Comprehensive gene expression analysis reveals multiple signal pathways associated with prostate cancer

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Molecular Biology
• Bioinformatics

Background:

• Prostate cancer (PC) growth is critically dependent on androgen signaling.
• The precise molecular mechanisms by which hormones regulate PC proliferation and tumorigenesis are not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in PC.
• To identify key genes influenced by hormone stimulus in PC.
• To uncover potential therapeutic targets for PC.

Main Methods:

• Downloaded and analyzed gene expression data from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database.
• Utilized t-tests to identify DEGs between PC and normal samples.
• Applied Gene Ontology (GO) functional annotation and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis to screen hormone-related DEGs and signaling pathways.

Main Results:

• Identified 912 DEGs (326 up-regulated, 586 down-regulated) in PC.
• Discovered 50 hormone-related DEGs associated with PC.
• Found these DEGs involved in crucial pathways like TGF-β, MAPK, insulin, and p53 signaling.
• Highlighted five central hormone-related DEGs (SHC1, CAV1, RXRA, CDKN1A, SRF) in the PPI network.

Conclusions:

• Several hormone-related DEGs and associated signaling pathways (TGF-β, MAPK, insulin, p53) are implicated in prostate cancer.
• These identified genes and pathways represent promising targets for future PC therapeutic strategies.