A novel computational predictive biological approach distinguishes Integrin β1 as a salient biomarker for breast cancer chemoresistance.

Chemoresistance is a primary cause of breast cancer treatment failure, and protein-protein interactions significantly contribute to chemoresistance during different stages of breast cancer progression. In pursuit of novel biomarkers and relevant protein-protein interactions occurring during the emergence of breast cancer chemoresistance, we used a computational predictive biological (CPB) approach. CPB identified associations of adhesion molecules with proteins connected with different breast cancer proteins associated with chemoresistance. This approach identified an association of Integrin β1 (ITGB1) with chemoresistance and breast cancer stem cell markers. ITGB1 activated the Focal Adhesion Kinase (FAK) pathway promoting invasion, migration, and chemoresistance in breast cancer by upregulating Erk phosphorylation. FAK also activated Wnt/Sox2 signaling, which enhanced self-renewal in breast cancer. Activation of the FAK pathway by ITGB1 represents a novel mechanism linked to breast cancer chemoresistance, which may lead to novel therapies capable of blocking breast cancer progression by intervening in ITGB1-regulated signaling pathways. [Display omitted] • Developed a novel Computational-Predictive-Biological (CPB) strategy to predict different types of biomarkers in cancers. • CBP identified that ITGB1 is associated with chemoresistance, and cancer stem cell associated proteins in breast cancer. • ITGB1 regulated chemoresistance via activation of FAK pathway which regulates survival pathways, invasion, migration. • ITGB1 also regulated activated Wnt/Sox2 signaling through FAK, which enhanced self-renewal in breast cancer. • Thus, CBP established a unified pathway to regulate chemoresistance in breast cancer and ITGB1 as a potential biomarker. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]