PAK2 promotes CTC cluster formation by phosphorylating E-cadherin to enhance cell-cell adhesion in breast cancer.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Circulating tumor cell (CTC) clusters exhibit significantly greater metastatic potential than single CTCs and are associated with poorer overall survival in cancers. However, the molecular mechanisms driving CTC cluster formation remain unclear. p21-activated kinase 2 (PAK2) plays a critical role in cytoskeletal remodeling and is frequently associated with advanced tumor progression and poor prognosis. In this study, we explored the role of PAK2 in CTC cluster formation in breast cancer.

Methods

We performed an integrated bioinformatics analysis of transcriptomic profiles from single CTCs and CTC clusters via GEO datasets to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and candidate hub genes associated with CTC clustering. Functional enrichment analyses and gen

SUBMITTER: Guo L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12829041 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature