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Liu M, Wang Y, Wang C, Li P, Qiu J, Yang N, Sun M, Han L. A Microfluidic 3D-Tumor-Spheroid Model for the Evaluation of Targeted Therapies from Angiogenesis-Related Cytokines at the Single Spheroid Level. Adv Healthc Mater 2024:e2402321. [PMID: 39126126 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202402321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2024] [Indexed: 08/12/2024]
Abstract
Angiogenesis is a key player in drug resistance to targeted therapies for breast cancer. The average expression of angiogenesis-related cytokines is widely associated with the treatments of target therapies for a population of cells or spheroids, overlooking the distinct responses for individuals. In this work, a highly integrated microfluidic platform is developed for the generation of monodisperse multicellular tumor spheroids (MTSs), drug treatments, and the measurement of cytokines for individual MTSs in a single chip. The platform allows the correlation evaluation between cytokine secretion and drug treatment at the level of individual spheroids. For validation, quantities of six representative proangiogenic cytokines are tested against treatments with four model drugs at varying times and concentrations. By applying a linear regression model, significant correlations are established between cytokine secretion and the treated drug concentration for individual spheroids. The proposed platform provides a high-throughput method for the investigation of the molecular mechanism of the cytokine response to targeted therapies and paves the way for future drug screening using predictive regression models at the single-spheroid level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengqi Liu
- Institute of Marine Science and Technology, Shandong University, Tsingdao, 266237, China
| | - Yihe Wang
- Institute of Marine Science and Technology, Shandong University, Tsingdao, 266237, China
| | - Chao Wang
- Institute of Marine Science and Technology, Shandong University, Tsingdao, 266237, China
| | - Ping Li
- Institute of Marine Science and Technology, Shandong University, Tsingdao, 266237, China
| | - Jiaoyan Qiu
- Institute of Marine Science and Technology, Shandong University, Tsingdao, 266237, China
| | - Ningkai Yang
- Institute of Marine Science and Technology, Shandong University, Tsingdao, 266237, China
| | - Mingyuan Sun
- Institute of Marine Science and Technology, Shandong University, Tsingdao, 266237, China
| | - Lin Han
- Institute of Marine Science and Technology, Shandong University, Tsingdao, 266237, China
- Shandong Engineering Research Center of Biomarker and Artificial Intelligence Application, Jinan, 250100, P. R. China
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Han J, Kang MJ, Lee S. DRSPRING: Graph convolutional network (GCN)-Based drug synergy prediction utilizing drug-induced gene expression profile. Comput Biol Med 2024; 174:108436. [PMID: 38643597 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2024.108436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2024] [Revised: 04/01/2024] [Accepted: 04/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
Great efforts have been made over the years to identify novel drug pairs with synergistic effects. Although numerous computational approaches have been proposed to analyze diverse types of biological big data, the pharmacogenomic profiles, presumably the most direct proxy of drug effects, have been rarely used due to the data sparsity problem. In this study, we developed a composite deep-learning-based model that predicts the drug synergy effect utilizing pharmacogenomic profiles as well as molecular properties. Graph convolutional network (GCN) was used to represent and integrate the chemical structure, genetic interactions, drug-target information, and gene expression profiles of cell lines. Insufficient amount of pharmacogenomic data, i.e., drug-induced expression profiles from the LINCS project, was resolved by augmenting the data with the predicted profiles. Our method learned and predicted the Loewe synergy score in the DrugComb database and achieved a better or comparable performance compared to other published methods in a benchmark test. We also investigated contribution of various input features, which highlighted the value of basal gene expression and pharmacogenomic profiles of each cell line. Importantly, DRSPRING (DRug Synergy PRediction by INtegrated GCN) can be applied to any drug pairs and any cell lines, greatly expanding its applicability compared to previous methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiyeon Han
- Department of Bio-Information Science, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, 03760, Republic of Korea
| | - Min Ji Kang
- Department of Life Sciences, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, 03760, Republic of Korea
| | - Sanghyuk Lee
- Department of Bio-Information Science, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, 03760, Republic of Korea; Department of Life Sciences, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, 03760, Republic of Korea.
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Li Y, Yang S, Qi L, Li Y, Wang X. Identification of a Group of Therapeutic Targets and Prognostic Biomarker for Triple Negative Breast Cancer. Adv Ther 2024; 41:1621-1636. [PMID: 38421558 DOI: 10.1007/s12325-024-02806-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a highly heterogeneous disease. Mining differentially expressed genes of TNBC is helpful to explore new therapeutic targets. This study aimed to investigate diagnostic biomarker genes in TNBC compared to normal tissue. Additionally, we explored the functions and prognostic value of these key genes as well as potential targeted drugs that could affect these genes. METHODS Differential gene expression analysis was conducted using the R software with data from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Then, the identified differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were used to construct a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network using the Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes (STRING) database and Cytoscape software. The mRNA expression levels of key genes were analyzed using the UALCAN database with data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Enrichment and survival analyses were performed using R software. In addition, potential compounds showing sensitivity to key genes were identified by gene set cancer analysis (GSCA). RESULTS Compared with normal tissues, a total of 203 DEGs were upregulated in TNBC. These DEGs participated in various biological processes including nuclear division, microtubule binding, cell cycle, and the p53 signaling pathway. Through the PPI network analysis, ten key genes were identified, among which four genes showed significant correlation with poor progression-free interval (PFI) in patients with TNBC. Moreover, the four survival-related genes were found to act as sensitive therapeutic targets. CONCLUSION The identified four key genes were considered new biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis and also potential therapeutic targets for TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Li
- Phase I Clinical Trial Center, Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University, No. 10 Tieyi Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100038, China
| | - Shengjie Yang
- Phase I Clinical Trial Center, Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University, No. 10 Tieyi Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100038, China
| | - Lu Qi
- Phase I Clinical Trial Center, Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University, No. 10 Tieyi Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100038, China
| | - Yinjuan Li
- Phase I Clinical Trial Center, Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University, No. 10 Tieyi Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100038, China
| | - Xinghe Wang
- Phase I Clinical Trial Center, Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University, No. 10 Tieyi Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100038, China.
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Bongartz H, Mehwald N, Seiß EA, Schumertl T, Naß N, Dittrich A. Dysregulated Gab1 signalling in triple negative breast cancer. Cell Commun Signal 2024; 22:161. [PMID: 38448989 PMCID: PMC10916281 DOI: 10.1186/s12964-024-01542-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 02/24/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide. Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is especially aggressive and associated with high metastasis. The aetiology of TNBC is heterogeneous and characterised by multiple different mutations that amongst others cause constitutive and dysregulated MAPK and PI3K signalling. Additionally, in more than 50% of TNBC patients, the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is overexpressed and constitutively active. The multi-site docking protein Grb2-associated binder 1 (Gab1) is a central signalling hub that connects MAPK and PI3K signalling. METHODS Expression and activation of members of the Gab1/PI3K/MAPK signalling network were assessed in cells from different breast cancer subtypes. Influence of short- and long-term inhibition of EGFR, MAPK and PI3K on the activation of the Gab1/PI3K/MAPK signalling network as well as on cell viability, proliferation and migration was determined. Additionally, cellular localisation of Gab1 and Gab1 variants in naive cells and cells treated with the above-mentioned inhibitors was investigated. RESULTS We show that, activation of the Gab1/PI3K/MAPK signalling network is heterogeneous between different breast cancer subtypes. Gab1 phosphorylation and plasma membrane recruitment of Gab1 are dysregulated in the EGFRhigh TNBC cell line MDA-MB-468. While the Gab1/MAPK/PI3K signalling network follows canonical Gab1 signalling in naive MDA-MB-468 cells, Gab1 signalling is changed in cells that acquired resistance towards MAPK and PI3K inhibition. In resistant cells, Gab1 is not located at the plasma membrane despite strong activation of PI3K and MAPK. Furthermore, Gab1 tyrosine phosphorylation is uncoupled from plasma membrane recruitment. CONCLUSION Our study indicates that Gab1 signalling changes fundamentally during the acquisition of resistance to pharmacological inhibitors. Given the molecular heterogeneity between breast cancer subtypes, the detailed understanding of dysregulated and aberrant signalling is an absolute necessity in order to develop personalised therapies for patients with TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannes Bongartz
- Institute of Biology, Department of Systems Biology, Otto-von-Guericke University, Universitätsplatz 2, Magdeburg, 39106, Germany
- Present address: Laboratory of Immune System Biology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Nora Mehwald
- Institute of Biology, Department of Systems Biology, Otto-von-Guericke University, Universitätsplatz 2, Magdeburg, 39106, Germany
| | - Elena A Seiß
- Institute of Biology, Department of Systems Biology, Otto-von-Guericke University, Universitätsplatz 2, Magdeburg, 39106, Germany
| | - Tim Schumertl
- Institute of Biology, Department of Systems Biology, Otto-von-Guericke University, Universitätsplatz 2, Magdeburg, 39106, Germany
- Present address: Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Straße 1, Hannover, 30625, Germany
| | - Norbert Naß
- Department of Pathology, Brandenburg Medical School Theodor Fontane, University Hospital Brandenburg / Havel, Hochstraße 29, Brandenburg, 14770, Germany
| | - Anna Dittrich
- Institute of Biology, Department of Systems Biology, Otto-von-Guericke University, Universitätsplatz 2, Magdeburg, 39106, Germany.
- Center for Dynamic Systems: Systems Engineering (CDS), Otto-von-Guericke University, Universitätsplatz 2, Magdeburg, 39106, Germany.
- Magdeburg Center for Systems Biology (MACS), Otto-von-Guericke University, Universitätsplatz 2, Magdeburg, 39106, Germany.
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Song X, Wang L, Tang W, Yuan L, Liu Q, Li J, Fan D. Selumetinib overcomes gefitinib primary and acquired resistance by regulating MIG6/STAT3 in NSCLC. Arch Pharm Res 2023; 46:924-938. [PMID: 38032449 DOI: 10.1007/s12272-023-01471-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
Gefitinib, as the first-generation epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI), has achieved great advances in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but drug resistance will inevitably occur. Therefore, exploring the resistance mechanism of gefitinib and developing new combination treatment strategies are of great importance. In our study, the results showed that selumetinib (AZD6244) synergistically inhibited the proliferation of NSCLC with gefitinib. Selumetinib also enhanced gefitinib-induced apoptosis and migration inhibition ability in gefitinib-resistant lung cancer cell lines. Subsequently, the negative regulation between MIG6 and STAT3 was observed and verified through the STRING database and western blotting assays. Sustained activation of STAT3 was significantly downregulated when co-treatment with selumetinib in gefitinib-resistant cells. However, the downregulation of p-STAT3, resulting from the combination of selumetinib and gefitinib was counteracted by the deletion of MIG6, suggesting that selumetinib enhanced gefitinib sensitivity by regulating MIG6/STAT3 in NSCLC. In contrast, p-STAT3 was further inhibited after treatment with gefitinib and selumetinib when MIG6 was overexpressed. Furthermore, the combined administration of selumetinib and gefitinib effectively promoted the sensitivity of lung cancer xenografts to gefitinib in vivo, and the tumor inhibition rate reached 81.49%, while the tumor inhibition rate of the gefitinib monotherapy group was only 31.95%. Overall, MIG6/STAT3 negative regulation plays an important role in the sustained activation of STAT3 and the resistance to EGFR-TKIs. Our study also suggests that EGFR-TKIs combined with MEK1/2 inhibitors, such as selumetinib, may be beneficial to those NSCLC patients who develop a primary or acquired resistance to EGFR-TKIs, providing theoretical support for combining TKIs and selumetinib in clinical cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoping Song
- Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering, Northwest University, 229 Taibai North Road, Xi'an, 710069, China
- Biotech. and Biomed. Research Institute, Northwest University, 229 Taibai North Road, Xi'an, 710069, China
| | - Lina Wang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering, Northwest University, 229 Taibai North Road, Xi'an, 710069, China
- Biotech. and Biomed. Research Institute, Northwest University, 229 Taibai North Road, Xi'an, 710069, China
| | - Wei Tang
- Key Laboratory of Marine Drugs, Chinese Ministry of Education, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266100, China
| | - Luyao Yuan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering, Northwest University, 229 Taibai North Road, Xi'an, 710069, China
| | - Qingchao Liu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering, Northwest University, 229 Taibai North Road, Xi'an, 710069, China
- Biotech. and Biomed. Research Institute, Northwest University, 229 Taibai North Road, Xi'an, 710069, China
| | - Jing Li
- Key Laboratory of Marine Drugs, Chinese Ministry of Education, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266100, China.
| | - Daidi Fan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering, Northwest University, 229 Taibai North Road, Xi'an, 710069, China.
- Biotech. and Biomed. Research Institute, Northwest University, 229 Taibai North Road, Xi'an, 710069, China.
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Chapdelaine AG, Sun G. Challenges and Opportunities in Developing Targeted Therapies for Triple Negative Breast Cancer. Biomolecules 2023; 13:1207. [PMID: 37627272 PMCID: PMC10452226 DOI: 10.3390/biom13081207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Revised: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 07/29/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a heterogeneous group of breast cancers characterized by their lack of estrogen receptors, progesterone receptors, and the HER2 receptor. They are more aggressive than other breast cancer subtypes, with a higher mean tumor size, higher tumor grade, the worst five-year overall survival, and the highest rates of recurrence and metastasis. Developing targeted therapies for TNBC has been a major challenge due to its heterogeneity, and its treatment still largely relies on surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. In this review article, we review the efforts in developing targeted therapies for TNBC, discuss insights gained from these efforts, and highlight potential opportunities going forward. Accumulating evidence supports TNBCs as multi-driver cancers, in which multiple oncogenic drivers promote cell proliferation and survival. In such multi-driver cancers, targeted therapies would require drug combinations that simultaneously block multiple oncogenic drivers. A strategy designed to generate mechanism-based combination targeted therapies for TNBC is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gongqin Sun
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881, USA;
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Musheyev D, Miller E, Birnbaum N, Miller E, Erblich S, Schuck A, Alayev A. Inhibition of ERK signaling for treatment of ERRα positive TNBC. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0283047. [PMID: 37163498 PMCID: PMC10171695 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0283047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in women and triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), in particular, is an aggressive and highly metastatic type of breast cancer that does not respond to established targeted therapies and is associated with poor prognosis and worse survival. Previous studies identified a subgroup of triple-negative breast cancer patients with high expression of estrogen related receptor alpha (ERRα) that has better prognosis when treated with tamoxifen. We therefore set out to identify common targets of tamoxifen and ERRα in the context of TNBC using phosphoproteomic analysis. In this study, we discovered that phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinase 1 (MAPK1) is regulated by tamoxifen as well as ERRα. Additionally, we showed that inhibition of MAPK signaling together with the use of a selective ERRα inverse agonist, XCT-790, leads to a significant upregulation of apoptosis and paves way for the therapeutic use of MAPK inhibitors for treatment of ERRα expressing TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Musheyev
- Department of Internal Medicine, Stony Brook Southampton Hospital, Southampton, New York, United States of America
| | - Esther Miller
- Department of Biology, Stern College for Women, Yeshiva University, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Natania Birnbaum
- Department of Biology, Stern College for Women, Yeshiva University, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Elisheva Miller
- Department of Biology, Stern College for Women, Yeshiva University, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Shoshana Erblich
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Alyssa Schuck
- Department of Biology, Stern College for Women, Yeshiva University, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Anya Alayev
- Department of Biology, Stern College for Women, Yeshiva University, New York, New York, United States of America
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Gou L, Yue GGL, Lee JKM, Puno PT, Lau CBS. Natural product Eriocalyxin B suppressed triple negative breast cancer metastasis both in vitro and in vivo. Biochem Pharmacol 2023; 210:115491. [PMID: 36898414 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2023.115491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Revised: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023]
Abstract
Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women, and its metastasis to distant organs accounts for the majority of death. Eriocalyxin B (Eri B), an ent-kaurane diterpenoid isolating from Isodon eriocalyx var. laxiflora, has previously been reported to have anti-tumor and anti-angiogenic effects in breast cancer. Here, we investigated the effect of Eri B on cell migration and adhesion in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells, as well as aldehyde dehydrogenases 1 family member A1 (ALDH1A1) expression, colony- and sphere-formation in cancer stem cell (CSC) enriched MDA-MB-231 cells. The in vivo anti-metastatic activities of Eri B were determined in 3 different breast tumor-bearing mouse models. Our results indicated that Eri B inhibited TNBC cell migration and adhesion to extracellular matrix proteins, and also reduced ALDH1A1 expression and colony formation in CSC-enriched MDA-MB-231 cells. The metastasis-related pathways, such as epidermal growth factor receptor/ mitogen-activated protein kinase kinases 1/2/ extracellular regulated protein kinase signaling altered by Eri B was firstly shown in MDA-MB-231 cells. The potent anti-metastatic efficacies of Eri B were demonstrated in breast xenograft-bearing mice and syngeneic breast tumor-bearing mice. Gut microbiome analysis results revealed the change in the diversity and composition of microbiome after Eri B treatment, and the potential pathways that are involved in the anti-cancer efficacy of Eri B. In conclusion, Eri B was shown to inhibit breast cancer metastasis in both in vitro and in vivo models. Our findings further support the development of Eri B as an anti-metastatic agent for breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leilei Gou
- State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Plant Resources in West China, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, Yunnan, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Grace Gar-Lee Yue
- Institute of Chinese Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong SAR, China; State Key Laboratory of Research on Bioactivities and Clinical Applications of Medicinal Plants, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Julia Kin-Ming Lee
- Institute of Chinese Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong SAR, China; State Key Laboratory of Research on Bioactivities and Clinical Applications of Medicinal Plants, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Pema Tenzin Puno
- State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Plant Resources in West China, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, Yunnan, China.
| | - Clara Bik-San Lau
- Institute of Chinese Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong SAR, China; State Key Laboratory of Research on Bioactivities and Clinical Applications of Medicinal Plants, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong SAR, China.
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9
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Ku GC, Chapdelaine AG, Ayrapetov MK, Sun G. Identification of Lethal Inhibitors and Inhibitor Combinations for Mono-Driver versus Multi-Driver Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cells. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:4027. [PMID: 36011019 PMCID: PMC9407008 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14164027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Revised: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
There are no signaling-based targeted therapies for triple-negative breast cancer. The development of targeted cancer therapy relies on identifying oncogenic signaling drivers, understanding their contributions to oncogenesis and developing inhibitors to block such drivers. In this study, we determine that DU-4475 is a mono-driver cancer cell line relying on BRAF and the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway for viability and proliferation. It is fully and lethally inhibited by BRAF or Mek inhibitors at low nM concentrations, but it is resistant to inhibitors targeting other signaling pathways. The inhibitory lethality caused by blocking Mek or BRAF is through apoptosis. In contrast, MDA-MB-231 is a multi-driver triple-negative breast cancer cell line dependent on both Src and the KRAS-activated mitogen-activated kinase pathway for proliferation and viability. Blocking each pathway alone only partially inhibits cell proliferation without killing them, but the combination of dasatinib, an Src inhibitor, and trametinib, a Mek inhibitor, achieves synthetic lethality. The combination is highly potent, with an IC50 of 8.2 nM each, and strikingly synergistic, with a combination index of less than 0.003 for 70% inhibition. The synthetic lethality of the drug combination is achieved by apoptosis. These results reveal a crucial difference between mono-driver and multi-driver cancer cells and suggest that pharmacological synthetic lethality may provide a basis for effectively inhibiting multi-driver cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Gongqin Sun
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Rhode Island, 120 Flagg Rd, Kingston, RI 02881, USA
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10
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Liany H, Lin Y, Jeyasekharan A, Rajan V. An Algorithm to Mine Therapeutic Motifs for Cancer from Networks of Genetic Interactions. IEEE J Biomed Health Inform 2022; 26:2830-2838. [PMID: 34990373 DOI: 10.1109/jbhi.2022.3141076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Study of pairwise genetic interactions, such as mutually exclusive mutations, has led to understanding of underlying mechanisms in cancer. Investigation of various combinatorial motifs within networks of such interactions can lead to deeper insights into its mutational landscape and inform therapy development. One such motif called the Between-Pathway Model (BPM) represents redundant or compensatory pathways that can be therapeutically exploited. Finding such BPM motifs is challenging since most formulations require solving variants of the NP-complete maximum weight bipartite subgraph problem. In this paper we design an algorithm based on Integer Linear Programming (ILP) to solve this problem. In our experiments, our approach outperforms the best previous method to mine BPM motifs. Further, our ILP-based approach allows us to easily model additional application-specific constraints. We illustrate this advantage through a new application of BPM motifs that can potentially aid in finding combination therapies to combat cancer.
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11
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Regulation of low-density lipoprotein receptor expression in triple negative breast cancer by EGFR-MAPK signaling. Sci Rep 2021; 11:17927. [PMID: 34504181 PMCID: PMC8429745 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-97327-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2020] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Expression of the low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) has been shown to play a critical role in hypercholesterolemia-associated breast cancer growth and is associated with shorter recurrence-free survival in human breast cancer studies. We sought to identify how circulating LDL cholesterol and tumor LDLR might accelerate oncogenic processes by determining whether increased LDLR expression and cholesterol uptake are associated with the activation of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling pathway in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) cell lines. EGF stimulation of MDA-MB-468 (MDA468) cells activated p44/42MAPK (MAPK), increased expression of LDLR, and fluorescent LDL cholesterol uptake. However, stimulation of MDA-MB-231 (MDA231) cells with EGF did not lead to increased expression of LDLR despite inducing phosphorylation of EGFR. Inhibition of MAPK using UO126 in MDA231 cells reduced LDLR expression, and in MDA468 cells, UO126 impaired the LDLR increase in response to EGF. MDA468 cells exposed to the transcription inhibitor, Actinomycin, prior to treatment with EGF showed reduced degradation of LDLR mRNA compared to vehicle-treated cells. Our results suggest that the EGF-associated increase in LDLR protein expression is cell line-specific. The common pathway regulating LDLR expression was MAPK in both TNBC cell lines.
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Mir MA, Qayoom H, Mehraj U, Nisar S, Bhat B, Wani NA. Targeting Different Pathways Using Novel Combination Therapy in Triple Negative Breast Cancer. Curr Cancer Drug Targets 2021; 20:586-602. [PMID: 32418525 DOI: 10.2174/1570163817666200518081955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2020] [Revised: 03/22/2020] [Accepted: 03/24/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is one of the most aggressive subtypes of breast cancer accounting for 15-20% of cases and is defined by the lack of hormonal receptors viz., estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) and expression of human epidermal growth receptor 2 (HER2). Treatment of TNBC is more challenging than other subtypes of breast cancer due to the lack of markers for the molecularly targeted therapies (ER, PR, and HER-2/ Neu), the conventional chemotherapeutic agents are still the mainstay of the therapeutic protocols of its patients. Despite, TNBC being more chemo-responsive than other subtypes, unfortunately, the initial good response to the chemotherapy eventually turns into a refractory drug-resistance. Using a monotherapy for the treatment of cancer, especially high-grade tumors like TNBC, is mostly worthless due to the inherent genetic instability of tumor cells to develop intrinsic and acquired resistance. Thus, a cocktail of two or more drugs with different mechanisms of action is more effective and could successfully control the disease. Furthermore, combination therapy reveals more, or at least the same, effectiveness with lower doses of every single agent and decreases the likelihood of chemoresistance. Herein, we shed light on the novel combinatorial approaches targeting PARP, EGFR, PI3K pathway, AR, and wnt signaling, HDAC, MEK pathway for efficient treatment of high-grade tumors like TNBC and decreasing the onset of resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manzoor A Mir
- Department of Bioresources, School of Biological Sciences, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, India
| | - Hina Qayoom
- Department of Bioresources, School of Biological Sciences, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, India
| | - Umar Mehraj
- Department of Bioresources, School of Biological Sciences, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, India
| | - Safura Nisar
- Department of Bioresources, School of Biological Sciences, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, India
| | - Basharat Bhat
- Department of Bioresources, School of Biological Sciences, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, India
| | - Nissar A Wani
- Department of Bioresources, School of Biological Sciences, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, India
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13
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Chen L, Zhang T, Sun S, Ren W, Wu A, Xu H. Ultrasound-Mediated Cavitation Enhances EGFR-Targeting PLGA-PEG Nano-Micelle Delivery for Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Treatment. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13143383. [PMID: 34298600 PMCID: PMC8304156 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13143383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2021] [Revised: 06/24/2021] [Accepted: 06/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) with negative expression of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and human epidermal growth factor 2 (HER2) is considered to be associated with poorer outcomes and a higher risk of recurrence or metastasis owing to a lack of effective targeted therapeutic drugs. The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) functions is a driver of disease progression in most of TNBC that represents a viable target that can be leveraged to guide the intra-tumoral delivery of chemotherapeutic drugs in TNBC patients. Moreover, ultrasound-mediated cavitation (UMC) strategies increase tissue permeability and extravasation through nuclei-dependent cavitation via sonoporation, thus enabling drugs to better enter target tissues. In this research, a combination of active, targeting nano-micelles and UMC was able to inhibit TNBC tumor growth effectively at lower concentrations while reducing treatment-related toxicity. Thus, this is a very promising treatment strategy in the clinical therapy with TNBC and other cancer types. Abstract Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is highly recurring and metastatic breast cancer with overexpressing epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). Herein, a series of in vitro and in vivo analyses were used to explore the therapeutic effect of EGFR-targeting nano-micelles (PLGA-PEG/DOX@anti-EGFR) combined with ultrasound-mediated cavitation (UMC). The prepared nano-micelle drug carriers have good biocompatibility and can greatly increase the drug accumulation in tumor regions, thereby reducing off-target toxicity while enhancing anti-tumor efficacy. Moreover, an in vivo analysis of the practical utility of this treatment modality was conducted by using SonoVueTM microbubbles to achieve cavitation under different power intensity levels, with an ultrasonic power intensity of 0.5 W/cm2 maximizing the intra-tumoral blood perfusion. Relative to PLGA-PEG@DOX/anti-EGFR nano-micelles treatment alone, the combination with UMC was better able to suppress tumor growth even at low concentrations. As such, combining actively targeted drug-carrier molecules with UMC represents an effective approach to enhancing therapeutic efficacy while reducing the adverse, systemic effects associated with DOX and other chemotherapeutic drugs, and it can be considered as a promising clinical prospect in the treatment of TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Libin Chen
- School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200072, China;
- Department of Ultrasound in Medicine, Ningbo First Hospital, Ningbo 315010, China
| | - Tao Zhang
- Department of Ultrasound in Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310009, China;
| | - Shan Sun
- Cixi Institute of Biomedical Engineering, International Cooperation Base of Biomedical Materials Technology and Application, CAS Key Laboratory of Magnetic Materials and Devices & Zhejiang Engineering Research Center for Biomedical Materials, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1219 ZhongGuan West Road, Ningbo 315201, China; (S.S.); (W.R.)
| | - Wenzhi Ren
- Cixi Institute of Biomedical Engineering, International Cooperation Base of Biomedical Materials Technology and Application, CAS Key Laboratory of Magnetic Materials and Devices & Zhejiang Engineering Research Center for Biomedical Materials, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1219 ZhongGuan West Road, Ningbo 315201, China; (S.S.); (W.R.)
| | - Aiguo Wu
- Cixi Institute of Biomedical Engineering, International Cooperation Base of Biomedical Materials Technology and Application, CAS Key Laboratory of Magnetic Materials and Devices & Zhejiang Engineering Research Center for Biomedical Materials, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1219 ZhongGuan West Road, Ningbo 315201, China; (S.S.); (W.R.)
- Correspondence: (A.W.); (H.X.)
| | - Huixiong Xu
- School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200072, China;
- Center of Minimally Invasive Treatment for Tumor, Department of Medical Ultrasound, Shanghai Tenth People’s Hospital, Ultrasound Research and Education Institute, Clinical Research Center for Interventional Medicine, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Ultrasound Diagnosis and Treatment, National Clinical Research Center for Interventional Medicine, 301 Yanchangzhong Rd, Shanghai 200072, China
- Correspondence: (A.W.); (H.X.)
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14
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Koh SB, Ross K, Isakoff SJ, Melkonjan N, He L, Matissek KJ, Schultz A, Mayer EL, Traina TA, Carey LA, Rugo HS, Liu MC, Stearns V, Langenbucher A, Saladi SV, Ramaswamy S, Lawrence MS, Ellisen LW. RASAL2 Confers Collateral MEK/EGFR Dependency in Chemoresistant Triple-Negative Breast Cancer. Clin Cancer Res 2021; 27:4883-4897. [PMID: 34168046 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-21-0714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Revised: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE While chemotherapy remains the standard treatment for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), identifying and managing chemoresistant tumors has proven elusive. We sought to discover hallmarks and therapeutically actionable features of refractory TNBC through molecular analysis of primary chemoresistant TNBC specimens. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN We performed transcriptional profiling of tumors from a phase II clinical trial of platinum chemotherapy for advanced TNBC (TBCRC-009), revealing a gene expression signature that identified de novo chemorefractory tumors. We then employed pharmacogenomic data mining, proteomic and other molecular studies to define the therapeutic vulnerabilities of these tumors. RESULTS We reveal the RAS-GTPase-activating protein (RAS-GAP) RASAL2 as an upregulated factor that mediates chemotherapy resistance but also an exquisite collateral sensitivity to combination MAP kinase kinase (MEK1/2) and EGFR inhibitors in TNBC. Mechanistically, RASAL2 GAP activity is required to confer kinase inhibitor sensitivity, as RASAL2-high TNBCs sustain basal RAS activity through suppression of negative feedback regulators SPRY1/2, together with EGFR upregulation. Consequently, RASAL2 expression results in failed feedback compensation upon co-inhibition of MEK1/2 and EGFR that induces synergistic apoptosis in vitro and in vivo. In patients with TNBC, high RASAL2 levels predict clinical chemotherapy response and long-term outcomes, and are associated via direct transcriptional regulation with activated oncogenic Yes-Associated Protein (YAP). Accordingly, chemorefractory patient-derived TNBC models exhibit YAP activation, high RASAL2 expression, and tumor regression in response to MEK/EGFR inhibitor combinations despite well-tolerated intermittent dosing. CONCLUSIONS These findings identify RASAL2 as a mediator of TNBC chemoresistance that rewires MAPK feedback and cross-talk to confer profound collateral sensitivity to combination MEK1/2 and EGFR inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siang-Boon Koh
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Boston, Massachusetts.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Kenneth Ross
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Boston, Massachusetts.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.,Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Steven J Isakoff
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Boston, Massachusetts.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Nsan Melkonjan
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Lei He
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Boston, Massachusetts.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Karina J Matissek
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Boston, Massachusetts.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Andrew Schultz
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Erica L Mayer
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.,Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | | | - Lisa A Carey
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Hope S Rugo
- University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| | - Minetta C Liu
- Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Vered Stearns
- Johns Hopkins University and Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Adam Langenbucher
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Boston, Massachusetts.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Srinivas Vinod Saladi
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Boston, Massachusetts.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Sridhar Ramaswamy
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Boston, Massachusetts.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.,Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts.,Ludwig Center at Harvard, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Michael S Lawrence
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Boston, Massachusetts.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.,Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Leif W Ellisen
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Boston, Massachusetts. .,Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.,Ludwig Center at Harvard, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts
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15
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Khojasteh Poor F, Keivan M, Ramazii M, Ghaedrahmati F, Anbiyaiee A, Panahandeh S, Khoshnam SE, Farzaneh M. Mini review: The FDA-approved prescription drugs that target the MAPK signaling pathway in women with breast cancer. Breast Dis 2021; 40:51-62. [PMID: 33896802 DOI: 10.3233/bd-201063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Breast cancer (BC) is the most common cancer and the prevalent type of malignancy among women. Multiple risk factors, including genetic changes, biological age, dense breast tissue, and obesity are associated with BC. The mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) signaling pathway has a pivotal role in regulating biological functions such as cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, and survival. It has become evident that the MAPK pathway is associated with tumorigenesis and may promote breast cancer development. The MAPK/RAS/RAF cascade is closely associated with breast cancer. RAS signaling can enhance BC cell growth and progression. B-Raf is an important kinase and a potent RAF isoform involved in breast tumor initiation and differentiation. Depending on the reasons for cancer, there are different strategies for treatment of women with BC. Till now, several FDA-approved treatments have been investigated that inhibit the MAPK pathway and reduce metastatic progression in breast cancer. The most common breast cancer drugs that regulate or inhibit the MAPK pathway may include Farnesyltransferase inhibitors (FTIs), Sorafenib, Vemurafenib, PLX8394, Dabrafenib, Ulixertinib, Simvastatin, Alisertib, and Teriflunomide. In this review, we will discuss the roles of the MAPK/RAS/RAF/MEK/ERK pathway in BC and summarize the FDA-approved prescription drugs that target the MAPK signaling pathway in women with BC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatemeh Khojasteh Poor
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
| | - Mona Keivan
- Fertility and Infertility Research Center, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran.,Fertility, Infertility and Perinatology Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
| | - Mohammad Ramazii
- Kerman University of Medical Sciences, University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran
| | - Farhoodeh Ghaedrahmati
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Amir Anbiyaiee
- Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
| | - Samira Panahandeh
- School of Health, Faculty of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
| | - Seyed Esmaeil Khoshnam
- Persian Gulf Physiology Research Center, Medical Basic Sciences Research Institute, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
| | - Maryam Farzaneh
- Fertility, Infertility and Perinatology Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
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16
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You KS, Yi YW, Cho J, Park JS, Seong YS. Potentiating Therapeutic Effects of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Inhibition in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2021; 14:589. [PMID: 34207383 PMCID: PMC8233743 DOI: 10.3390/ph14060589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Revised: 06/07/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a subset of breast cancer with aggressive characteristics and few therapeutic options. The lack of an appropriate therapeutic target is a challenging issue in treating TNBC. Although a high level expression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) has been associated with a poor prognosis among patients with TNBC, targeted anti-EGFR therapies have demonstrated limited efficacy for TNBC treatment in both clinical and preclinical settings. However, with the advantage of a number of clinically approved EGFR inhibitors (EGFRis), combination strategies have been explored as a promising approach to overcome the intrinsic resistance of TNBC to EGFRis. In this review, we analyzed the literature on the combination of EGFRis with other molecularly targeted therapeutics or conventional chemotherapeutics to understand the current knowledge and to provide potential therapeutic options for TNBC treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyu Sic You
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Medicine, Dankook University, Cheonan 31116, Chungcheongnam-do, Korea;
- Graduate School of Convergence Medical Science, Dankook University, Cheonan 3116, Chungcheongnam-do, Korea
| | - Yong Weon Yi
- Department of Nanobiomedical Science, Dankook University, Cheonan 31116, Chungcheongnam-do, Korea; (Y.W.Y.); (J.C.)
| | - Jeonghee Cho
- Department of Nanobiomedical Science, Dankook University, Cheonan 31116, Chungcheongnam-do, Korea; (Y.W.Y.); (J.C.)
| | - Jeong-Soo Park
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Medicine, Dankook University, Cheonan 31116, Chungcheongnam-do, Korea;
| | - Yeon-Sun Seong
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Medicine, Dankook University, Cheonan 31116, Chungcheongnam-do, Korea;
- Graduate School of Convergence Medical Science, Dankook University, Cheonan 3116, Chungcheongnam-do, Korea
- Department of Nanobiomedical Science, Dankook University, Cheonan 31116, Chungcheongnam-do, Korea; (Y.W.Y.); (J.C.)
