TRIM14 Promotes Breast Cancer Cell Proliferation by Inhibiting Apoptosis

Tripartite motif-containing 14 (TRIM14) is abnormally expressed in several human cancers. However, the function and expression of TRIM14 in human breast cancer are still largely unknown. To understand the biological function of TRIM14 in breast cancer, we measured the expression level of TRIM14. Cell proliferation and cell apoptosis were measured after TRIM14 overexpression or knockdown. Upregulation of TRIM14 was found in human breast cancer specimens and cell lines. Reduction of TRIM14 inhibited cell proliferation but increased cell apoptosis in the BT474 and MDA-MB-231 cell lines. Further study showed that knockdown of TRIM14 upregulated the expression of BAX while downregulating the expression of BCL2. In addition, the expression of SHP-1 was increased, and the phosphorylation of STAT3 (p-STAT3) was inhibited. Conversely, overexpression of TRIM14 had the opposite effects. Additionally, cryptotanshinone, a STAT3 inhibitor, inhibited cell proliferation but increased cell apoptosis in the BT474 and MDA-MB-231 cell lines. In conclusion, TRIM14 may act as an oncogene in human breast cancer and may be a novel strategy for human breast cancer.