Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 12, 2025
Live Imaging of Drug Responses in the Tumor Microenvironment in Mouse Models of Breast Cancer
Published on: March 24, 2013
JMJD8 overexpression in breast cancer: implications for diagnosis, prognosis, and immune microenvironment
Chenlei Zhu1, Tianyi Xi1, Guorong Yang1
1Department of General Surgery, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou Municipal Hospital, Gusu School, Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou, China.
Background:
Breast cancer has severe consequences due to late diagnosis and the lack of effective therapies. Currently, potential biomarkers for breast cancer have not been systematically evaluated. Research has shown that JMJD8 is associated with cGAS-STING pathway and plays a role in various tumor microenvironments, but its relationship with breast cancer remains unclear. We investigate the relationship between JMJD8 and the prognosis and immune infiltration microenvironment of breast cancer, exploring its potential as a prognostic biomarker for this type of cancer.
Methods:
In this study, we utilized data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) to assess the association between JMJD8 expression and clinical characteristics in breast cancer (BRCA) patients through the Wilcoxon signed-rank test and logistic regression. Additionally, we employed Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression methods to confirm the impact of JMJD8 expression levels on overall survival. We constructed JMJD8 knockout BRCA cell lines and studied the effects of JMJD8 protein on tumor cell proliferation and anti-tumor immunity at both cellular and animal levels.
Results:
Compared to normal tissues, JMJD8 expression levels were significantly elevated in BRCA tissues. High JMJD8 expression was closely associated with advanced pathological stages and was identified as an independent factor negatively impacting overall survival. In both cellular and animal experiments, JMJD8 knockout relieved the inhibition of the cGAS-STING pathway. This resulted in a significant enhancement of the anti-tumor immune response, as it induced dendritic cell (DC) antigen presentation and maturation, ultimately inhibiting the proliferation of BRCA cells. Furthermore, the JMJD8 expression was positively correlated with the infiltration of M2 macrophages in the tumor microenvironment, suggesting that JMJD8 may contribute to the deterioration of the tumor immunosuppressive microenvironment, potentially leading to reduced patient survival.
Conclusion:
The elevated expression of JMJD8 in breast cancer tissues is indicative of its involvement in the progression of the disease and its association with immune cell infiltration patterns. Our findings support the hypothesis that JMJD8 could serve as a prognostic biomarker, reflecting the immunosuppressive characteristics of the tumor microenvironment and aiding in the development of targeted therapeutic strategies for breast cancer management.
Insights
JMJD8 is elevated in breast cancer, worsening prognosis and immune suppression. Knocking out JMJD8 enhances anti-tumor immunity and inhibits cancer cell proliferation, suggesting JMJD8 as a prognostic biomarker.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Immunology
- Biomarker Discovery
Background:
- Breast cancer diagnosis and therapy remain challenging due to late detection and limited treatment options.
- The role of JMJD8 in breast cancer and its impact on the tumor microenvironment are not well understood.
- Systematic evaluation of potential breast cancer biomarkers is needed.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between JMJD8 expression and breast cancer prognosis.
- To explore the relationship between JMJD8 and the immune infiltration microenvironment in breast cancer.
- To evaluate JMJD8 as a potential prognostic biomarker for breast cancer.
Main Methods:
- Utilized The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data for breast cancer (BRCA) patients.
- Assessed JMJD8 expression correlation with clinical characteristics using Wilcoxon signed-rank test and logistic regression.
- Analyzed overall survival impact via Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression.
- Created JMJD8 knockout BRCA cell lines for in vitro and in vivo studies on proliferation and anti-tumor immunity.
Main Results:
- JMJD8 expression is significantly elevated in BRCA tissues compared to normal tissues.
- High JMJD8 expression correlates with advanced pathological stages and predicts poor overall survival.
- JMJD8 knockout enhances anti-tumor immunity by activating the cGAS-STING pathway, promoting dendritic cell maturation, and inhibiting BRCA cell proliferation.
- JMJD8 expression positively correlates with M2 macrophage infiltration, suggesting a role in creating an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment.
Conclusions:
- Elevated JMJD8 expression in breast cancer is linked to disease progression and altered immune cell infiltration.
- JMJD8 may serve as a prognostic biomarker, indicating immunosuppressive tumor characteristics.
- Targeting JMJD8 could lead to novel therapeutic strategies for breast cancer management.
Related Concept Videos
02:17The Tumor Microenvironment
03:03mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression
The mTOR pathway or the...
02:07Tumor Progression
Colon cancer is one of the best-documented examples of tumor progression. Early mutation in the APC gene in colon cells causes a small growth on the colon wall called a polyp. With time, this polyp grows into a benign, pre-cancerous tumor. Further...
01:05Cancer-Critical Genes II: Tumor Suppressor Genes
When the function of certain critical genes, especially those involved in cell cycle regulation and cell growth signaling cascades, gets disrupted, it upsets the cell cycle progression. Such cells with unchecked cell cycles start proliferating uncontrollably and eventually develop into tumors.
Such genes that act...
02:53Adaptive Mechanisms in Cancer Cells
Some of the advantages that cancer cells have on normal cells include - enhanced ability to divide without terminally differentiating, induce new blood vessel formation,...
01:27Tumor Immunotherapy