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17
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Differential reprogramming of breast cancer subtypes in 3D cultures and implications for sensitivity to targeted therapy. Sci Rep 2021; 11:7259. [PMID: 33790333 PMCID: PMC8012355 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-86664-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2020] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Screening for effective candidate drugs for breast cancer has shifted from two-dimensional (2D) to three-dimensional (3D) cultures. Here we systematically compared the transcriptomes of these different culture conditions by RNAseq of 14 BC cell lines cultured in both 2D and 3D conditions. All 3D BC cell cultures demonstrated increased mitochondrial metabolism and downregulated cell cycle programs. Luminal BC cells in 3D demonstrated overall limited reprogramming. 3D basal B BC cells showed increased expression of extracellular matrix (ECM) interaction genes, which coincides with an invasive phenotype not observed in other BC cells. Genes downregulated in 3D were associated with metastatic disease progression in BC patients, including cyclin dependent kinases and aurora kinases. Furthermore, the overall correlation of the cell line transcriptome to the BC patient transcriptome was increased in 3D cultures for all TNBC cell lines. To define the most optimal culture conditions to study the oncogenic pathway of interest, an open source bioinformatics strategy was established.
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18
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You KS, Yi YW, Cho J, Seong YS. Dual Inhibition of AKT and MEK Pathways Potentiates the Anti-Cancer Effect of Gefitinib in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cells. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:1205. [PMID: 33801977 PMCID: PMC8000364 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13061205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2021] [Revised: 02/28/2021] [Accepted: 03/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
There is an unmet medical need for the development of new targeted therapeutic strategies for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). With drug combination screenings, we found that the triple combination of the protein kinase inhibitors (PKIs) of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), v-akt murine thymoma viral oncogene homolog (AKT), and MAPK/ERK kinase (MEK) is effective in inducing apoptosis in TNBC cells. A set of PKIs were first screened in combination with gefitinib in the TNBC cell line, MDA-MB-231. The AKT inhibitor, AT7867, was identified and further analyzed in two mesenchymal stem-like (MSL) subtype TNBC cells, MDA-MB-231 and HS578T. A combination of gefitinib and AT7867 reduced the proliferation and long-term survival of MSL TNBC cells. However, gefitinib and AT7867 induced the activation of the rat sarcoma (RAS)/ v-raf-1 murine leukemia viral oncogene homolog (RAF)/MEK/ extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway. To inhibit this pathway, MEK/ERK inhibitors were further screened in MDA-MB-231 cells in the presence of gefitinib and AT7867. As a result, we identified that the MEK inhibitor, PD-0325901, further enhanced the anti-proliferative and anti-clonogenic effects of gefitinib and AT7867 by inducing apoptosis. Our results suggest that the dual inhibition of the AKT and MEK pathways is a novel potential therapeutic strategy for targeting EGFR in TNBC cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyu Sic You
- Graduate School of Convergence Medical Science, Dankook University, Cheonan 31116, Korea;
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Medicine, Dankook University, Cheonan 31116, Korea
| | - Yong Weon Yi
- Department of Nanobiomedical Science, Dankook University, Cheonan 31116, Korea;
| | - Jeonghee Cho
- Department of Nanobiomedical Science, Dankook University, Cheonan 31116, Korea;
| | - Yeon-Sun Seong
- Graduate School of Convergence Medical Science, Dankook University, Cheonan 31116, Korea;
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Medicine, Dankook University, Cheonan 31116, Korea
- Department of Nanobiomedical Science, Dankook University, Cheonan 31116, Korea;
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19
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Zhu H, Du C, Yuan M, Fu P, He Q, Yang B, Cao J. PD-1/PD-L1 counterattack alliance: multiple strategies for treating triple-negative breast cancer. Drug Discov Today 2020; 25:1762-1771. [PMID: 32663441 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2020.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2020] [Revised: 06/25/2020] [Accepted: 07/06/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Despite extensive research into adjuvant and neoadjuvant chemotherapy, triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) remains a common breast cancer (BC) subtype with poor prognosis. Given that it has higher immune cell infiltration, theoretically, it should be a protagonist of potential BC immunotherapies. However, only mild responses have been observed in monotherapy with anti-programmed death receptor-1/programmed death ligand-1 (PD-1/PD-L1) antibodies. In this review, we reappraise PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor combination immunotherapy and effective experimental compounds, focusing the level of PD-L1 expression, neoantigens, abnormal signaling pathways, and tumor microenvironment signatures, to provide guidance for future clinical trials based on the molecular mechanisms involved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haiying Zhu
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Anti-Cancer Drug Research, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Chengyong Du
- Department of Breast Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Meng Yuan
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Anti-Cancer Drug Research, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Peifen Fu
- Department of Breast Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Qiaojun He
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Anti-Cancer Drug Research, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Bo Yang
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Anti-Cancer Drug Research, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Ji Cao
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Anti-Cancer Drug Research, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
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20
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Ahmad S, He Q, Williams KP, Scott JE. Identification of a Triple Drug Combination That Is Synergistically Cytotoxic for Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cells Using a Novel Combination Discovery Approach. SLAS DISCOVERY 2020; 25:923-938. [PMID: 32441190 DOI: 10.1177/2472555220924478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a very aggressive form of breast cancer with few molecularly targeted therapies. We used a novel unbiased approach to identify higher-order synergistic or enhancer combinations of marketed kinase inhibitor drugs that inhibit cell viability of TNBC cell lines. We mixed all 33 kinase-targeted drugs on the market at the time of this study, which allowed for all possible combinations to exist in the initial mixture. A kinase inhibitor group dropout approach was used to identify active groups and then single active drugs. After only three rounds of deconvolution, we identified five single drugs to test further. After further testing, we focused on one novel subset consisting of three kinase inhibitor drugs: dasatinib, afatinib, and trametinib (DAT) that target src family kinases, HER2/EGFR, and MEK, respectively. The DAT combination potently inhibited the proliferation of three TNBC cell lines and modestly inhibited a fourth. However, it was not significantly more potent or synergistic than other two drug combinations of these drugs. The cytotoxic activities of all possible combinations of these three drugs were also analyzed. Compared with all two-way combinations, the three-way DAT combination generated the most cytotoxicity and the highest synergies for two of the four cell lines tested, with possibly mild synergy in a third cell line. These data indicated that the DAT combination should be evaluated for efficacy in an in vivo model of TNBC and may provide a novel combination of existing drugs for the treatment of a subset of TNBC cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Syed Ahmad
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Biomanufacturing Research Institute and Technology Enterprise (BRITE), North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Qingping He
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Biomanufacturing Research Institute and Technology Enterprise (BRITE), North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Kevin P Williams
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Biomanufacturing Research Institute and Technology Enterprise (BRITE), North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - John E Scott
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Biomanufacturing Research Institute and Technology Enterprise (BRITE), North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC, USA
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21
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Shen J, Li L, Howlett NG, Cohen PS, Sun G. Application of a Biphasic Mathematical Model of Cancer Cell Drug Response for Formulating Potent and Synergistic Targeted Drug Combinations to Triple Negative Breast Cancer Cells. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12051087. [PMID: 32349331 PMCID: PMC7281712 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12051087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2020] [Revised: 04/20/2020] [Accepted: 04/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Triple negative breast cancer is a collection of heterogeneous breast cancers that are immunohistochemically negative for estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, and ErbB2 (due to deletion or lack of amplification). No dominant proliferative driver has been identified for this type of cancer, and effective targeted therapy is lacking. In this study, we hypothesized that triple negative breast cancer cells are multi-driver cancer cells, and evaluated a biphasic mathematical model for identifying potent and synergistic drug combinations for multi-driver cancer cells. The responses of two triple negative breast cancer cell lines, MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-468, to a panel of targeted therapy drugs were determined over a broad range of concentrations. The analyses of the drug responses by the biphasic mathematical model revealed that both cell lines were indeed dependent on multiple drivers, and inhibitors of individual drivers caused a biphasic response: a target-specific partial inhibition at low nM concentrations, and an off-target toxicity at μM concentrations. We further demonstrated that combinations of drugs, targeting each driver, cause potent, synergistic, and cell-specific cell killing. Immunoblotting analysis of the effects of the individual drugs and drug combinations on the signaling pathways supports the above conclusion. These results support a multi-driver proliferation hypothesis for these triple negative breast cancer cells, and demonstrate the applicability of the biphasic mathematical model for identifying effective and synergistic targeted drug combinations for triple negative breast cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinyan Shen
