Fig. 7

ADAM12 supports the CSC phenotype via modulation of the EGFR pathway. a Activation of EGFR by exogenous EGF bypasses the effect of ADAM12 knockdown on the reduction of CD44^hi/CD24^-/lo cell population. SUM159PT cells were transfected with a pool of four control siRNAs (siControl) or a pool of four ADAM12 siRNAs (siADAM12). After 24 h, cells were incubated with or without 20 ng/ml EGF in complete media for additional 48 h and analyzed for CD44 and CD24 expression. b EGFR responsive gene signature score versus ADAM12 mRNA expression in 421 breast invasive carcinomas from the TCGA database (Cell 2015 dataset). EGFR signature scores were calculated based on ref. [37]. c Relapse-free survival (RFS) rates for breast cancer patients stratified by ADAM12 expression levels were estimated using Kaplan-Meier Plotter (http://kmplot.com/analysis/) [39]. Shown are all tumors, triple-negative (TN) tumors, or tumors classified as mesenchymal stem-like (MSL). Hazard ratio (HR), 95% confidence interval, P-values, and numbers of patients are also included