• Identification of breast cancer hub genes using bioinformatic analysis
  • Niloufar Sadat Kalaki,1,*
    1. Department of cellular and molecular biology, faculty of biological sciences, kharazmi university, Tehran, Iran


  • Introduction: Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in women worldwide. This study aimed to elucidate the potential key candidate genes and pathways in breast cancer.
  • Methods: GSE38959 and GSE45827 were selected from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) with an adjusted p-value < 0.05 and a logFC ≥ 2 and logFC ≤-2 were identified. Common DEGs of two datasets were identified using the GEO2R tool. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and Gene Ontology (GO) databases were used to identify pathways. Protein-protein interactions (PPIs) analysis was performed by using the Cytoscap and Gephi. A GEPIA analysis was carried out to confirm the target genes. 
  • Results: 322 common differential expressed genes have been identified through the use of GEO and PPI, respectively. The GO and KEGG pathways analysis showed DEGs were enriched in Cell cycle. The expression of 2 genes CDK1, CCNB1 showed a significant difference between normal and tumor samples, have been identified by GEPIA analysis.
  • Conclusion: In this study, the hub genes and their related pathways involved in the development of BRCA were identified. These genes, as potential diagnostic biomarkers may provide a potent opportunity to detect BRCA at the earliest stages, resulting in a more effective treatment.
  • Keywords: Breast cancer, BRCA, PPI network, Diagnostic biomarkers