An Insight into the Role of E2F1 in Breast Cancer Progression, Drug Resistance, and Metastasis

Abstract

Aims: This study aimed to investigate the role of E2F1 in breast cancer biology.

Background: Expression of E2F1, a transcription factor of many oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes, is lowered in several malignancies, including breast carcinoma.

Objectives: In the present study, we analyzed the status of E2F1 expression in association with diverse attributes of breast malignancy and its impact on cancer progression.

Methods: For this purpose, we used various freely available online applications for gene enrichment, expression, and methylation analysis to extract mutation-based E2F1 map, to measure E2F1 drug sensitivity, and to determine E2F1 association with DNA damage response proteins.

Results: Results revealed tissue-specific regulatory behavior of E2F1. Moreover, the key role of E2F1 in the promotion of metastasis, stem cell-mediated carcinogenesis, estrogen-mediated cell proliferation, and cellular defense system, has therefore highlighted it as a metaplastic marker and hot member of key resistome pathways.

Conclusion: The information thus generated can be employed for future implications in devising rational therapeutic strategies. Moreover, this study has provided a more detailed insight into the diagnostic and prognostic potential of E2F1.

Keywords: Breast Invasive Carcinoma (BRIC); biomarker; cellular proliferation; cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs); estrogen pathways; triple negative breast carcinoma (TNBC).