Abstract: NMN-responsive aging pathways and inherited triple-negative breast cancer susceptibility
In this abstract-only genetic association analysis, an autophagy-related inherited expression pattern was linked to triple-negative breast cancer susceptibility, and MAP2K2 was nominated for follow-up; the authors state this does not show that NMN prevents or treats breast cancer. [1]
Automatic summary · not editorially reviewed
The key findings
The analysis applied a multi-gene-set transcriptome-wide association study pipeline to overall breast cancer and triple-negative breast cancer summary statistics from Zhang et al. (2020), evaluating ten KEGG pathways nominated through 35 NMN-responsive genes. [1]
Autophagy showed the strongest supported result in triple-negative breast cancer (Stouffer Z −8.98; bootstrap 95% CI −14.78 to −3.09; permutation p .0022; pathway false discovery rate .022). [1]
The authors state the results do not show that NMN prevents or treats breast cancer and that gene-level colocalization, case-case analyses and functional validation are required. [1]
The source at a glance
- Study type / format
- Abstract of a multi-gene-set transcriptome-wide association study
- Population / context
- Summary statistics for overall breast cancer and triple-negative breast cancer from Zhang et al. (2020); NMN-responsive genes from long-term NMN treatment in mice.
- Summary based on
- Study abstract
- Publication status
- Preprint · peer-review status not confirmed
- Original publication
- September 10, 2026
NMN-responsive genes tested against breast cancer genetics
The authors asked whether pathways changed by long-term nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) treatment in mice overlap with inherited susceptibility to triple-negative breast cancer. They applied a multi-gene-set transcriptome-wide association study pipeline to overall breast cancer and triple-negative breast cancer summary statistics from Zhang et al. (2020). Ten full KEGG pathways nominated through 35 NMN-responsive genes were evaluated with several statistical approaches, including permutation and bootstrap confidence intervals. The abstract does not report sample sizes or the number of participants behind the summary statistics.
Supporting source [1]
Autophagy signal strongest; MAP2K2 oppositely signed
Autophagy gave the strongest supported result in triple-negative breast cancer: a Stouffer Z of −8.98, a bootstrap 95% confidence interval of −14.78 to −3.09, a permutation p value of .0022 and a pathway false discovery rate of .022. The difference between overall breast cancer and triple-negative breast cancer was consistent across 11 tissues, with a mean gap of +2.83 and the same direction in 82% of tissues. MAP2K2 appeared across autophagy, Ras/MAPK and cytoskeletal pathways and had oppositely signed associations in the two phenotypes. Endocytosis was suggestive but did not survive pathway correction; fatty-acid degradation was not enriched but showed marked cross-phenotype anticorrelation.
Supporting source [1]
Convergence claim, not evidence NMN treats cancer
The authors conclude that the results identify an autophagy-related germline expression pattern associated with triple-negative breast cancer susceptibility and nominate MAP2K2 for focused follow-up. They describe the findings as supporting cross-context convergence between NMN-responsive aging biology and breast cancer genetics. They explicitly state that the results do not show that NMN prevents or treats breast cancer. Gene-level colocalization, case-case analyses and functional validation are required. This is an abstract; the full text was not reviewed, and the associations are not causal.
Supporting source [1]
How to interpret this
Abstract only; the full text was not reviewed. Sample sizes, participant numbers and follow-up are not reported in the abstract. The findings are genetic associations, not causal effects, and the NMN link comes from long-term treatment in mice, not human evidence.
Based on the study abstract; the full paper, tables and supplementary data were not reviewed.
Source & supporting passages
Cheung N. · europepmc.org · September 10, 2026