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TOMM40/FADS2 Expression Ratio Predicts the Sensitivity to mTOR Inhibitors in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
Salman Mohamed Farah1, Jing-Quan Zheng2,3,4, Leon Tsung-Ju Lee2,5,6
1International Ph.D. Program in Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
Cancer Medicine
|July 18, 2026
Summary
The TOMM40/FADS2 ratio can predict triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patient response to mTOR inhibitors. A higher ratio indicates greater sensitivity, offering a new therapeutic strategy for TNBC treatment.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Genomics
- Biomarker Discovery
Background:
- Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) lacks ER, PR, and HER2 expression.
- TNBC presents a challenge due to limited predictive biomarkers for targeted therapies.
Purpose of the Study:
- Identify novel predictive biomarkers for TNBC treatment response.
- Investigate the role of MTORC1 pathway genes in TNBC prognosis.
Main Methods:
- Bioinformatics analysis of TCGA and GEO databases for DEGs in MTORC1 pathway.
- Cox regression for prognostic factor identification.
- Western blotting and IHC for gene expression validation.
Main Results:
- Identified FADS2 (protective) and TOMM40 (risk) as prognostic genes.
- A higher TOMM40/FADS2 ratio correlates with poor TNBC outcomes and advanced stage.
- TNBC cells with higher TOMM40/FADS2 ratios show increased sensitivity to mTOR inhibitors.
Conclusions:
- The TOMM40/FADS2 ratio serves as a predictive biomarker for TNBC sensitivity to mTOR inhibitors.
- This ratio offers a potential new therapeutic strategy for TNBC management.
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