Exploring the Oncogenic Potential of TIMM8A: A Crucial Factor in Breast Cancer Tumorigenesis

Background Female breast cancer has become the world's most common malignant tumour, displacing lung malignancy, and the incidence of malignant tumours has increased continuously in recent decades. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms of breast tumorigenesis have not been fully elucidated. By consulting the literature, we discovered that the TIMM8A gene could affect oxidative stress and apoptosis in patients with Mohr–Tranebjærg syndrome. However, the biological function of TIMM8A has yet to be explored. Materials and methods We investigated the expression level of TIMM8A via bioinformatic analysis and performed Immunohistochemistry, diagnostic value, immune infiltration, functional enrichment, and survival analyses. Nonetheless, in vitro, additional experiments were performed. We explored whether TIMM8A expression was greater in breast tumours than in nearby normal tissues through qRT‒PCR. The expression of TIMM8A was knocked down by siRNA. Then, we conducted proliferation tests (CCK-8 experiment and colony formation) and Transwell assays (migration and invasion assays) to determine the specific biological functions of TIMM8A in the MDA-MB-231 and BT-549 cell lines. Results Tumour samples exhibited higher TIMM8A expression and exon expression, whereas normal tissues had higher TIMM8A methylation. The expression level of TIMM8A was linked to immune infiltration and survival, making it a valuable prognostic indicator and effective diagnostic tool. Functional enrichment analysis of TIMM8A indicated potential pathways through which it may play a role. In vitro experiments demonstrated that suppressing TIMM8A significantly inhibited the viability, colony formation, migration, and invasion of breast carcinoma cell lines. Conclusion This study revealed that TIMM8A is an oncogene and is critical for the tumorigenesis of breast carcinoma.