Integration of Cancer Gene Co-expression Network and Metabolic Network To Uncover Potential Cancer Drug Targets

Cell metabolism is critical for cancer
cell transformation and
progression. In this study, we have developed a novel method, named
Met-express, that integrates a cancer gene co-expression network with
the metabolic network to predict key enzyme-coding genes and metabolites
in cancer cell metabolism. Met-express successfully identified a group
of key enzyme-coding genes and metabolites in lung, leukemia, and
breast cancers. Literature reviews suggest that approximately 33–53%
of the predicted genes are either known or suggested anti-cancer drug
targets, while 22% of the predicted metabolites are known or high-potential
drug compounds in therapeutic use. Furthermore, experimental validations
prove that 90% of the selected genes and 70% of metabolites demonstrate
the significant anti-cancer phenotypes in cancer cells, implying that
they may play important roles in cancer metabolism. Therefore, Met-express
is a powerful tool for uncovering novel therapeutic biomarkers.