Tumor-Associated Neutrophils Regulate Breast Cancer Progression Through the AQP9/STAT3 Signaling Pathway.

ABSTRACT: Tumor-associated neutrophils (TANs) contribute to breast cancer (BC) progression, and aquaporin 9 (AQP9) plays a critical role in tumor development. However, the interactions between TANs and AQP9 in BC are poorly understood. Bioinformatics analyses and clinical samples revealed a positive correlation between neutrophil infiltration and AQP9 expression in BC. Treating BC cells with TAN-conditioned media significantly elevated AQP9 expression compared with neutrophil-conditioned and control media treatments. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed higher AQP9 protein expression in BC tissues than in adjacent normal tissues, and AQP9 expression was negatively correlated with recurrence-free survival and overall survival in patients with BC. Functional studies demonstrated that AQP9 promoted BC

SUBMITTER: Xu W 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12400051 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature