Maria Babak: New Work in Science Signaling
Maria Babak, Head of The Babak Lab and Assistant Professor at City University of Hong Kong, shared a post by The Babak Lab, adding:
“New work in Science Signaling: HOXC12 drives β₂-adrenoceptor–dependent invasion in TNBC — a potential new therapeutic target.”
Quoting The Babak Lab‘s post:
“Scientific Wednesdays: Hox-C12 Drives Invasion in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer via β₂-Adrenoceptor Loop
A recent Science Signaling study (August 19, 2025; DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.adq8279) highlights Hox-C12 as a pivotal molecular switch that enables tumor invasion in β₂-adrenoceptor–responsive triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).
Study Focus:
Decipher the mechanism behind the β₂-adrenoceptor–cAMP–calcium feedforward loop driving TNBC invasion and pinpoint genetic regulators of this pathway.
Key Findings:
• Hox-C12, a homeobox transcription factor, emerged as the key mediator of β₂-adrenoceptor–dependent invasion in TNBC cell lines
• Hox-C12 acts non-transcriptionally (cytosolic localization) and is essential for feedforward cAMP–calcium signaling
• CRISPR-mediated knockout of HOXC12 halted β₂-adrenoceptor–triggered calcium signaling and invasion in vitro
• High HOXC12 expression in patient tumors correlated with worse overall and disease-free survival
Conclusion:
Hox-C12 is a potential therapeutic target and biomarker for TNBC. Its presence may indicate responsiveness to β-blocker therapies and highlight opportunities to block aggressive invasion.
Image generated using Sora by OpenAI.
A link to the full article can be found in the comments section.”
Title: Hox-C12 coordinates β2-adrenoceptor coupling to a cAMP/calcium feedforward loop to drive invasion in triple-negative breast cancer
Authors: Terrance Lam, Bailey Cardwell, Bonan Liu, Cheng Peng, Mia Spark, Sandra Sursock, Cameron J. Nowell, Andrew M. Ellisdon, Aeson Chang, Alastair C. Keen, Erica K. Sloan, Michelle L. Halls
Read the Full Article.
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