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030001, China
| | - Li Li
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881, USA
- Department of Cell Biology and Medical Genetics, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030001, China
| | - Niall G. Howlett
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881, USA
| | - Paul S. Cohen
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881, USA
| | - Gongqin Sun
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-401-874-5937
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22
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Chang-Qing Y, Jie L, Shi-Qi Z, Kun Z, Zi-Qian G, Ran X, Hui-Meng L, Ren-Bin Z, Gang Z, Da-Chuan Y, Chen-Yan Z. Recent treatment progress of triple negative breast cancer. PROGRESS IN BIOPHYSICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2019; 151:40-53. [PMID: 31761352 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2019.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2019] [Revised: 09/24/2019] [Accepted: 11/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Breast cancer (BC) is a serious worldwide disease that threatens women's health. Particularly, the morbidity of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is higher than that of other BC types due to its high molecular heterogeneity, metastatic potential and poor prognosis. TNBC lacks of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), so there are still no effective treatment methods for TNBC. Here, we reviewed the classification of TNBC, its molecular mechanisms of pathogenesis, treatment methods and prognosis. Finding effective targets is critical for the treatment of TNBC. Also, refining the classification of TNBC is benefited to choose the treatment of TNBC, because the sensitivity of chemotherapy is different in different TNBC. Some new treatment methods have been proposed in recent years, such as nutritional therapy and noncoding RNA treatment methods. There are some disadvantages, such as the side effect on normal cells after nutrient deprivation, low specificity and instability of noncoding RNA. More studies are necessary to improve the treatment of TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Chang-Qing
- Institute for Special Environmental Biophysics, Key Laboratory for Space Bioscience and Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, 710072, Shaanxi, PR China
| | - Liu Jie
- Institute for Special Environmental Biophysics, Key Laboratory for Space Bioscience and Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, 710072, Shaanxi, PR China
| | - Zhao Shi-Qi
- Institute for Special Environmental Biophysics, Key Laboratory for Space Bioscience and Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, 710072, Shaanxi, PR China
| | - Zhu Kun
- Institute for Special Environmental Biophysics, Key Laboratory for Space Bioscience and Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, 710072, Shaanxi, PR China
| | - Gong Zi-Qian
- Institute for Special Environmental Biophysics, Key Laboratory for Space Bioscience and Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, 710072, Shaanxi, PR China
| | - Xu Ran
- Institute for Special Environmental Biophysics, Key Laboratory for Space Bioscience and Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, 710072, Shaanxi, PR China
| | - Lu Hui-Meng
- Institute for Special Environmental Biophysics, Key Laboratory for Space Bioscience and Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, 710072, Shaanxi, PR China
| | - Zhou Ren-Bin
- Institute for Special Environmental Biophysics, Key Laboratory for Space Bioscience and Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, 710072, Shaanxi, PR China
| | - Zhao Gang
- The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin Province, 130021, PR China.
| | - Yin Da-Chuan
- Institute for Special Environmental Biophysics, Key Laboratory for Space Bioscience and Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, 710072, Shaanxi, PR China.
| | - Zhang Chen-Yan
- Institute for Special Environmental Biophysics, Key Laboratory for Space Bioscience and Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, 710072, Shaanxi, PR China.
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An increased cell cycle gene network determines MEK and Akt inhibitor double resistance in triple-negative breast cancer. Sci Rep 2019; 9:13308. [PMID: 31527768 PMCID: PMC6746778 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-49809-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2018] [Accepted: 08/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive subtype of breast cancer with poor clinical prognosis and limited targeted treatment strategies. Kinase inhibitor screening of a panel of 20 TNBC cell lines uncovered three critical TNBC subgroups: 1) sensitive to only MEK inhibitors; 2) sensitive to only Akt inhibitors; 3) resistant to both MEK/Akt inhibitors. Using genomic, transcriptomic and proteomic datasets of these TNBC cell lines we unravelled molecular features associated with the MEK and Akt drug resistance. MEK inhibitor-resistant TNBC cell lines were discriminated from Akt inhibitor-resistant lines by the presence of PIK3CA/PIK3R1/PTEN mutations, high p-Akt and low p-MEK levels, yet these features could not distinguish double-resistant cells. Gene set enrichment analyses of transcriptomic and proteomic data of the MEK and Akt inhibitor response groups revealed a set of cell cycle-related genes associated with the double-resistant phenotype; these genes were overexpressed in a subset of breast cancer patients. CDK inhibitors targeting the cell cycle programme could overcome the Akt and MEK inhibitor double-resistance. In conclusion, we uncovered molecular features and alternative treatment strategies for TNBC that are double-resistant to Akt and MEK inhibitors.
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Lee J, Lim B, Pearson T, Choi K, Fuson JA, Bartholomeusz C, Paradiso LJ, Myers T, Tripathy D, Ueno NT. Anti-tumor and anti-metastasis efficacy of E6201, a MEK1 inhibitor, in preclinical models of triple-negative breast cancer. Breast Cancer Res Treat 2019; 175:339-351. [PMID: 30826934 DOI: 10.1007/s10549-019-05166-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2018] [Accepted: 02/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) lacks the receptor targets estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2, and thus, it does not respond to receptor-targeted treatments. TNBC has higher recurrence, metastasis, and mortality rates than other subtypes of breast cancer. Mounting data suggest that the MAPK (also known as RAS-RAF-MEK-ERK) pathway is an important therapeutic target in TNBC. METHODS To evaluate anti-tumor and anti-metastasis efficacy of E6201, we used cell proliferation assay, soft agar assay, cell cycle assay, Annexin V staining assay, immunoblotting analysis, immunohistochemistry, migration assay, invasion assay, mammary fat pad xenograft, and experimental and spontaneous metastasis xenograft models. We also evaluated the anti-tumor efficacy of E6201 plus CDK4/6 inhibitor, mTOR inhibitor, or ATR inhibitor. RESULTS E6201 inhibited TNBC cell colony formation, migration, and invasion in a dose-dependent manner. E6201 induced G1 cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. E6201 inhibited TNBC xenograft growth and inhibited TNBC lung metastasis and improved mouse survival in experimental metastasis and spontaneous metastasis assays. Immunohistochemical staining demonstrated that E6201 decreased the metastatic burden in the lung and decreased phosphorylated ERK expression in a dose-dependent manner. Combination of E6201 with CDK4/6 inhibitor or mTOR inhibitor enhanced E6201's in vitro anti-tumor efficacy. CONCLUSION These results indicate that E6201 exhibits anti-tumor efficacy against TNBC in vitro and anti-metastasis efficacy against TNBC in vivo. These results provide a rationale for further clinical development of E6201 as a MAPK-pathway-targeted therapy for TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jangsoon Lee
- Section of Translational Breast Cancer Research, Morgan Welch Inflammatory Breast Cancer Research Program and Clinic, Department of Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.,Morgan Welch Inflammatory Breast Cancer Research Program and Clinic, Department of Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Unit 1354, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, TX, 77030-4009, USA
| | - Bora Lim
- Section of Translational Breast Cancer Research, Morgan Welch Inflammatory Breast Cancer Research Program and Clinic, Department of Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.,Morgan Welch Inflammatory Breast Cancer Research Program and Clinic, Department of Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Unit 1354, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, TX, 77030-4009, USA
| | - Troy Pearson
- Section of Translational Breast Cancer Research, Morgan Welch Inflammatory Breast Cancer Research Program and Clinic, Department of Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Kuicheon Choi
- Section of Translational Breast Cancer Research, Morgan Welch Inflammatory Breast Cancer Research Program and Clinic, Department of Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jon A Fuson
- Section of Translational Breast Cancer Research, Morgan Welch Inflammatory Breast Cancer Research Program and Clinic, Department of Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Chandra Bartholomeusz
- Section of Translational Breast Cancer Research, Morgan Welch Inflammatory Breast Cancer Research Program and Clinic, Department of Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.,Morgan Welch Inflammatory Breast Cancer Research Program and Clinic, Department of Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Unit 1354, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, TX, 77030-4009, USA
| | | | | | - Debu Tripathy
- Section of Translational Breast Cancer Research, Morgan Welch Inflammatory Breast Cancer Research Program and Clinic, Department of Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Naoto T Ueno
- Section of Translational Breast Cancer Research, Morgan Welch Inflammatory Breast Cancer Research Program and Clinic, Department of Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA. .,Morgan Welch Inflammatory Breast Cancer Research Program and Clinic, Department of Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Unit 1354, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, TX, 77030-4009, USA.
