A prospective diagnostic model for breast cancer utilizing machine learning to examine the molecular immune infiltrate in HSPB6.

Abstract

Background: Breast cancer is a significant public health issue worldwide, being the most prevalent cancer among women and a leading cause of death related to this disease. The molecular processes that propel breast cancer progression are not fully elucidated, highlighting the intricate nature of the underlying biology and its crucial impact on global health. The objective of this research was to perform bioinformatics analyses on breast cancer-related datasets to gain a comprehensive understanding of the molecular mechanisms at play and to identify key genes associated with the disease.

Methods: The toolkit analyses involve techniques such as differential gene expression analysis, Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA), Weighted Co-Expression Network Analysis (WGCNA), and Machine Learning algorithms. Furthermore, in vitro cell experiments have demonstrated the impact of HSPB6 on cell migration, proliferation, and apoptosis.

Results: The study identified multiple genes that displayed differential expression in breast cancer, notably FHL1 and HSPB6. A machine learning model was developed in this study and specifically trained for breast cancer diagnosis using these genes, achieving high precision. Furthermore, analysis of immune cell infiltration revealed an enrichment of Tregs and M2 macrophages in the treated group, showcasing its significant impact on the tumor's immunological context. A temporal analysis of breast cancer cells using single-cell RNA sequencing provided insights into cellular developmental trajectories and highlighted changes in expression patterns across key genes during disease progression. The upregulation of HSPB6 in MCF7 cells significantly inhibited both cell migration and proliferation abilities, suggesting that promoting HSPB6 expression could induce ferroptosis in breast cancer cells.

Conclusion: Our findings have identified compelling molecular targets and distinctive diagnostic markers for the clinical management of breast cancer. This data will serve as crucial guidance for further research in the field.