Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42728354›Full record

ArticleScientific reports2026

TFAP2B and FOXC1 are associated with biologically and clinically distinct differentiation states in triple-negative breast cancer.

Franz-Leonard Klaus, Isabella Kitzke, Evelyn Klein, Marion Kiechle, Carolin Mogler, Alexander Muckenhuber

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Article in Scientific reports, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Franz-Leonard KlausInstitute of Pathology, TUM School of Medicine and Health, TUM, Munich, Germany. franz-leonard.klaus@tum.de.ORCID 0009-0001-2530-5519
Isabella KitzkeInstitute of Pathology, TUM School of Medicine and Health, TUM, Munich, Germany.
Evelyn KleinDepartment of Gynecology and Obstetrics, TUM School of Medicine and Health, TUM University Hospital, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Munich, Germany.
Marion KiechleDepartment of Gynecology and Obstetrics, TUM School of Medicine and Health, TUM University Hospital, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Munich, Germany.
Carolin MoglerInstitute of Pathology, TUM School of Medicine and Health, TUM, Munich, Germany.
Alexander MuckenhuberInstitute of Pathology, TUM School of Medicine and Health, TUM, Munich, Germany.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) comprises biologically distinct subtypes, including luminal androgen receptor (LAR) tumors, but routine immunohistochemical markers incompletely capture lineage-associated differentiation states. We investigated TFAP2B, an AP-2 family transcription factor linked to epithelial differentiation, and FOXC1, a basal-like-associated transcription factor, as complementary markers of luminal and basal differentiation in TNBC. In a tissue microarray of 105 TNBCs, tumors were stratified as TFAP2B-dominant, FOXC1-dominant, or double-negative according to relative marker predominance and characterized using lineage, proliferation, molecular, immune, and chemotherapy-response parameters. TFAP2B-dominant tumors were associated with a coherent luminal phenotype, including apocrine/lobular enrichment, strong MUCL1 and AR expression, high CK18, low SOX10, reduced proliferation, frequent wild-type p53 patterns and retained RB1 expression, and low PD-L1 expression. FOXC1-dominant tumors showed contrasting basal-like features. These associations were independently supported at the transcriptional and genomic levels in the METABRIC TNBC cohort. FOXC1-dominant tumors also showed more frequent chemotherapy-induced downstaging than TFAP2B-dominant tumors. Together, we identify TFAP2B as a marker associated with luminal differentiation in TNBC and support combined TFAP2B/FOXC1 assessment as a practical framework for identifying clinically relevant TNBC differentiation states.

Indexed as

Cell DifferentiationForkhead Transcription FactorsTranscription Factor AP-2Triple Negative Breast NeoplasmsBiomarkers, TumorFemaleGene Expression Regulation, NeoplasticHumansBiomarkers, TumorForkhead Transcription FactorsFOXC1 protein, humanTFAP2B protein, humanTranscription Factor AP-2

Identifiers

PMID42728354
PMCPMC13569491

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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.