title: Pathways of proliferation and antiapoptosis driven in breast cancer stem cells by stem cell protein piwil2.
abstract: Cancer stem cell studies may improve understanding of tumor pathophysiology and identify more effective strategies for cancer treatment. In a variety of organisms, Piwil2 has been implicated in multiple roles including stem cell self-renewal, RNA silencing, and translational control. In this study, we documented specific expression of the stem cell protein Piwil2 in breast cancer with predominant expression in breast cancer stem cells. In patients who were evaluated, we determined that 90% of invasive carcinomas and 81% of carcinomas in situ exhibited highest expression of Piwil2. In breast cancer cells, Piwil2 silencing suppressed the expression of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3, a pivotal regulator of Bcl-X(L) and cyclin D1, whose downregulation paralleled a reduction in cell proliferation and survival. Our findings define Piwil2 and its effector signaling pathways as key factors in the proliferation and survival of breast cancer stem cells.
authors.affiliation: North East England Stem Cell Institute, Institute of Human Genetics, and Northern Institute for Cancer Research, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Jae Ho
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Cornelia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Parisa
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Javadian-Elyaderani
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schweyer
authors.forename: Dorothea
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Schütte
authors.forename: Moneef
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shoukier
authors.forename: Feridoun
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Karimi-Busheri
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Weinfeld
authors.forename: Aghdass
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rasouli-Nia
authors.forename: Jan G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Hengstler
authors.forename: Alejandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mantilla
authors.forename: Hamid Reza
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Soleimanpour-Lichaei
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Engel
authors.forename: Craig N
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Robson
authors.forename: Karim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nayernia
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology; D060565:Argonaute Proteins; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D048708:Cell Growth Processes / Q000502:physiology; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D015536:Down-Regulation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology* / Q000502:physiology; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D011506:Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D051020:bcl-X Protein / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D060565:Argonaute Proteins; C494811:BCL2L1 protein, human; C486868:PIWIL2 protein, human; D011506:Proteins; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor; C494086:STAT3 protein, human; D051020:bcl-X Protein