Evaluation of MYC Oncogene Expression in Human Breast Cancer and Its Relationship with ACSL4 and Lipin-1 Expression

Disturbances in lipid metabolism are one of the hallmarks of cancer cells. Fatty acid synthesis and oxidation play a crucial role in the proliferation, growth, and survival of cancer cells. Several enzymes are involved in lipid metabolism. MYC is an oncogene and plays various regulatory roles in lipid metabolism. This study aimed to evaluate MYC expression and its association with the expressions of Lipin-1, ACSL4 (enzymes involved in lipid metabolism), in pairs of breast cancer (BC) and adjacent normal tissues to further understand the MYC influence on metabolic regulation.

Fifty-five pairs of samples of BC and noncancerous adjacent tissues were utilized in the present study to analyze MYC, Lipin-1, and ACSL4 by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Further, the expression of Lipin-1 and ACSL4 proteins and a number of other clinicopathologically relevant variables were studied employing immunohistochemistry staining.

MYC expression was substantially higher in BC tissues than in adjacent normal tissues, according to our findings. This upregulation was positively correlated with tumor size and stage. Although MYC expression was not correlated with that of ACSL4 and Lipin-1 expression, this may result from the complex metabolic changes that occur when cells become malignant.

Although further research is required to assess MYC's impact on tumor metabolic regulation, the correlations seen here between MYC, the pathological stage, and tumor size may indicate its prognostic significance in BC. Hence, it may be considered as a potential therapeutic target for further studies.