Causal roles of cathepsins family members in breast cancer subtypes: insights from Mendelian randomization and bioinformatics analysis.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

This study aims to explore the causal association between members of the cathepsin family and breast cancer subtypes, with a focus on their expression profiles, prognostic significance, and potential molecular mechanisms in HER2-positive and HER2-negative breast cancer. Additionally, the study includes preliminary in vitro cell experiments to validate the functional relevance of key genes.

Methods

This study employs the two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) method to analyze the causal relationship between 10 members of the cathepsin family (CTSB, CTSE, CTSF, CTSG, CTSH, CTSL1, CTSL2, CTSO, CTSS, CTSZ) and breast cancer risk. Sensitivity analyses, including MR-Egger, Cochran's Q test, and MR-PRESSO, are used to validate the robustness of the results. Additionally,

SUBMITTER: Tan L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12545950 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature