LAUSR

To improve the precision of molecular diagnosis and to develop and guide targeted therapies of breast cancer, it is essential to determine the mechanisms that underlie the specific tumor phenotypes. To this end, the application of a snapshot of gene expression profile for breast cancer diagnosis and prognosis is fundamentally challenged since the tissue‐based data are derived from heterogonous cell types and are not likely to reflect the dynamics of context‐dependent tumor progression and drug sensitivity. The intricate network of epithelial differentiation program can be concertedly controlled by tumor suppressor maspin, a homologue of clade B serine protease inhibitors (serpin), through its multifaceted molecular interactions in multiple subcellular localizations. Unlike most other serpins that are expressed in multiple cell types, maspin is epithelial specific and has distinct roles in luminal and myoepithelial cells. Endogenously expressed maspin has been found in the nucleus and cytoplasm, and detected on the surface of cell membrane. It is also secreted free and as an exosomal cargo protein. Research in the field has led to the identification of the maspin targets and maspin‐associated molecules, as well as the structural determinants of its suppressive functions. The current review discusses the possibility for maspin to serve as a cell type‐specific and context‐sensitive marker to improve the precision of breast cancer diagnosis and prognosis. These advancements further suggest a new window of opportunity for designing novel maspin‐based chemotherapeutic agents with improved anti‐cancer potency. J. Cell. Biochem. 118: 1639–1647, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.