Intersectionality in cancer network: Strategies to the identification of therapeutic targets

Background: Cancer is a disease that results from genetic changes disrupting normal cellular processes and as different types of cancer exhibit distinct molecular features and clinical behaviors, they also share common pathways and mechanisms. The concept of intersectionality in cancer biology refers to the overlapping sets of genes, signaling pathways, and regulatory networks that are perturbed in multiple cancer types. Understanding these intersectional networks could lead to identifying novel therapeutic targets and strategies that can be applied across different cancer types. Results: : In this study, proteins common in different types of cancers were identified to construct an intersection cancer network. The central zones within the intersection cancer network exhibit uniquely-enriched pathways, suggesting that these central zones play a crucial role in coordinating and regulating essential cellular processes across different cancer types. Additionally, pathway enrichment analysis was performed to identify common biological functions and pathways, and central zones were found to be enriched for essential proteins that regulate crucial cellular processes, including cell cycle, mRNA processing, apoptosis, and mitotic phases. Conclusion: By understanding these intersectional networks, novel therapeutic targets and strategies can be developed that can be applied across different cancer types. Our study highlights the importance of central zones as coordinators of essential cellular processes across multiple cancers.