High expression of UNC5B enhances tumor proliferation, increases metastasis, and worsens prognosis in breast cancer

UNC-5 Homolog B (UNC5B) is a member of the dependence receptor family that regulates cell survival and apoptosis in a ligand-dependent manner. UNC5B plays an important role in the development of multiple cancers, including colorectal, bladder, and thyroid cancer. However, the exact expression pattern and mechanism of UNC5B in breast cancer have not been well elucidated. Here, we showed that UNC5B expression was significantly upregulated in breast cancer using bioinformatics analysis and experimental validation. High UNC5B expression was correlated with poor overall survival in breast cancer patients. UNC5B knockdown inhibited breast cancer cell proliferation and metastasis and compromised PI3K/Akt signaling activation. In summary, UNC5B is a promising diagnostic and prognostic biomarker and targeting UNC5B is a potential strategy for individualized breast cancer treatment.