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Investigating the therapeutic potential and mechanism of curcumin in breast cancer based on RNA sequencing and bioinformatics analysis

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Abstract

Background

Breast cancer is a prevalent cancer in female. This study aims to investigate the therapeutic potential and mechanism of curcumin in breast cancer.

Methods

After cultivation, human breast cancer cells (MCF-7 cells) were treated with 0.1% (v/v) 15 µmol/ml curcumin-dimethylsulfoxide solution and 0.1% (v/v) dimethylsulfoxide, respectively, at 37 °C and 5% CO2 for 48 h. Total RNA was extracted, cDNA library was constructed, and cDNAs were amplified and sequenced. After data preprocessing, the Cufflinks software was utilized to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs, |log2 fold change| > 0.5 and p value < 0.05). Then, functional and pathway enrichment analyses were performed through DAVID (p value < 0.05) and WebGestalt [false discovery rate (FDR) < 0.05], respectively. Furthermore, drug and disease association analyses (FDR < 0.05) were conducted through WebGestalt and DAVID, respectively. STRING was employed to construct protein–protein interaction (PPI) network (combined score > 0.4).

Results

After DEGs screening, 347 DEGs were identified. Up-regulated DEGs were enriched in 14 functions and 3 pathways, and associated with 12 drugs. Down-regulated DEGs were enriched in 14 functions and 9 pathways, and associated with 14 drugs. Moreover, 5 DEGs were associated with breast cancer, including PGAP3, MAP3K1, SERPINE1, PON2, and GSTO2. PPI network was constructed, and the top DEGs were FOS, VIM, FGF2, MAPK1, SPARC, TOMM7, PSMB10, TCEB2, SOCS1, COL4A1, UQCR11, SERPINE1, and ISG15.

Conclusion

Curcumin might have therapeutic potential in breast cancer through regulating breast cancer-related genes, including SERPINE1, PGAP3, MAP3K1, MAPK1, GSTO2, VIM, SPARC, and FGF2. However, validations are required.

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Acknowledgements

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Author notes

  1. Rong Wang and Jinbin Li contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Research Institute for Health and Family Planning, Beijing, 100081, China

    Rong Wang

  2. Core Laboratory of Translational Medicine, Chinese PLA General Hospital, No. 28, Fuxing Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100853, China

    Jinbin Li, Yapeng Li & Ling Yin

  3. The 88th Hospital of PLA, Tai’an, 271000, China

    Yulan Zhao

  4. Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, China

    Yapeng Li

Authors
  1. Rong Wang
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  2. Jinbin Li
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  3. Yulan Zhao
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  4. Yapeng Li
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  5. Ling Yin
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ling Yin.

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Wang, R., Li, J., Zhao, Y. et al. Investigating the therapeutic potential and mechanism of curcumin in breast cancer based on RNA sequencing and bioinformatics analysis. Breast Cancer 25, 206–212 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12282-017-0816-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12282-017-0816-6

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