JAG1 is associated with the prognosis and metastasis in breast cancer

Jagged canonical Notch ligand 1 (JAG1) regulates the progression of many cancers by the Notch signaling pathway, but its role in breast cancer (BC) remains unclear. In this research, JAG1 protein expression in BC tissues was detected by immunohistochemistry. The association between JAG1 and clinical significance was analyzed. The effect of JAG1 on malignant behaviors of BC cells was demonstrated by in vitro experiments. JAG1 expression in BC tissues was higher than that in para-carcinoma tissues. High JAG1 expression was significantly linked to advanced lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, and the TNM stage. JAG1 was an independent prognostic factors for BC patients. JAG1 knockdown inhibited the proliferation, motility, migration, and invasion of BC cells, and weakened adhesion and penetration abilities to the blood–brain barrier, whereas JAG1 overexpression had the opposite effects. JAG1 has the potential to be a prognostic marker and therapeutic target for BC patients.