Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
5.7
3.5
Journals
Metabolites
Special Issues
Investigation of the Metabolic Mechanisms Underlying Breast Cancer: Navigating from...
share announcement

Investigation of the Metabolic Mechanisms Underlying Breast Cancer: Navigating from Diagnosis to Survivorship

A special issue of Metabolites (ISSN 2218-1989). This special issue belongs to the section "Advances in Metabolomics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 August 2025 | Viewed by 2676

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Hongjin Li

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Nursing, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
Interests: breast cancer; pain; psychoneurological symptoms; metabolomics; acupuncture; symptom management

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Breast cancer stands as one of the most prevalent and intricate malignancies affecting individuals globally. Understanding the metabolic processes that are related to disease onset, progression, treatment and survivorship is crucial. This Special Issue provides a pivotal platform for researchers and clinicians to explore and understand the intricate metabolic pathways associated with breast cancer across the entire continuum of the disease from initial diagnosis to the survivorship phase. Contributions to this Special Issue span a diverse array of topics, including but not limited to metabolomic profiling for cancer diagnosis, unraveling metabolism changes as cancer progresses and metastasizes, exploring metabolic changes during cancer therapy and interventions to manage cancer-related symptoms or side effects. This Special Issue aims to provide a comprehensive view of the metabolic mechanism involved in the entire journey of breast cancer, from diagnosis to therapeutic interventions and survivorship, offering valuable perspectives for improved care. The goal is not only to enhance our understanding of the disease but also to pave the way for innovative therapeutic strategies and personalized interventions.

Dr. Hongjin Li
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Metabolites is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • breast cancer
  • metabolomics
  • biomarker
  • diagnosis
  • tumor
  • survivorship
  • treatment
  • data analysis

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

15 pages, 1109 KiB  
Article
Using Serum Metabolomic Signatures to Investigate Effects of Acupuncture on Pain-Fatigue-Sleep Disturbance in Breast Cancer Survivors
by Hongjin Li, Ardith Z. Doorenbos, Yinglin Xia, Jun Sun, Hannah Choi, Richard E. Harris, Shuang Gao, Katy Sullivan and Judith M. Schlaeger
Metabolites 2024, 14(12), 698; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo14120698 - 10 Dec 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1170
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Acupuncture is an efficacious integrative therapy for treating pain, fatigue, and sleep disturbance (the psychoneurological symptom cluster) in breast cancer survivors. However, the mechanisms underlying its effects remain unclear, and related metabolomics studies are limited. This study aimed to examine serum metabolite [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Acupuncture is an efficacious integrative therapy for treating pain, fatigue, and sleep disturbance (the psychoneurological symptom cluster) in breast cancer survivors. However, the mechanisms underlying its effects remain unclear, and related metabolomics studies are limited. This study aimed to examine serum metabolite changes after acupuncture and their relationships to symptom improvement. Methods: Forty-two breast cancer survivors experiencing pain, fatigue, and sleep disturbance participated in a single-arm acupuncture trial. They received a 10-session acupuncture intervention over 5 weeks. Fasting blood samples and symptom surveys were collected before and after the acupuncture intervention, and untargeted metabolomics profiling was conducted on serum samples. Mixed-effects models adjusting for covariates (age, race, body mass index, and antidepressant use) were applied for analysis. Results: After acupuncture, there was a significant reduction in the psychoneurological symptom cluster (mean reduction = −6.2, p < 0.001).Bonferroni correction was applied to 40 independent metabolite clusters (α = 0.00125); cysteine-glutathione disulfide (p = 0.0006) significantly increased, and retinal (p = 0.0002) and cis-urocanate (p = 0.0005) were significantly decreased. Dimethyl sulfone (p = 0.00139) showed a trend towards reduction after acupuncture and its change (p = 0.04, β =1.97) was positively associated with reduction in the psychoneurological symptom cluster. Also, increased lauroylcarnitine (p = 0.0009) and decreased cytosine (p = 0.0008) can modulate the therapeutic effects of acupuncture. Conclusions: Acupuncture demonstrates beneficial effects on the psychoneurological symptom cluster in breast cancer survivors. Dimethyl sulfone may be a promising mediator in the relationship between acupuncture and psychoneurological symptoms, while acylcarnitine metabolism may modulate the therapeutic effect of acupuncture. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Investigation of the Metabolic Mechanisms Underlying Breast Cancer: Navigating from Diagnosis to Survivorship)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

19 pages, 1977 KiB  
Article
Salivary Metabolites in Breast Cancer and Fibroadenomas: Focus on Menopausal Status and BMI
by Elena I. Dyachenko and Lyudmila V. Bel’skaya
Metabolites 2024, 14(10), 531; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo14100531 - 30 Sep 2024
Viewed by 1086
Abstract
This study of the features of the biochemical composition of biological fluids in patients with breast cancer, including saliva, allows us to identify some indicators as metabolic predictors of the presence of the disease. Objectives: to study the influence of the menopause factor [...] Read more.
This study of the features of the biochemical composition of biological fluids in patients with breast cancer, including saliva, allows us to identify some indicators as metabolic predictors of the presence of the disease. Objectives: to study the influence of the menopause factor and body mass index (BMI) on the biochemical composition of saliva and to evaluate the applicability of metabolic markers of saliva for the diagnosis of breast cancer. Methods: The case–control study involved 1438 people (breast cancer, n = 543; fibroadenomas, n = 597; control, n = 298). A comprehensive study of the biochemical composition of saliva was carried out using 36 parameters. Results: When comparing the salivary biochemical composition in breast cancer, fibroadenomas, and controls, it is necessary to take into account the menopausal status, as well as BMI (less than 25 or more) for the group of patients with preserved menstrual function. A complex of biochemical parameters has been identified that change in saliva during breast cancer, regardless of menopause and BMI (total protein, urea, uric acid, NO, α-amino acids, GGT), as well as specific parameters that must be taken into account when analyzing individual subgroups (imidazole compounds, LDH, catalase, α-amylase). During the study of a separate group of patients with leaf-shaped (phyllodes) tumors, we found similarities with breast cancer in the changes in some biochemical parameters that can be attributed to metabolites of malignant growth (protein, α-amino acids, calcium, NO, pyruvate, peroxidase, α-amylase). Conclusions: We demonstrated changes in a wide range of salivary biochemical parameters depending on the presence of fibroadenomas and breast cancer. From the point of view of clinical practice, this may be useful information for monitoring the condition of patients with fibroadenomas, which are difficult to unambiguously classify based on instrumental diagnostics alone. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Investigation of the Metabolic Mechanisms Underlying Breast Cancer: Navigating from Diagnosis to Survivorship)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-2
Back to TopTop