Systematic functional perturbations uncover a prognostic genetic network driving human breast cancer.

ABSTRACT: Prognostic classifiers conceivably comprise biomarker genes that functionally contribute to the oncogenic and metastatic properties of cancer, but this has not been investigated systematically. The transcription factor Fra-1 not only has an essential role in breast cancer, but also drives the expression of a highly prognostic gene set. Here, we systematically perturbed the function of 31 individual Fra-1-dependent poor-prognosis genes and examined their impact on breast cancer growth in vivo. We find that stable shRNA depletion of each of nine individual signature genes strongly inhibits breast cancer growth and aggressiveness. Several factors within this nine-gene set regulate each other's expression, suggesting that together they form a network. The nine-gene set is regulated by estrogen

SUBMITTER: Gallenne T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5400527 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature