We are delighted to announce the release of our latest publication by Jenny Pessa, titled “HSF2 drives breast cancer progression by acting as a stage-specific switch between proliferation and invasion”, in collaboration with Emilia Peuhu, Adjucant Professor at the University of Turku.
Breast cancer is characterized by dynamic phenotypic transitions that enable abnormal cell proliferation and invasion. Despite the association of the stress-protective transcription factor heat shock factor 2 (HSF2) in cancer, its role in breast carcinogenesis has been poorly understood. This study investigates the expression and activity of HSF2 in human breast tumor samples and mouse in vivo xenografts, revealing a dynamic regulation of HSF2 during tumor progression.
The authors found that HSF2 expression, nuclear localization, and coexpression with the proliferation marker Ki67 are elevated in ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), indicating that HSF2 is involved in the early stages of tumor expansion. Interestingly, in mouse xenografts, HSF2 shifts from nuclear to cytoplasmic localization upon the transition from DCIS to invasive carcinoma. Using cell-based models, the team identified canonical transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) signaling as the key regulator of HSF2. TGF-β–mediated downregulation of HSF2 allowed the acquisition of an invasive cell phenotype, a process that could be reversed by ectopic expression of HSF2.
These findings suggest that HSF2 functions as a stage-specific switch that controls the balance between proliferation and invasion in breast cancer.
Pessa JC, Paavolainen O, Hästbacka HSE, Puustinen MC, Da Silva AJ, Pihlström S, Gramolelli S, Boström P, Hartiala P, Peuhu E, Joutsen J, Sistonen L. HSF2 drives breast cancer progression by acting as a stage-specific switch between proliferation and invasion. Sci Adv. 2025 Sep 5;11(36):eady1289. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.ady1289.
For further reading, check out the Åbo Akademi press release and an exclusive interview with the authors in Åbo Underrättelser.
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