Zinc finger protein 593 promotes breast cancer development by ensuring DNA damage repair and cell-cycle progression

Breast cancer, a common malignancy and top cause of female cancer deaths globally, urgently requires new biomarkers and insights into its progression and chemoresistance. In this study, we identify ZNF593, a member of the zinc finger protein family, as an understudied oncogene in breast cancer. ZNF593 is significantly upregulated in breast cancer tissues compared to adjacent normal tissues, which is linked to poor prognosis and advanced clinicopathological features. <i>In vitro</i> experiments demonstrate that ZNF593 enhances the proliferation and migration capabilities of breast cancer cells. Comprehensive analyses reveal that ZNF593 is associated with DNA damage repair, cell-cycle regulation, and immunity-related pathways. Mechanistically, ZNF593 protects DNA repair and influences sensitivity to the associated chemotherapy. Furthermore, ZNF593 modulates CCND1, CCNE1, and CCNA2, genes encoding cyclins that facilitate the G1/S transition, resulting in cell-cycle progression. Collectively, our findings identify ZNF593 as a potential therapeutic target for breast cancer, affecting progression and chemoresistance.