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The Use of Mouse Mammary Tumor Cells in an In Vitro Invasion Assay as a Measure of Oncogenic Cell Behavior
08:12

The Use of Mouse Mammary Tumor Cells in an In Vitro Invasion Assay as a Measure of Oncogenic Cell Behavior

Published on: June 12, 2019

The transcriptional repressor Snail promotes mammary tumor recurrence

Susan E Moody1, Denise Perez, Tien-chi Pan

  • 1Department of Cancer Biology, Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, 19104, USA.

Cancer Cell
|September 20, 2005
PubMed

Insights

The transcriptional repressor Snail drives breast cancer recurrence and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). High Snail levels in breast cancer patients correlate with reduced relapse-free survival, highlighting its role in tumor progression.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Breast cancer recurrence is a primary cause of mortality.
  • Tumor progression and metastasis are hallmarks of advanced cancer.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of the transcriptional repressor Snail in breast cancer recurrence.
  • To determine if Snail induces epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and promotes tumor recurrence.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized a conditional transgenic mouse model for HER2/neu-induced mammary tumors.
  • Analyzed Snail expression in recurrent tumors.
  • Assessed the effect of Snail on EMT in primary tumor cells.
  • Correlated Snail levels with relapse-free survival in breast cancer patients.

Main Results:

  • Snail is spontaneously upregulated in recurrent HER2/neu-induced mammary tumors.
  • Snail upregulation is associated with epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT).
  • Snail overexpression is sufficient to induce EMT and promote mammary tumor recurrence in vivo.
  • Elevated Snail levels predict decreased relapse-free survival in breast cancer patients.

Conclusions:

  • Snail plays a critical role in driving breast cancer recurrence.
  • Snail-induced EMT is a key mechanism underlying tumor progression and recurrence.
  • Snail is a potential therapeutic target for preventing breast cancer relapse.

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