Genetic interactions reveal distinct biological and therapeutic implications in breast cancer

Abstract

Co-occurrence and mutual exclusivity of genomic alterations may reflect the existence of genetic interactions, potentially shaping distinct biological phenotypes and impacting therapeutic response in breast cancer. However, our understanding of them remains limited. Herein, we investigate a large-scale multi-omics cohort (n = 873) and a real-world clinical sequencing cohort (n = 4,405) including several clinical trials with detailed treatment outcomes and perform functional validation in patient-derived organoids, tumor fragments, and in vivo models. Through this comprehensive approach, we construct a network comprising co-alterations and mutually exclusive events and characterize their therapeutic potential and underlying biological basis. Notably, we identify associations between TP53^mut-AURKA^amp and endocrine therapy resistance, germline BRCA1^mut-MYC^amp and improved sensitivity to PARP inhibitors, and TP53^mut-MYB^amp and immunotherapy resistance. Furthermore, we reveal that precision treatment strategies informed by co-alterations hold promise to improve patient outcomes. Our study highlights the significance of genetic interactions in guiding genome-informed treatment decisions beyond single driver alterations.

Keywords: breast cancer; clinical sequencing; co-occurrence; multi-omics; mutual exclusivity; precision treatment.