AATF is Overexpressed in Human Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Regulates STAT3/Survivin Signaling.

Objective: Dysregulation of apoptosis antagonizing transcription factor (AATF) has been implicated in several cancers. However, its involvement in human head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) remains unclear. This study aimed to explore the expression pattern and biological roles of AATF in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma tissues and cell lines.

Leptin-elicited PBX3 confers letrozole resistance in breast cancer.

Aberrant leptin signaling and overexpression of fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1) are both implicated in the pathogenesis of letrozole resistance in breast cancer (BCa), but it remains unknown whether these two pathways are involved in letrozole resistance in a coordinated manner. Here, we demonstrate that expression levels of the pre-B-cell leukemia homeobox transcription factor 3 (PBX3), a pioneer factor that governs divergent biological processes, were significantly upregulated in letrozole-resistant BCa cells and tissues, and this upregulation correlated to a poorer progression-free survival in patients. By leveraging a patient-derived xenograft model with pharmacological approaches, we demonstrated that leptin activated PBX3 expression in a STAT3 (signal transducer and activator of transcription 3)-dependent manner.

Artemisinin enhances the anti-tumor immune response in 4T1 breast cancer cells in vitro and in vivo.

Background: Breast cancer is a prominent cause of death among women worldwide. Recent studies have demonstrated that artemisinin (ART) displays anti-tumor activity. Using a mouse breast cancer model, we investigated the effects of ART in vitro and in vivo to determine how it influences the anti-tumor immune response.

Overexpression of SMARCA5 correlates with cell proliferation and migration in breast cancer.

SMARCA5 partners with RSF-1 to compose the RSF complex, which belongs to the ISWI family of chromatin remodelers. Recent studies referred that SMARCA5 was overexpressed in some malignant tumors. However, expression pattern and biological roles of SMARCA5 in breast cancer have not been examined.

CXCL12-CXCR4 axis promotes the natural selection of breast cancer cell metastasis.

CXCR4 and its ligand CXCL12 can promote the proliferation, survival, and invasion of cancer cells. They have been shown to play an important role in regulating metastasis of breast cancer to specific organs. High CXCR4 expression was also correlated to poor clinical outcome.