Metastasis is a major cause of breast cancer death. MPP7 is a cell polarity controller highly linked to cell migration; however, the function of MPP7 in breast cancer remains unknown. In this study, we reported that MPP7 expression was upregulated in breast cancer tissues and high MPP7 expression predicted poor survival in patients with breast cancer. Ectopic expression of MPP7 markedly enhanced the migration and invasion in breast cancer cells. In contrast, depletion of MPP7 resulted in impaired cell mobility and metastasis. Moreover, we demonstrated that MPP7 exerted its promotional effect via modulation of EMT and activation of the EGFR/AKT cascade. Our study reveals an oncogenic role of MPP7 in breast cancer and suggests that MPP7 may serve as a potential target for exploring novel therapeutic strategies against breast cancer metastasis.
Keywords: EGFR; EMT; MPP7; breast cancer; oncogene.
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