Predictive and prognostic value of the Tau protein in breast cancer

Background/Aim: Predictive markers for response to chemotherapy are required in breast cancer. The Tau protein is a microtubule-associated protein variably expressed in breast cancer. The objective of our study was to describe drug resistance induced by the tau protein, and its predictive and prognostic value in breast cancer. Materials and Methods: Medline and PubMed databases were searched in April 2015 for terms "tau protein", "breast cancer", "chemotherapy sensitivity", "biomarker" and "taxane resistance". Results: In vitro, tau protein competes with taxane for controlling microtubule dynamic and loss of tau expression may render microtubules more vulnerable to the effects of taxanes. High tau protein expression was associated with better prognosis, even after adjustment for grade, hormone receptor and human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 expression, nodal status. The predictive value of the tau protein for sensitivity to taxane is discordant despite there being a trend for an association between low tau expression and increased response rate. Conclusion: Tau protein expression is insufficient for identifying a subset of patients with carcinomas that may benefit more from chemotherapy.