Proteome-wide mendelian randomization study implicates therapeutic targets in common cancers

BACKGROUND: The interest in targeted cancer therapies has been growing rapidly. While numerous cancer biomarkers and targeted treatment strategies have been developed and employed, there are still significant limitations and challenges in the early diagnosis and targeted treatment of cancers. Accordingly, there is an urgent need to identify novel targets and develop new targeted drugs. METHODS: The study was conducted using combined cis-Mendelian randomization (cis-MR) and colocalization analysis. We analyzed data from 732 plasma proteins to identify potential drug targets associated with eight site-specific cancers. These findings were further validated using the UK Biobank dataset. Then, a protein–protein interaction network was also constructed to examine the interplay between the identified proteins and the targets of existing cancer medications. RESULTS: This MR analysis revealed associations between five plasma proteins and prostate cancer, five with breast cancer, and three with lung cancer. Subsequently, these proteins were classified into four distinct target groups, with a focus on tier 1 and 2 targets due to their higher potential to become drug targets. Our study indicatied that genetically predicted KDELC2 (OR: 0.89, 95% CI 0.86–0.93) and TNFRSF10B (OR: 0.74, 95% CI 0.65–0.83) are inversely associated with prostate cancer. Furthermore, we observed an inverse association between CPNE1 (OR: 0.96, 95% CI 0.94–0.98) and breast cancer, while PDIA3 (OR: 1.19, 95% CI 1.10–1.30) were found to be associated with the risk of breast cancer. In addition, we also propose that SPINT2 (OR: 1.05, 95% CI 1.03–1.06), GSTP1 (OR: 0.82, 95% CI 0.74–0.90), and CTSS (OR: 0.91, 95% CI 0.88–0.95) may serve as potential therapeutic targets in prostate cancer. Similarly, GDI2 (OR: 0.85, 95% CI 0.80–0.91), ISLR2 (OR: 0.87, 95% CI 0.82–0.93), and CTSF (OR: 1.14, 95% CI 1.08–1.21) could potentially be targets for breast cancer. Additionally, we identified SFTPB (OR: 0.93, 95% CI 0.91–0.95), ICAM5 (OR: 0.95, 95% CI 0.93–0.97), and FLRT3 (OR: 1.10, 95% CI 1.05–1.15) as potential targets for lung cancer. Notably, TNFRSF10B, GSTP1, and PDIA3 were found to interact with the target proteins of current medications used in prostate or breast cancer treatment. CONCLUSIONS: This comprehensive analysis has highlighted thirteen plasma proteins with potential roles in three site-specific cancers. Continued research in this area may reveal their therapeutic potential, particularly KDELC2, TNFRSF10B, CPNE1, and PDIA3, paving the way for more effective cancer treatments. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12967-023-04525-5.