Cytokine, metabolite and metal profiles of tumours in serum from breast cancer patients

This study characterised three different classes of biological data measured in the serum of test subjects: metabolites, cytokines, and selected trace metals. Measurements were determined from individuals living with breast cancer diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma (n=21) and matched control subjects (n=13). Global untargeted metabolomics analysis of the controls and the subject group identified dysregulated pathways between the subject groups. Additional bioinformatic analyses highlighted unique data features proposed to have further clinical utility. Furthermore, this study highlighted the value provided by open-source research software, which offers ease of access to advanced and niche data analytics in research.