Expression and motogenic activity of TFF2 in human breast cancer cells.

The expression of TFF2 in breast cancer cells and the effect of recombinant TFF2 on breast cancer cell migration were assessed. TFF2 expression was detected by PCR in estrogen receptor-negative and at lower levels in estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer cells. TFF2 expression was detected in nine out of 10 primary breast tumors but its expression was not related to that of the estrogen receptor.

The estrogen-regulated protein, TFF1, stimulates migration of human breast cancer cells.

The human trefoil protein TFF1 is a small cysteine-rich secreted protein that is frequently expressed in breast tumors under the control of estrogen. The function of TFF1 in breast cancer is unknown. To test the hypothesis that it promotes tumor dissemination, we produced recombinant TFF1 and assessed its ability to stimulate the movement of breast cancer cells by using in vitro wounding and migration assays.