A new role of SNAI2 in postlactational involution of the mammary gland links it to luminal breast cancer development.

ABSTRACT: Breast cancer is a major cause of mortality in women. The transcription factor SNAI2 has been implicated in the pathogenesis of several types of cancer, including breast cancer of basal origin. Here we show that SNAI2 is also important in the development of breast cancer of luminal origin in MMTV-ErbB2 mice. SNAI2 deficiency leads to longer latency and fewer luminal tumors, both of these being characteristics of pretumoral origin. These effects were associated with reduced proliferation and a decreased ability to generate mammospheres in normal mammary glands. However, the capacity to metastasize was not modified. Under conditions of increased ERBB2 oncogenic activity after pregnancy plus SNAI2 deficiency, both pretumoral defects-latency and tumor load-were compensated. However, the incide

SUBMITTER: Castillo-Lluva S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4560637 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature