Abstract C23: High Kaiso expression correlates with increased TGF{beta} signaling and aggressive TNBC in women of African Ancestry (WAA)

Despite increased awareness, early detection and improved therapies in the past 20 years, breast cancer (BC) remains the most frequent female cancer and a leading cause of female deaths worldwide. One of the most clinically challenging BC is the Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) subtype that is estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) & human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2) negative. TNBC tumors are aggressive and metastatic, and have a poor prognosis since they cannot be treated with standard therapies (Tamoxifen or Herceptin). Intriguingly TNBC is most prevalent in young women of African Ancestry (WAA) who, despite having lower BC incidence rates than Caucasian women, have higher mortality rates. The propensity of TNBC to metastasize suggests a deregulation of the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) pathway that endows cells with increased motility, and is implicated in tumor progression. Our lab and others recently found a significant correlation between high expression of the POZ-ZF transcription factor Kaiso, EMT, estrogen receptor (ER) negativity in WAA, and shorter metastasis-free survival. Notably when Kaiso is depleted in TNBC cell lines, the cells exhibited decreased TGFβ signaling (a known promoter of EMT), become less motile and invasive in vitro, and did not metastasize to lungs or liver in mouse xenograft models. These findings led us to hypothesize that Kaiso plays a role in the spread of aggressive BC possibly via up-regu...
Source: Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention - Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Tags: Treatment Factors and Outcomes: Poster Presentations - Proffered Abstracts Source Type: research