Volatile metabolomic signature of human breast cancer cell lines

In this study, a comparative analysis of the volatile metabolomic signature of BC cell lines (T-47D, MDA-MB-231, MCF-7) and normal human mammary epithelial cells (HMEC), was carried out, in order to identify BC-specific VOCs and to identify a set of markers that could hopefully be correlated with VOCs released in vivo by BC cells. Most of the identified VOCs are common to all BC cell lines and normal human mammary epithelial cells, but six of them, 2-pentanone, 2-heptanone, 3-methyl- 3-buten-1-ol, ethyl acetate, ethyl propanoate, and 2-methyl butanoate, were detected only in the headspace of cancer cell lines. The establishment of the volatile fingerprint of BC cell lines presents a powerful approach to find endogenous VOCs that could be used to improve the BC diagnostic tools and explore the associated metabolomic pathways.

Authors and Affiliations:

Catarina L. Silva, Rosa Perestrelo, Pedro Silva, Helena Tomás e José S. Câmara
CQM - Centro de Química da Madeira; Universidade da Madeira, Campus da Penteada, 9020-105 Funchal

Abstract:

Breast cancer (BC) remains the most prevalent oncologic pathology in women, causing huge psychological, economic and social impacts on our society. Currently, the available diagnostic tools have limited sensitivity and specificity. Metabolome analysis has emerged as a powerful tool for obtaining information about the biological processes that occur in organisms, and is a useful platform for discovering new biomarkers or make disease diagnosis using different biofluids. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from the headspace of cultured BC cells and normal human mammary epithelial cells, were collected by headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) and analyzed by gas chromatography combined with mass spectrometry (GC–MS), thus defining a volatile metabolomic signature. 2-Pentanone, 2-heptanone, 3-methyl-3-buten-1-ol, ethyl acetate, ethyl propanoate and 2-methyl butanoate were detected only in cultured BC cell lines. Multivariate statistical methods were used to verify the volatomic differences between BC cell lines and normal cells in order to find a set of specific VOCs that could be associated with BC, providing comprehensive insight into VOCs as potential cancer biomarkers. The establishment of the volatile fingerprint of BC cell lines presents a powerful approach to find endogenous VOCs that could be used to improve the BC diagnostic tools and explore the associated metabolomic pathways.

Journal: Scientific Reports

Link: https://www.nature.com/articles/srep43969