The Role of PAX7 in Breast Cancer Prognosis and Its Mechanistic Involvement in the Wnt/β-Catenin Pathway

Breast cancer significantly affects women's lives globally. While PAX7 (Paired Box 7), a regulatory protein linked to muscle growth, has been connected to various cancers, its role in breast cancer is not well understood. This study explores PAX7's significance in breast cancer and its mechanisms. RNA-seq data from the TCGA database assessed PAX7 expression across cancer types. Prognostic value in breast cancer was evaluated using Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses. Functional experiments, including high-throughput sequencing, cell growth analysis, colony formation, Transwell assays, and Western blot analysis, were conducted on PAX7 knockdown cell lines (MDA-MB-468 and MDA-MB-231). Results showed high PAX7 expression in breast cancer linked to lower survival rates. PAX7 knockdown affected over 2000 genes and inhibited cancer cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, involving the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. SKL2001 reversed these effects. PAX7 is a potential prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target, with elevated levels indicating a poor prognosis. Further research on PAX7-targeted therapies is needed.