/jmau.jmau_57_23 · Journal of microscopy and ultrastructure · 2026 · View on PubMed ↗
INTRODUCTION: Breast cancer (BC) metastasis to the brain poses a significant challenge in improving outcomes for BC patients. This study aimed to identify the biological mechanisms and associated genes involved in BC cell metastasis to the brain. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Genome-wide gene expression profiles (GSE42568 and GSE43837) generated on a microarray platform were obtained from the GEO database. GSE42568 included 104 BC and 17 normal breast biopsies, while GSE43837 comprised 19 human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive human BCs with brain metastases and 19 HER2-positive nonmetastatic primary BCs. Differential gene expression and protein interaction analysis were performed to identify significant gene clusters associated with BC metastasis to the brain. RESULTS: Two significant clusters of genes were identified in BC. The first cluster included genes such as EEF1A1, RPL8, RPS3A, RPN2, PSMD2, RPL18, RPL7, and RPS3. The second cluster included genes such as ASPN, COL6A3, COL3A1, LUM, VCAM1, FASLG, GBP1, CXCL9, DAXX, H3F3A, H3F3B, and KMT2D. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genome pathway analysis revealed the significance of genes in the second cluster in pericentric heterochromatin assembly, telomeric heterochromatin assembly, and collagen type III trimer. The expression patterns of 15 hub genes in histopathology specimens and immunofluorescence microscopy images of BC tissue samples exhibited varying expression levels. CONCLUSION: The study identified specific genes and biological mechanisms associated with BC metastasis to the brain. The findings provide insights into the processes involved in cancer genesis and development. Understanding these mechanisms can aid in the development of targeted treatment strategies for BC patients.
Validated evidence
| Type | Entity | Source evidence | Confidence | Extractor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| gene | EEF1A1 | “The first cluster included genes such as EEF1A1, RPL8, RPS3A, RPN2, PSMD2, RPL18, RPL7, and RPS3.” | 0.98 | hgnc_dict_v1 |
| gene | RPL8 | “The first cluster included genes such as EEF1A1, RPL8, RPS3A, RPN2, PSMD2, RPL18, RPL7, and RPS3.” | 0.98 | hgnc_dict_v1 |
| gene | RPS3A | “The first cluster included genes such as EEF1A1, RPL8, RPS3A, RPN2, PSMD2, RPL18, RPL7, and RPS3.” | 0.98 | hgnc_dict_v1 |
| gene | RPN2 | “The first cluster included genes such as EEF1A1, RPL8, RPS3A, RPN2, PSMD2, RPL18, RPL7, and RPS3.” | 0.98 | hgnc_dict_v1 |
| gene | PSMD2 | “The first cluster included genes such as EEF1A1, RPL8, RPS3A, RPN2, PSMD2, RPL18, RPL7, and RPS3.” | 0.98 | hgnc_dict_v1 |
| gene | RPL18 | “The first cluster included genes such as EEF1A1, RPL8, RPS3A, RPN2, PSMD2, RPL18, RPL7, and RPS3.” | 0.98 | hgnc_dict_v1 |
| gene | RPL7 | “The first cluster included genes such as EEF1A1, RPL8, RPS3A, RPN2, PSMD2, RPL18, RPL7, and RPS3.” | 0.98 | hgnc_dict_v1 |
| gene | RPS3 | “The first cluster included genes such as EEF1A1, RPL8, RPS3A, RPN2, PSMD2, RPL18, RPL7, and RPS3.” | 0.98 | hgnc_dict_v1 |
| gene | ASPN | “The second cluster included genes such as ASPN, COL6A3, COL3A1, LUM, VCAM1, FASLG, GBP1, CXCL9, DAXX, H3F3A, H3F3B, and KMT2D.” | 0.98 | hgnc_dict_v1 |
| gene | COL6A3 | “The second cluster included genes such as ASPN, COL6A3, COL3A1, LUM, VCAM1, FASLG, GBP1, CXCL9, DAXX, H3F3A, H3F3B, and KMT2D.” | 0.98 | hgnc_dict_v1 |
| gene | COL3A1 | “The second cluster included genes such as ASPN, COL6A3, COL3A1, LUM, VCAM1, FASLG, GBP1, CXCL9, DAXX, H3F3A, H3F3B, and KMT2D.” | 0.98 | hgnc_dict_v1 |
| gene | LUM | “The second cluster included genes such as ASPN, COL6A3, COL3A1, LUM, VCAM1, FASLG, GBP1, CXCL9, DAXX, H3F3A, H3F3B, and KMT2D.” | 0.98 | hgnc_dict_v1 |
| gene | VCAM1 | “The second cluster included genes such as ASPN, COL6A3, COL3A1, LUM, VCAM1, FASLG, GBP1, CXCL9, DAXX, H3F3A, H3F3B, and KMT2D.” | 0.98 | hgnc_dict_v1 |
| gene | FASLG | “The second cluster included genes such as ASPN, COL6A3, COL3A1, LUM, VCAM1, FASLG, GBP1, CXCL9, DAXX, H3F3A, H3F3B, and KMT2D.” | 0.98 | hgnc_dict_v1 |
| gene | GBP1 | “The second cluster included genes such as ASPN, COL6A3, COL3A1, LUM, VCAM1, FASLG, GBP1, CXCL9, DAXX, H3F3A, H3F3B, and KMT2D.” | 0.98 | hgnc_dict_v1 |
| gene | CXCL9 | “The second cluster included genes such as ASPN, COL6A3, COL3A1, LUM, VCAM1, FASLG, GBP1, CXCL9, DAXX, H3F3A, H3F3B, and KMT2D.” | 0.98 | hgnc_dict_v1 |
| gene | DAXX | “The second cluster included genes such as ASPN, COL6A3, COL3A1, LUM, VCAM1, FASLG, GBP1, CXCL9, DAXX, H3F3A, H3F3B, and KMT2D.” | 0.98 | hgnc_dict_v1 |
| gene | KMT2D | “The second cluster included genes such as ASPN, COL6A3, COL3A1, LUM, VCAM1, FASLG, GBP1, CXCL9, DAXX, H3F3A, H3F3B, and KMT2D.” | 0.98 | hgnc_dict_v1 |
| phenotype | breast cancer | “Exploring Molecular Pathways in Metastasis of Breast Cancer Cells to the Brain: Insights from Gene Expression Analysis and Cellular Origins.” | 0.98 | phenotype_alias_lexicon_v2 |