EXAMINATION OF X-LINKED KX BLOOD GROUP IN BREAST CANCER

Abstract

XK was first discovered in erythrocyte as a membrane protein in McLeod Syndrome research but has not been studied in cancer. Calcium signalling along with their transporters are purported to promote breast cancer metastasis, to which XK has a similar associated function. Hence, it is hypothesized that XK promotes breast cancer migration and invasion. XK silencing resulted in a significant reduction of cell migration and invasion in human breast cancer cell lines. Reduction in phosphorylated STAT3 and S6 proteins was also observed, which could explain the reduction of cancer cell migration and invasion. Epigenetic modification was also explored, following DNA methyltransferase inhibition, it resulted in an increase in XK mRNA expression. Lastly, available microarray datasets suggested that XK is associated with higher histological grade and negative receptor statuses. These concluding findings support our hypothesis that XK functions as a tumour promoter in breast cancer by regulating cellular migration and invasion.