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Journal article

WT1 expression in breast cancer disrupts the epithelial/mesenchymal balance of tumour cells and correlates with the metabolic response to docetaxel.

Abstract:
WT1 is a transcription factor which regulates the epithelial-mesenchymal balance during embryonic development and, if mutated, can lead to the formation of Wilms' tumour, the most common paediatric kidney cancer. Its expression has also been reported in several adult tumour types, including breast cancer, and usually correlates with poor outcome. However, published data is inconsistent and the role of WT1 in this malignancy remains unclear. Here we provide a complete study of WT1 expression across different breast cancer subtypes as well as isoform specific expression analysis. Using in vitro cell lines, clinical samples and publicly available gene expression datasets, we demonstrate that WT1 plays a role in regulating the epithelial-mesenchymal balance of breast cancer cells and that WT1-expressing tumours are mainly associated with a mesenchymal phenotype. WT1 gene expression also correlates with CYP3A4 levels and is associated with poorer response to taxane treatment. Our work is the first to demonstrate that the known association between WT1 expression in breast cancer and poor prognosis is potentially due to cancer-related epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and poor chemotherapy response.
Publication status:
Published
Peer review status:
Peer reviewed

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Publisher copy:
10.1038/srep45255

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Institution:
University of Oxford
Division:
MSD
Department:
RDM
Sub department:
RDM Clinical Laboratory Sciences
Role:
Author


Publisher:
Nature Publishing Group
Journal:
Scientific Reports More from this journal
Volume:
7
Pages:
45255
Publication date:
2017-03-01
Acceptance date:
2017-02-23
DOI:
ISSN:
2045-2322


Language:
English
Keywords:
Pubs id:
pubs:687527
UUID:
uuid:314e89f9-43a1-4825-bdf7-5ef10842dcad
Local pid:
pubs:687527
Source identifiers:
687527
Deposit date:
2017-03-30

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