Integrative Transcriptomic and Docking Analysis of Coffee Bioactives Targeting CCNA2, AKT1, and CDK2 in TNBC

Authors

  • Ida Neni Haryanti
  • Linda Erlina Department of Medical Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia
  • Ade Arsianti Department of Medical Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia
  • Aryo Tedjo Department of Medical Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24036/eksakta/vol27-iss04/707

Keywords:

TNBC, biomarker, transcriptomics, molecular docking

Abstract

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive breast cancer subtype characterized by high proliferation rates, poor prognosis, and limited therapeutic options. Coffee-derived bioactive compounds have demonstrated potential anticancer properties, but their interactions with key TNBC-associated targets remain insufficiently understood. Therefore, this study aimed to identify molecular biomarkers and therapeutic targets in TNBC and evaluate the potential of major coffee bioactive compounds using an integrative in silico approach. Five Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets (GSE38959, GSE186102, GSE65194, GSE45827, and GSE7904) were analyzed to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) using |log2FC| ≥ 1 and adjusted p-value < 0.05. Protein–protein interaction analysis, machine-learning validation, Kaplan–Meier survival analysis, chemogenomic mapping, molecular docking, and ADMET prediction were subsequently performed. A total of 917 overlapping DEGs were identified, with CCNA2 emerging as a key hub gene associated with poor prognosis. Machine-learning validation achieved 97.7% accuracy and an AUC of 0.964. Chemogenomic analysis prioritized AKT1, CDK2, and CCNA2 as therapeutic targets. Molecular docking revealed favorable interactions of caffeic acid and chlorogenic acid, with caffeic acid showing the most consistent multitarget affinity (−5.94 to −6.96 kcal/mol). These findings suggest that caffeic acid is a promising multitarget candidate for TNBC therapy and warrants further experimental validation.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

[1] Jie, H., Ma, W., & Huang, C. (2025). Diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of triple-negative breast cancer: a review. Breast Cancer: Targets and Therapy, 265-274.

[2] Giordano, A., & Tommonaro, G. (2019). Curcumin and cancer. Nutrients, 11(10), 2376.

[3] Sung, H., Ferlay, J., Siegel, R. L., Laversanne, M., Soerjomataram, I., Jemal, A., & Bray, F. (2021). Global cancer statistics 2020: GLOBOCAN estimates of incidence and mortality worldwide for 36 cancers in 185 countries. CA: a cancer journal for clinicians, 71(3), 209-249.

[4] Khoirunnisa, S. M., Setiawan, D., Postma, M. J., & de Jong, L. A. (2025). Trends in breast cancer in Indonesia from 2017 to 2020: A national-level analysis by age and disease severity. Cancer treatment and research communications, 101000.

[5] Lee, J. (2023). Current treatment landscape for early triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Journal of clinical medicine, 12(4), 1524.

[6] Tutt, A. N., Garber, J. E., Kaufman, B., Viale, G., Fumagalli, D., Rastogi, P., ... & Geyer Jr, C. E. (2021). Adjuvant olaparib for patients with BRCA1-or BRCA2-mutated breast cancer. New England Journal of Medicine, 384(25), 2394-2405.

[7] Sharma, P. (2016). Biology and management of patients with triple-negative breast cancer. The oncologist, 21(9), 1050-1062.

[8] Yang, C., Wang, M., Gong, Y., Deng, M., Ling, Y., Li, Q., ... & Zhou, Y. (2023). Discovery and identification of a novel PI3K inhibitor with enhanced CDK2 inhibition for the treatment of triple negative breast cancer. Bioorganic Chemistry, 140, 106779.

[9] Nie, L., Wei, Y., Zhang, F., Hsu, Y. H., Chan, L. C., Xia, W., ... & Hung, M. C. (2019). CDK2-mediated site-specific phosphorylation of EZH2 drives and maintains triple-negative breast cancer. Nature communications, 10(1), 5114.

[10] Asghar, U., Witkiewicz, A. K., Turner, N. C., & Knudsen, E. S. (2015). The history and future of targeting cyclin-dependent kinases in cancer therapy. Nature reviews Drug discovery, 14(2), 130-146.

[11] Wang, Y., Zhong, Q., Li, Z., Lin, Z., Chen, H., & Wang, P. (2021). Integrated profiling identifies CCNA2 as a potential biomarker of immunotherapy in breast cancer. OncoTargets and therapy, 2433-2448.

[12] Noorolyai, S., Shajari, N., Baghbani, E., Sadreddini, S., & Baradaran, B. (2019). The relation between PI3K/AKT signalling pathway and cancer. Gene, 698, 120-128.

[13] He, Y., Sun, M. M., Zhang, G. G., Yang, J., Chen, K. S., Xu, W. W., & Li, B. (2021). Targeting PI3K/Akt signal transduction for cancer therapy. Signal transduction and targeted therapy, 6(1), 425.

