c-Jun, a crucial molecule in metastasis of breast cancer and potential target for biotherapy.

Human breast cancer cell line SKBR3 expresses high level of the ErbB2 molecule, which has been associated with poor prognosis of breast cancer. Elevated ErbB2 functions as a transactivating co-receptor and promotes the formation of ErbB2 containing heterodimers, which are more mitogenic and transforming, and have a higher ligand affinity and signaling potency by virtue of the potent latent kinase activity of ErbB2. Interestingly, SKBR3 cells are non-tumorigenic in nude mice. By ectopic overexpression of c-Jun in SKBR3 cells, involvement of c-Jun in invasiveness and metastasis in vivo was investigated in this study. The critical role of c-Jun in the tumorigenesis and metastasis is demonstrated in nude mice.