Predictive Value of <i>STC2</i> Gene Expression in Chemotherapy Response in Breast Cancer
<b>Background</b>: Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women, and resistance to chemotherapy presents a significant challenge in its treatment. Stanniocalcin-2 (STC2), a glycoprotein involved in calcium homeostasis and cellular stress responses, is frequently overex...
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| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-02-01
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| Series: | Pharmaceuticals |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8247/18/2/235 |
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| Summary: | <b>Background</b>: Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women, and resistance to chemotherapy presents a significant challenge in its treatment. Stanniocalcin-2 (STC2), a glycoprotein involved in calcium homeostasis and cellular stress responses, is frequently overexpressed in various human cancers. Despite its critical role in cellular adaptation to stress, the potential of <i>STC2</i> as a biomarker for predicting chemotherapy response has not been evaluated. This study aimed to assess the potential of <i>STC2</i> as a predictive biomarker of response to chemotherapy in breast cancer. <b>Methods</b>: We utilized publicly available databases to characterize <i>STC2</i> expression in breast cancer patients and its role in predicting relapse-free survival (RFS). Moreover, we evaluated the treatment responses of patients subjected to chemotherapy, correlating their outcomes with <i>STC2</i> expression levels to determine its potential as a predictive biomarker. Finally, we evaluated the <i>STC2</i> expression levels in breast cancer cell lines following exposure to doxorubicin (Dox), the primary anthracycline used in chemotherapy, and they were contrasted with the publicly available dataset. <b>Results</b>: The analysis showed that <i>STC2</i> is significantly overexpressed in luminal A breast cancer, where it is linked to genetic amplifications. High <i>STC2</i> expression was associated with improved RFS in ER-positive patients but correlated with worse outcomes in ER-negative cases. Furthermore, in grade II ER-positive patients, higher STC2 expression is linked to better chemotherapy response, while in grade II ER-negative patients, it was associated with poorer response. Finally, <i>STC2</i> downregulation was observed in response to Dox treatment. <b>Conclusions</b>: These findings suggest that <i>STC2</i> expression serves as a predictive biomarker for chemotherapy response in grade II breast cancer patients. |
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| ISSN: | 1424-8247 |