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Updated: Feb 14, 2026

Studying Triple Negative Breast Cancer Using Orthotopic Breast Cancer Model
Published on: March 20, 2020
FOXO Transcription Factors Both Suppress and Support Breast Cancer Progression
Marten Hornsveld1,2, Lydia M M Smits1,2, Maaike Meerlo1,2
1Oncode Institute, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, the Netherlands.
Abstract:
FOXO transcription factors are regulators of cellular homeostasis and putative tumor suppressors, yet the role of FOXO in cancer progression remains to be determined. The data on FOXO function, particularly for epithelial cancers, are fragmentary and come from studies that focused on isolated aspects of cancer. To clarify the role of FOXO in epithelial cancer progression, we characterized the effects of inducible FOXO activation and loss in a mouse model of metastatic invasive lobular carcinoma. Strikingly, either activation or loss of FOXO function suppressed tumor growth and metastasis. We show that the multitude of cellular processes critically affected by FOXO function include proliferation, survival, redox homeostasis, and PI3K signaling, all of which must be carefully balanced for tumor cells to thrive.Significance: FOXO proteins are not solely tumor suppressors, but also support tumor growth and metastasis by regulating a multitude of cellular processes essential for tumorigenesis. Cancer Res; 78(9); 2356-69. ©2018 AACR.
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