Background: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is defined by reduced expression of the estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, and HER2. TNBC is an especially aggressive group of breast cancers with poor prognosis. There are currently no validated molecular targets to effectively treat this disease. Thus, it is necessary to identify effective molecular targets and therapeutic strategies for TNBC patients.
Methods: The expression of HSPA5 in patients with breast cancer was examined by immunohistochemistry. The association of HSPA5 expression with tumor grade and metastatic events in TNBC patients was analyzed using the Oncomine database. The knockdown and overexpression of HSPA5 protein were performed to investigate the effects on E1A-suppressed cell migration/invasion of TNBC using in vitro transwell assays and tumor growth/experimental metastasis studies in animal models.
Results: The expression of HSPA5 was positively correlated with high-grade tumors, metastatic events, and poor overall survival in breast cancer patients with TNBC. E1A-inhibited HSPA5 expression suppressed cell migration/invasive ability of TNBC cell lines. Moreover, E1A significantly abolished lung metastases from breast cancer cells by inhibiting HSPA5 expression in a xenograft tumor model.
Conclusions: The overexpression of HSPA5 is critical for high-risk metastasis of breast cancer and TNBC. The results of our study suggest that HSPA5 may be a crucial mediator of E1A-suppressed metastatic ability of breast cancer cells. Thus, E1A may be a potential target for diagnosis and individualized treatment in clinical practice.