Investigating the Expression Pattern, Prognostic and Immunological Significance of the WNT family in Breast Cancer

Breast cancer (BRCA) is one of the most diagnosed cancers and the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women globally. Previous studies have shown that the WNT (wingless type) family plays a role in the development of various cancers. However, comprehensive analysis of WNTs in BRCA remains largely unexplored. In this extensive study, we examined the expression patterns, clinical relevance, and survival outcomes associated with the WNT family and identified the key prognostic WNTs. We further investigated genetic alterations, DNA methylation, and drug sensitivity using the cBioPortal, SMART, and GSCA databases. Data from GEO and DepMap were used for validation. Our findings revealed that WNT2 and WNT7B were significantly upregulated, while WNT11 was downregulated, which affected the overall survival of patients with BRCA. Amplification was the most common type of alteration among the key WNTs selected for analysis, showing a significant correlation with immune cells and immune therapy-related genes. Enrichment analysis revealed the involvement of WNTs in crucial pathways responsible for cancer. Additionally, WNTs and their co-expressed genes were strongly associated with the efficacy of anticancer drugs. This study highlights the dysregulation of WNTs in BRCA progression and their correlation with patient survival, suggesting a potential immunotherapeutic target and a valuable prognostic biomarker for BRCA management and treatment.