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25
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Park J, Jang JH, Park GS, Chung Y, You HJ, Kim JH. BLT2, a leukotriene B4 receptor 2, as a novel prognostic biomarker of triple-negative breast cancer. BMB Rep 2018; 51:373-377. [PMID: 29898809 PMCID: PMC6130834 DOI: 10.5483/bmbrep.2018.51.8.127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is considered to be a notorious type of cancer due to its aggressive metastatic potential and poor prognosis. Recent evidence suggests that BLT2, a low-affinity LTB4 receptor is critically associated with the phenotypes of TNBC cells, including invasion, metastasis, and survival. Furthermore, in a group of 545 breast cancer patients with metastasis, we observed that the high-BLT2 subgroup had a lower disease-free-survival rate than the low-BLT2 subgroup. Thus, we theorized that anti-BLT2 strategies could facilitate the development of new therapies used for TNBC. This review focuses on recent discoveries regarding BLT2 and its roles in as a novel prognostic biomarker in TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- JaeIn Park
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Korea
| | - Jae-Hyun Jang
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Korea
| | - Geun-Soo Park
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Korea
| | - Yunro Chung
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Arizona State University, Scottsdale, AZ 85259, USA
| | - Hye Jin You
- Translational Research Branch, Division of Translational Science, National Cancer Center, Goyang 10408, Korea
| | - Jae-Hong Kim
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Korea
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26
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Wächter S, Wunderlich A, Greene BH, Roth S, Elxnat M, Fellinger SA, Verburg FA, Luster M, Bartsch DK, Di Fazio P. Selumetinib Activity in Thyroid Cancer Cells: Modulation of Sodium Iodide Symporter and Associated miRNAs. Int J Mol Sci 2018; 19:ijms19072077. [PMID: 30018229 PMCID: PMC6073679 DOI: 10.3390/ijms19072077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2018] [Revised: 07/06/2018] [Accepted: 07/07/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The MEK (mitogen-activated protein kinase)⁻inhibitor selumetinib led to increased radioiodine uptake and retention in a subgroup of patients suffering from radioiodine refractory differentiated thyroid cancer (RR-DTC). We aimed to analyse the effect of selumetinib on the expression of sodium iodide symporter (NIS; SLC5A5) and associated miRNAs in thyroid cancer cells. METHODS Cytotoxicity was assessed by viability assay in TPC1, BCPAP, C643 and 8505C thyroid cancer cell lines. NIS, hsa-let-7f-5p, hsa-miR-146b-5p, and hsa-miR-146b-3p expression was determined by quantitative RT-PCR. NIS protein was detected by Western blot. Radioiodine uptake was performed with a Gamma counter. RESULTS Selumetinib caused a significant reduction of cell viability in all thyroid cancer cell lines. NIS transcript was restored by selumetinib in all cell lines. Its protein level was found up-regulated in TPC1 and BCPAP cells and down-regulated in C643 and 8505C cells after treatment with selumetinib. Treatment with selumetinib caused a down-regulation of hsa-let-7f-5p, hsa-miR-146b-5p and hsa-miR-146b-3p in TPC1 and BCPAP cells. In 8505C cells, a stable or down-regulated hsa-miR-146b-5p was detected after 1h and 48h of treatment. C643 cells showed stable or up-regulated hsa-let-7f-5p, hsa-miR-146b-5p and hsa-miR-146b-3p. Selumetinib treatment caused an increase of radioiodine uptake, which was significant in TPC1 cells. CONCLUSIONS The study shows for the first time that selumetinib restores NIS by the inhibition of its related targeting miRNAs. Further studies are needed to clarify the exact mechanism activated by hsa-miR-146b-5p, hsa-miR-146b-3p and hsa-let7f-5p to stabilise NIS. Restoration of NIS could represent a milestone for the treatment of advanced RR-DTC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabine Wächter
- Department of Visceral Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, Philipps-University Marburg, Baldingerstrasse, 35043 Marburg, Germany.
| | - Annette Wunderlich
- Department of Visceral Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, Philipps-University Marburg, Baldingerstrasse, 35043 Marburg, Germany.
| | - Brandon H Greene
- Institute of Medical Biometry and Epidemiology, Philipps-University Marburg, Bunsenstrasse 3, 35037 Marburg, Germany.
| | - Silvia Roth
- Department of Visceral Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, Philipps-University Marburg, Baldingerstrasse, 35043 Marburg, Germany.
| | - Moritz Elxnat
- Department of Visceral Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, Philipps-University Marburg, Baldingerstrasse, 35043 Marburg, Germany.
| | - Sebastian A Fellinger
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Philipps-University Marburg, Baldingerstrasse, 35043 Marburg, Germany.
| | - Frederik A Verburg
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Philipps-University Marburg, Baldingerstrasse, 35043 Marburg, Germany.
| | - Markus Luster
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Philipps-University Marburg, Baldingerstrasse, 35043 Marburg, Germany.
| | - Detlef K Bartsch
- Department of Visceral Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, Philipps-University Marburg, Baldingerstrasse, 35043 Marburg, Germany.
| | - Pietro Di Fazio
- Department of Visceral Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, Philipps-University Marburg, Baldingerstrasse, 35043 Marburg, Germany.
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27
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Pacheco-Velázquez SC, Robledo-Cadena DX, Hernández-Reséndiz I, Gallardo-Pérez JC, Moreno-Sánchez R, Rodríguez-Enríquez S. Energy Metabolism Drugs Block Triple Negative Breast Metastatic Cancer Cell Phenotype. Mol Pharm 2018; 15:2151-2164. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.8b00015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Rafael Moreno-Sánchez
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto Nacional de Cardiología, 14080 Tlalpan, CDMX, Mexico
| | - Sara Rodríguez-Enríquez
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto Nacional de Cardiología, 14080 Tlalpan, CDMX, Mexico
- Laboratorio de Medicina Traslacional, Instituto Nacional de Cancerología, 14080 Tlalpan, CDMX, Mexico
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28
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Park S, Sung Y, Jeong J, Choi M, Lee J, Kwon W, Jang S, Park SJ, Kim HS, Lee MH, Kim DJ, Liu K, Kim SH, Dong Z, Ryoo ZY, Kim MO. hMAGEA2 promotes progression of breast cancer by regulating Akt and Erk1/2 pathways. Oncotarget 2018; 8:37115-37127. [PMID: 28415749 PMCID: PMC5514895 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.16184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2016] [Accepted: 03/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer is the most abundant cancer worldwide and a severe problem for women. Notably, breast cancer has a high mortality rate, mainly because of tumor progression and metastasis. Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is highly progressive and lacks the expression of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). Therefore, there are no established therapeutic targets against TNBC. In this study, we investigated whether the expression of human melanoma-associated antigen A2 (MAGEA2) is associated with TNBC. We found that hMAGEA2 is significantly overexpressed in human TNBC tissues; we also observed oncogenic properties using TNBC cell lines (MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-468). The overexpression of hMAGEA2 in MDA-MB-231 cell line showed dramatically increased cellular proliferation, colony formation, invasion, and xenograft tumor formation and growth. Conversely, knockdown of hMAEGA2 in MDA-MB-468 cell line suppressed cellular proliferation, colony formation, and xenograft tumor formation. Additionally, we showed that hMAGEA2 regulated the activation of Akt and Erk1/2 signaling pathways. These data indicate that hMAGEA2 is important for progression of TNBC and may serve as a novel molecular therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Song Park
- School of Life Science, BK21 Plus KNU Creative Bio Research Group, College of Natural Sciences, Kyungpook National University, Buk-ku, Daegu, 41566, Republic of Korea
| | - Yonghun Sung
- School of Life Science, BK21 Plus KNU Creative Bio Research Group, College of Natural Sciences, Kyungpook National University, Buk-ku, Daegu, 41566, Republic of Korea
| | - Jain Jeong
- School of Life Science, BK21 Plus KNU Creative Bio Research Group, College of Natural Sciences, Kyungpook National University, Buk-ku, Daegu, 41566, Republic of Korea
| | - Minjee Choi
- School of Life Science, BK21 Plus KNU Creative Bio Research Group, College of Natural Sciences, Kyungpook National University, Buk-ku, Daegu, 41566, Republic of Korea
| | - Jinhee Lee
- School of Life Science, BK21 Plus KNU Creative Bio Research Group, College of Natural Sciences, Kyungpook National University, Buk-ku, Daegu, 41566, Republic of Korea
| | - Wookbong Kwon
- School of Life Science, BK21 Plus KNU Creative Bio Research Group, College of Natural Sciences, Kyungpook National University, Buk-ku, Daegu, 41566, Republic of Korea
| | - Soyoung Jang
- School of Life Science, BK21 Plus KNU Creative Bio Research Group, College of Natural Sciences, Kyungpook National University, Buk-ku, Daegu, 41566, Republic of Korea
| | - Si Jun Park
- School of Life Science, BK21 Plus KNU Creative Bio Research Group, College of Natural Sciences, Kyungpook National University, Buk-ku, Daegu, 41566, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyeng-Soo Kim
- School of Life Science, BK21 Plus KNU Creative Bio Research Group, College of Natural Sciences, Kyungpook National University, Buk-ku, Daegu, 41566, Republic of Korea
| | - Mee-Hyun Lee
- China-US(Henan) Hormel Cancer Institute, Zhengzhou, Henan 450008, China
| | - Dong Joon Kim
- China-US(Henan) Hormel Cancer Institute, Zhengzhou, Henan 450008, China