[14] Mannino, G., Kunz, R., & Maffei, M. E. (2023). Discrimination of green coffee (Coffea arabica and Coffea canephora) of different geographical origin based on antioxidant activity, high-throughput metabolomics, and DNA RFLP fingerprinting. Antioxidants, 12(5), 1135.

[15] Murai, T., & Matsuda, S. (2023). The chemopreventive effects of chlorogenic acids, phenolic compounds in coffee, against inflammation, cancer, and neurological diseases. Molecules, 28(5), 2381.

[16] Aarón, R. H., Sheila, C. M., Julio Emmanuel, G. P., Oscar, J. G., Aurelio, L. M., & Jocksan Ismael, M. C. (2025). In Silico strategies for drug discovery: optimizing natural compounds from foods for therapeutic applications. Discover Chemistry, 2(1), 133.

[17] Paul, J. K., Azmal, M., Haque, A. S. N. B., Talukder, O. F., Meem, M., & Ghosh, A. (2024). Phytochemical-mediated modulation of signaling pathways: a promising avenue for drug discovery. Advances in Redox Research, 13, 100113.

[18] Baião, A. R., Cai, Z., Poulos, R. C., Robinson, P. J., Reddel, R. R., Zhong, Q., ... & Gonçalves, E. (2025). A technical review of multi-omics data integration methods: from classical statistical to deep generative approaches. Briefings in bioinformatics, 26(4), bbaf355.

[19] Szklarczyk, D., Gable, A. L., Nastou, K. C., Lyon, D., Kirsch, R., Pyysalo, S., ... & von Mering, C. (2021). The STRING database in 2021: customizable protein–protein networks, and functional characterization of user-uploaded gene/measurement sets. Nucleic acids research, 49(D1), D605-D612.

[20] Chin, C. H., Chen, S. H., Wu, H. H., Ho, C. W., Ko, M. T., & Lin, C. Y. (2014). cytoHubba: identifying hub objects and sub-networks from complex interactome. BMC systems biology, 8(Suppl 4), S11.

[21] Xing, Z., Wang, X., Liu, J., Zhang, M., Feng, K., & Wang, X. (2021). Expression and prognostic value of CDK1, CCNA2, and CCNB1 gene clusters in human breast cancer. Journal of International Medical Research, 49(4), 0300060520980647.

[22] Song, S., Wang, Y., & Liu, P. (2022). DNA replication licensing factors: novel targets for cancer therapy via inhibiting the stemness of cancer cells. International Journal of Biological Sciences, 18(3), 1211.

[23] Ge, S. X., Jung, D., & Yao, R. (2020). ShinyGO: a graphical gene-set enrichment tool for animals and plants. Bioinformatics, 36(8), 2628-2629.

[24] Davis, A. P., Grondin, C. J., Johnson, R. J., Sciaky, D., Wiegers, J., Wiegers, T. C., & Mattingly, C. J. (2021). Comparative toxicogenomics database (CTD): update 2021. Nucleic acids research, 49(D1), D1138-D1143.

[25] Davis, A. P., King, B. L., Mockus, S., Murphy, C. G., Saraceni-Richards, C., Rosenstein, M., ... & Mattingly, C. J. (2010). The comparative toxicogenomics database: update 2011. Nucleic acids research, 39(suppl_1), D1067-D1072.

[26] Agu, P. C., Afiukwa, C. A., Orji, O. U., Ezeh, E. M., Ofoke, I. H., Ogbu, C. O., ... & Aja, P. M. (2023). Molecular docking as a tool for the discovery of molecular targets of nutraceuticals in diseases management. Scientific reports, 13(1), 13398.

[27] Johnson, J., Chow, Z., Lee, E., Weiss, H. L., Evers, B. M., & Rychahou, P. (2021). Role of AMPK and Akt in triple negative breast cancer lung colonization. Neoplasia, 23(4), 429-438.

[28] Wadhwa, B., Paddar, M., Khan, S., Mir, S., AClarke, P., Grabowska, A. M., ... & Malik, F. (2020). AKT isoforms have discrete expression in triple negative breast cancers and roles in cisplatin sensitivity. Oncotarget, 11(45), 4178.

[29] Berman, H. M., Westbrook, J., Feng, Z., Gilliland, G., Bhat, T. N., Weissig, H., ... & Bourne, P. E. (2000). The protein data bank. Nucleic acids research, 28(1), 235-242.

[30] Huey, R., Morris, G. M., & Forli, S. (2011). Using AutoDock 4 and Vina with AutoDockTools: A Tutorial, Scripps Research Institute.

[31] Trott, O., & Olson, A. J. J. J. O. C. C. (2009). Software news and update AutoDock Vina: Improving the speed and accuracy of docking with a new scoring function. Effic. Optim. Multithreading, 31, 455-461.

[32] Agu, P. C., Afiukwa, C. A., Orji, O. U., Ezeh, E. M., Ofoke, I. H., Ogbu, C. O., ... & Aja, P. M. (2023). Molecular docking as a tool for the discovery of molecular targets of nutraceuticals in diseases management. Scientific reports, 13(1), 13398.

[33] El-Hachem, N., Haibe-Kains, B., Khalil, A., Kobeissy, F. H., & Nemer, G. (2017). AutoDock and AutoDockTools for protein-ligand docking: beta-site amyloid precursor protein cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1) as a case study. In Neuroproteomics: Methods and Protocols (pp. 391-403). New York, NY: Springer New York.

[34] Lánczky, A., & Győrffy, B. (2021). Web-based survival analysis tool tailored for medical research (KMplot): development and implementation. Journal of medical Internet research, 23(7), e27633.

[35] Vaniya, B., Patel, N., & Vora, H. (2023). A Study Of Mmp7 Expression In Triple Negative Breast Cancer Patients. International Association of Biologicals and Computational Digest, 2(2), 1-6.

[36] Zhao, B., Xu, Y., Zhao, Y., Shen, S., & Sun, Q. (2020). Identification of potential key genes associated with the pathogenesis, metastasis, and prognosis of triple-negative breast cancer on the basis of integrated bioinformatics analysis. Frontiers in Oncology, 10, 856.

[37] Quan, H., Yin, H., Wang, Z., Lv, Y., Sun, Q., & Yin, T. (2025). Identification of key hub genes and potential therapeutic drugs for nasopharyngeal carcinoma: Insights into molecular mechanisms and treatment strategies. Brazilian Journal of Otorhinolaryngology, 91, 101618.

[38] Deng, Y., Han, Q., Mei, S., Li, H., Yang, F., Wang, J., ... & Zhang, T. (2019). Cyclin-dependent kinase subunit 2 overexpression promotes tumor progression and predicts poor prognosis in uterine leiomyosarcoma. Oncology Letters, 18(3), 2845-2852.

[39] Otto, T., & Sicinski, P. (2017). Cell cycle proteins as promising targets in cancer therapy. Nature Reviews Cancer, 17(2), 93-115.

[40] Manning, B. D., & Toker, A. (2017). AKT/PKB signaling: navigating the network. Cell, 169(3), 381-405.

[41] Hassan, A., & Aubel, C. (2025). The PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway in triple-negative breast cancer: a resistance pathway and a prime target for targeted therapies. Cancers, 17(13), 2232.

[42] Liu, R., Chen, Y., Liu, G., Li, C., Song, Y., Cao, Z., ... & Liu, Y. (2020). PI3K/AKT pathway as a key link modulates the multidrug resistance of cancers. Cell death & disease, 11(9), 797.

[43] Lu, Y., Su, F., Yang, H., Xiao, Y., Zhang, X., Su, H., ... & Ling, X. (2022). E2F1 transcriptionally regulates CCNA2 expression to promote triple negative breast cancer tumorigenicity. Cancer Biomarkers, 33(1), 57-70..

[44] Makiso, M. U., Tola, Y. B., Ogah, O., & Endale, F. L. (2024). Bioactive compounds in coffee and their role in lowering the risk of major public health consequences: A review. Food science & nutrition, 12(2), 734-764.

[45] Gao, T., Han, Y., Yu, L., Ao, S., Li, Z., & Ji, J. (2014). CCNA2 is a prognostic biomarker for ER+ breast cancer and tamoxifen resistance. PloS one, 9(3), e91771.

[46] Győrffy, B., Surowiak, P., Budczies, J., & Lánczky, A. (2013). Online survival analysis software to assess the prognostic value of biomarkers using transcriptomic data in non-small-cell lung cancer. PloS one, 8(12), e82241.

[47] Zhou, J. Z., Wen, J. Y., Xu, X. W., Zhao, N., Tang, J. J., Xiao, Y. R., ... & Zhang, Q. (2025). Dual inhibition of AKT and autophagy sensitizes triple negative breast cancer cells to carboplatin. Translational Oncology, 58, 102434.

[48] Zhang, H. P., Jiang, R. Y., Zhu, J. Y., Sun, K. N., Huang, Y., Zhou, H. H., ... & Wang, X. J. (2024). PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway: an important driver and therapeutic target in triple-negative breast cancer. Breast Cancer, 31(4), 539-551.

Downloads

Published

2026-07-31

How to Cite

1.
Integrative Transcriptomic and Docking Analysis of Coffee Bioactives Targeting CCNA2, AKT1, and CDK2 in TNBC. EKSAKTA [Internet]. 2026 Jul. 31 [cited 2026 Aug. 1];27(04):578-97. Available from: https://eksakta.ppj.unp.ac.id/index.php/eksakta/article/view/707

Most read articles by the same author(s)