The results suggest that the MEK5-ERK5 signaling axis via activation of MEF2B and other transcription factors plays an important role in the induction and maintenance of breast cancer cell migration and invasion and thus represents an exploitable target for the pharmacological inhibition of cancer cell metastasis.
Analysis of clinical pathology parameters indicated MEK5 overexpression was significantly correlated with the depth of invasion, lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis and histological grade.
Additionally, the relationship between TNF-alpha resistance mediated by MEK5/Erk5 signaling and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), a process associated with promotion of invasion, metastasis, and recurrence in breast cancer, has not previously been investigated.
MEK5 transfection experiments confirm its ability to induce proliferation (P < 0.0001), motility (P = 0.0001) and invasion in prostate cancer cells (P = 0.0001).