Quantitative Proteomics Reveals Middle Infrared Radiation-Interfered Networks in Breast Cancer Cells

Breast cancer is one of the leading
cancer-related causes of death
worldwide. Treatment of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is complex
and challenging, especially when metastasis has developed. In this
study, we applied infrared radiation as an alternative approach for
the treatment of TNBC. We used middle infrared (MIR) with a wavelength
range of 3–5 μm to irradiate breast cancer cells. MIR
significantly inhibited cell proliferation in several breast cancer
cells but did not affect the growth of normal breast epithelial cells.
We performed iTRAQ-coupled LC–MS/MS analysis to investigate
the MIR-triggered molecular mechanisms in breast cancer cells. A total
of 1749 proteins were identified, quantified, and subjected to functional
enrichment analysis. From the constructed functionally enriched network,
we confirmed that MIR caused G2/M cell cycle arrest, remodeled
the microtubule network to an astral pole arrangement, altered the
actin filament formation and focal adhesion molecule localization,
and reduced cell migration activity and invasion ability. Our results
reveal the coordinative effects of MIR-regulated physiological responses
in concentrated networks, demonstrating the potential implementation
of infrared radiation in breast cancer therapy.