Abstract
The present study aimed to clarify the association between kinesin family member 11 (KIF11) and human breast cancer, and the effect of KIF11 on breast cancer cell progression. Western blot analysis, reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) analysis, retroviral infection, immunohistochemistry staining, MTT assay, anchorage-independent growth ability assay and tumorigenicity assay were all used in the present study. Western blot and RT-qPCR analysis revealed that the expression of KIF11 was markedly increased in malignant cells compared with that in non-tumorous cells at the mRNA and protein level. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that KIF11 expression was upregulated in 256/268 (95.8%) paraffin-embedded archival breast cancer biopsies. Statistical analysis demonstrated a significant association between the upregulation of KIF11 expression and the progression of breast cancer. Multivariate analysis revealed that KIF11 upregulation represents an independent prognostic indicator for the survival of patients with breast cancer. Tumorigenicity experiments were further used to evaluate the effect of KIF11 in non-obese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficient mice. Silencing endogenous KIF11 by short hairpin RNAs inhibited the proliferation of breast cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. The present results suggest that KIF11 may serve an important function in the proliferation of breast cancer and may represent a novel and useful prognostic marker for breast cancer.