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Identifying shared transcriptional risk patterns between atherosclerosis and cancer
Richard A Baylis1,2,3,4, Hua Gao1,2, Fudi Wang1,2
1Department of Surgery, Division of Vascular Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
Iscience
|August 28, 2023
Summary
This study identifies shared pathways between cancer and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Findings suggest novel therapeutic strategies targeting both conditions simultaneously, potentially improving patient outcomes for these leading causes of death.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Cardiology
- Genomics
- Translational Medicine
Background:
- Cancer and cardiovascular disease (CVD) are leading global causes of mortality.
- Overlapping pathophysiologic mechanisms are suspected to link cancer and CVD development.
- Investigating shared pathways may reveal detrimental processes and new therapeutic targets.
Purpose of the Study:
- To intersect transcriptomic data from cancer and atherosclerotic CVD.
- To identify novel shared molecular pathways between these two diseases.
- To explore potential therapeutic targets for simultaneous treatment of cancer and CVD.
Main Methods:
- Transcriptomic datasets correlated with disease severity or patient outcomes for cancer and atherosclerotic CVD were intersected.
- Common pathways, including inflammation and hypoxia, were confirmed.
- Novel shared pathways were identified.
- Drug prediction software (OCTAD) was used to identify compounds targeting shared gene expression signatures.
Main Results:
- Numerous known and novel shared pathways between cancer and CVD were identified.
- The study confirmed the roles of inflammation and hypoxia in both diseases.
- OCTAD software identified potential compounds that could reverse gene expression signatures for both conditions.
Conclusions:
- Shared molecular pathways offer opportunities for dual therapeutic targeting.
- Certain cancer therapies could be designed to mitigate cardiovascular risks.
- Simultaneous targeting of co-prevalent cancer and atherosclerosis is a potential therapeutic strategy.
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