Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42711595›Full record

ArticleFunctional & integrative genomics2026

Exploring the transcriptional crosstalk between adipose tissue and locoregional recurrence in breast cancer using independent component analysis.

Marlous Arjaans, Bert van der Vegt, Renske Linstra, Rudolf S N Fehrmann, Arkajyoti Bhattacharya

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Article in Functional & integrative genomics, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Marlous ArjaansDepartment of Plastic Surgery, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands. m.arjaans@umcg.nl.
Bert van der VegtDepartment of Pathology and Medical Biology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
Renske LinstraDepartment of Pathology and Medical Biology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
Rudolf S N Fehrmann *Department of Medical Oncology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.
Arkajyoti Bhattacharya *Department of Medical Oncology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Locoregional recurrence (LRR) poses a persistent clinical challenge in breast cancer, with emerging evidence implicating the tumor-associated adipose tissue in modulating recurrence risk. This study investigates shared transcriptional programs between adipose tissue and breast tumors and examines their association with disease-free survival (DFS), particularly in the context of reconstructive surgery where adipose tissue from different body compartments are commonly used. We analyzed bulk gene expression data from 5,691 breast tumors and 978 human adipose tissue samples from different body compartments using consensus-independent component analysis (c-ICA) to identify transcriptional components (TCs). Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) and copy number alteration profiling were used for biological annotation. Associations between TCs and DFS were evaluated through univariate Cox regression. Key findings were validated using spatial transcriptomic and single-cell RNA sequencing datasets. Among the 411 TCs identified, 332 showed biological enrichment, and 35 were significantly associated with DFS. Four DFS-associated TCs (TC257, TC350, TC371, TC400) were enriched for adipogenesis-related genes and exhibited heightened activity in high-grade, triple-negative tumors and in patients with elevated BMI. Notably, TC350 was highly active in adipose tissue from common reconstructive donor sites (abdomen, omentum, subcutis) but not in native breast adipose tissue. Spatial transcriptomic and single-cell analyses confirmed the increased activity of these adipogenesis-related TCs in tumor regions and adipose cells. TC350 included FABP4, a gene previously linked to poor prognosis in breast cancer and considered as a potential new therapeutic target. Adipose tissue-derived transcriptional programs influence breast cancer prognosis and this seems to differ by tissue origin. These findings generate a hypothesis that donor site selection for adipose tissue in reconstructive surgery may impact LRR risk through adipogenesis-associated mechanisms. Further research is warranted to elucidate the biological and clinical implications of adipose-tumor transcriptional interactions.

Indexed as

Adipose TissueBreast NeoplasmsNeoplasm Recurrence, LocalTranscriptomeDisease-Free SurvivalFemaleGene Expression Regulation, NeoplasticHumansAdipose tissueBreast cancerBreast reconstructive surgeryLocoregional recurrence

Identifiers

PMID42711595
PMCPMC13553680

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.