Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 26, 2025
Systems Biology of Metabolic Regulation by Estrogen Receptor Signaling in Breast Cancer
Published on: March 17, 2016
Metabolomics unravels subtype-specific characteristics related to neoadjuvant therapy response in breast cancer
Andrea Zapater-Moros1,2,3, Leticia Díaz-Beltrán4,5, Angelo Gámez-Pozo1,2
1Molecular Oncology & Pathology Lab, Institute of Medical and Molecular Genetics-INGEMM, La Paz University Hospital-IdiPAZ, Paseo de la Castellana 261, 28046, Madrid, Spain.
Introduction:
Breast cancer is the most diagnosed tumor and the leading cause of cancer death in women worldwide. Metabolomics allows the quantification of the entire set of metabolites in blood samples, making it possible to study differential metabolomics patterns related to neoadjuvant treatment in the breast cancer neoadjuvant setting.
Objectives:
Characterizing metabolic differences in breast cancer blood samples according to their response to neoadjuvant treatment.
Methods:
One hundred and three plasma samples of breast cancer patients, before receiving neoadjuvant treatment, were analyzed through UPLC-MS/MS metabolomics. Then, metabolomics data were analyzed using probabilistic graphical models and biostatistics methods.
Results:
Metabolomics data allowed the identification of differences between groups according to response to neoadjuvant treatment. These differences were specific to each breast cancer subtype. Patients with HER2+ tumors showed differences in metabolites related to amino acids and carbohydrates pathways between the two pathological response groups. However, patients with triple-negative tumors showed differences in metabolites related to the long-chain fatty acids pathway. Patients with Luminal B tumors showed differences in metabolites related to acylcarnitine pathways.
Conclusions:
It is possible to identify differential metabolomics patterns between complete and partial responses to neoadjuvant therapy, being this metabolomic profile specific for each breast cancer subtype.
