Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40619273›Full record

ArticleCancer biology & therapy2025

USP44 promotes chemotherapeutic drug resistance of triple negative breast cancer through EZH2 protein stability.

Pu Wu, Wanting Xiao, Junjie Ni, Yuming Lou, Chaoyang Xu

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Cancer biology & therapy, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. A Theranostic Study ofBioconjugate chemistry · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Pu WuCentral Laboratory, Affiliated Jinhua Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Jinhua, China.ORCID 0000-0002-5777-5590
Wanting XiaoDepartment of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Affiliated Jinhua Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Jinhua, Zhejiang, China.
Junjie NiDepartment of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Affiliated Jinhua Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Jinhua, Zhejiang, China.
Yuming LouDepartment of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Affiliated Jinhua Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Jinhua, Zhejiang, China.
Chaoyang XuDepartment of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Affiliated Jinhua Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Jinhua, Zhejiang, China.ORCID 0000-0001-7223-5288

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), a highly invasive breast cancer, is one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Although chemotherapy remains the standard of care for TNBC, the development of chemotherapy resistance significantly limits its clinical efficacy. In this study, we identified the deubiquitinating enzyme USP44 as a contributor to chemoresistance in TNBC and investigated the potential regulatory feedback mechanisms involved. In this experimental study, we investigated the sensitivity of TNBC cells MDA-MB-231 and BT-549 to chemotherapy drugs after overexpression and knockdown of USP44 using CCK-8 reagent kit and flow cytometry analysis, respectively. Western blot was performed to evaluate the expression levels of relevant proteins. In vivo xenograft models were established to examine the effects of USP44 and its downstream targets on chemosensitivity. Co-immunoprecipitation assay and ubiquitination assay were conducted to identify interacting proteins and elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms. Knockdown of USP44 increased the sensitivity of MDA-MB-231 and BT-549 cells to chemotherapeutic agents, accompanied by elevated levels of Cleaved PARP. In contrast, USP44 overexpression reduced drug sensitivity. Mechanistically, USP44 was found to interact with EZH2, preventing its ubiquitination and subsequent proteasomal degradation. Notably, treatment with GSK126, a specific EZH2 inhibitor, reversed the chemoresistance induced by USP44 overexpression. USP44/EZH2 signaling pathway is one of the key to causing the drug resistance of TNBC, warranting further clinical investigation.

Indexed as

Drug Resistance, NeoplasmEnhancer of Zeste Homolog 2 ProteinTriple Negative Breast NeoplasmsUbiquitin-Specific ProteasesAnimalsAntineoplastic AgentsCell Line, TumorCell ProliferationFemaleGene Expression Regulation, NeoplasticHumansMiceMice, NudeProtein StabilityUbiquitinationUbiquitin ThiolesteraseAntineoplastic AgentsEnhancer of Zeste Homolog 2 ProteinEZH2 protein, humanUbiquitin-Specific ProteasesUbiquitin ThiolesteraseUSP44 protein, humandrug resistanceEZH2Triple-negative breast cancerUSP44

Identifiers

PMID40619273
PMCPMC12233816

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.