| | - Kangdong Liu
- China-US(Henan) Hormel Cancer Institute, Zhengzhou, Henan 450008, China
| | - Sung-Hyun Kim
- Institute of Life Science and Biotechnology, Kyungpook National University, Buk-ku, Daegu 41566, Republic of Korea.,China-US(Henan) Hormel Cancer Institute, Zhengzhou, Henan 450008, China
| | - Zigang Dong
- China-US(Henan) Hormel Cancer Institute, Zhengzhou, Henan 450008, China
| | - Zae Young Ryoo
- School of Life Science, BK21 Plus KNU Creative Bio Research Group, College of Natural Sciences, Kyungpook National University, Buk-ku, Daegu, 41566, Republic of Korea
| | - Myoung Ok Kim
- The School of Animal BT Science, Kyungpook National University, Sangju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do 37224, Republic of Korea
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29
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Choi C, Kwon J, Lim S, Helfman DM. Integrin β1, myosin light chain kinase and myosin IIA are required for activation of PI3K-AKT signaling following MEK inhibition in metastatic triple negative breast cancer. Oncotarget 2018; 7:63466-63487. [PMID: 27563827 PMCID: PMC5325378 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.11525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2016] [Accepted: 08/13/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The effectiveness of targeted therapies against the Ras-ERK signaling pathway are limited due to adaptive resistance of tumor cells. Inhibition of the Ras-ERK pathway can result in activation of the PI3K-AKT pathway, thereby diminishing the therapeutic effects of targeting ERK signaling. Here we investigated the crosstalk between the Ras-ERK and PI3K-AKT pathways in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell lines that have a preference to metastasize to lung (LM2), brain (BrM2) or bone (BoM2). Inhibition of the Ras-ERK pathway reduced motility in both parental and BoM2 cells. In contrast, inhibition of the Ras-ERK pathway in BrM2 and LM2 cells resulted in activation of PI3K-AKT signaling that was responsible for continued cell motility. Analysis of the cross talk between Ras-ERK and PI3K-AKT signaling pathways revealed integrin β1, myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) and myosin IIA are required for the activation of PI3K-AKT following inhibition of the Ras-ERK pathway. Furthermore, feedback activation of the PI3K-AKT pathway following MEK suppression was independent of the epidermal growth factor receptor. Thus, integrin β1, MLCK, and myosin IIA are factors in the development of resistance to MEK inhibitors. These proteins could provide an opportunity to develop markers and therapeutic targets in a subgroup of triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) that exhibit resistance against MEK inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheolwon Choi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korean Advanced Institute of Science and Technology Daejeon, Korea
| | - Junyeob Kwon
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korean Advanced Institute of Science and Technology Daejeon, Korea
| | - Sunyoung Lim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korean Advanced Institute of Science and Technology Daejeon, Korea
| | - David M Helfman
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korean Advanced Institute of Science and Technology Daejeon, Korea
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30
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Henry KE, Dilling TR, Abdel-Atti D, Edwards KJ, Evans MJ, Lewis JS. Noninvasive 89Zr-Transferrin PET Shows Improved Tumor Targeting Compared with 18F-FDG PET in MYC-Overexpressing Human Triple-Negative Breast Cancer. J Nucl Med 2018; 59:51-57. [PMID: 28848040 PMCID: PMC5750524 DOI: 10.2967/jnumed.117.192286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2017] [Accepted: 08/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The current standard for breast PET imaging is 18F-FDG. The heterogeneity of 18F-FDG uptake in breast cancer limits its utility, varying greatly among receptor status, histopathologic subtypes, and proliferation markers. 18F-FDG PET often exhibits nonspecific internalization and low specificity and sensitivity, especially with tumors smaller than 1 cm3 MYC is a protein involved in oncogenesis and is overexpressed in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Increased surface expression of transferrin receptor (TfR) is a downstream event of MYC upregulation and has been validated as a clinically relevant target for molecular imaging. Transferrin labeled with 89Zr has successfully identified MYC status in many cancer subtypes preclinically and been shown to predict response and changes in oncogene status via treatment with small-molecule inhibitors that target MYC and PI3K signaling pathways. We hypothesized that 89Zr-transferrin PET will noninvasively detect MYC and TfR and improve upon the current standard of 18F-FDG PET for MYC-overexpressing TNBC. Methods: In this study, 89Zr-transferrin and 18F-FDG imaging were compared in preclinical models of TNBC. TNBC cells (MDA-MB-157, MDA-MB-231, and Hs578T) were treated with bromodomain-containing protein 4 (BRD4) inhibitors JQ1 and OTX015 (0.5-1 μM). Cell proliferation, gene expression, and protein expression were assayed to explore the effects of these inhibitors on MYC and TfR. Results: Head-to-head comparison showed that 89Zr-transferrin targets TNBC tumors significantly better (P < 0.05-0.001) than 18F-FDG through PET imaging and biodistribution studies in MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-157 xenografts and a patient-derived xenograft model of TNBC. c-Myc and TfR gene expression was decreased upon treatment with BRD4 inhibitors and c-MYC small interfering RNA (P < 0.01-0.001 for responding cell lines), compared with vehicle treatment. MYC and TfR protein expression, along with receptor-mediated internalization of transferrin, was also significantly decreased upon drug treatment in MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-157 cells (P < 0.01-0.001). Conclusion:89Zr-transferrin targets human TNBC primary tumors significantly better than 18F-FDG, as shown through PET imaging and biodistribution studies. 89Zr-transferrin is a useful tool to interrogate MYC via TfR-targeted PET imaging in TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly E Henry
- Department of Radiology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Thomas R Dilling
- Department of Radiology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Dalya Abdel-Atti
- Department of Radiology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Kimberly J Edwards
- Department of Radiology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Michael J Evans
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| | - Jason S Lewis
- Department of Radiology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
- Molecular Pharmacology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
- Department of Pharmacology and Radiology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York; and
- Radiochemistry and Molecular Imaging Probes Core, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
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31
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Lee A, Djamgoz MBA. Triple negative breast cancer: Emerging therapeutic modalities and novel combination therapies. Cancer Treat Rev 2017; 62:110-122. [PMID: 29202431 DOI: 10.1016/j.ctrv.2017.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 239] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2017] [Revised: 11/01/2017] [Accepted: 11/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a complex and aggressive subtype of breast cancer which lacks oestrogen receptors, progesterone receptors and HER2 amplification, thereby making it difficult to target therapeutically. In addition, TNBC has the highest rates of metastatic disease and the poorest overall survival of all breast cancer subtypes. Resultantly, development of targeted therapies for TNBC is urgently needed. Recent efforts aimed at molecular characterisation of TNBCs have revealed various emerging therapeutic targets including PARP1, receptor and non-receptor tyrosine kinases, immune-checkpoints, androgen receptor and epigenetic proteins. Key successes include that of the PARP inhibitor, olaparib, which prolonged progression-free survival in a trial of BRCA-mutated breast cancer and for which clinical approval (in this setting) appears imminent. Nevertheless, the heterogeneity of TNBC has limited the clinical benefits of many trialled therapies in 'unselected' patients. Further, drug resistance develops following use of many targeted monotherapies due to upregulation of compensatory signalling pathways. In this review, we evaluate the current status of investigational targeted treatments and present evidence for the role of novel biomarkers and combination therapies in increasing response rates and circumventing drug-induced resistance. Additionally, we discuss promising novel targets in metastatic TNBC identified through preclinical and/or epidemiological studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Lee
- Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Mustafa B A Djamgoz
- Neuroscience Solution to Cancer Research Group, Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Sir Alexander Fleming Building, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ, UK.
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Reverse engineering of triple-negative breast cancer cells for targeted treatment. Maturitas 2017; 108:24-30. [PMID: 29290211 DOI: 10.1016/j.maturitas.2017.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2017] [Revised: 10/23/2017] [Accepted: 11/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Targeting the human epidermal growth factor receptor HER2 has increased survival in HER2-positive breast cancer patients. In the contrast, for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients, no targeted agents are available. We hypothesized that artificial overexpression of HER2 in TNBC cells might induce sensitivity to anti-HER2 agents in these cells. METHODS TNBC cell lines were transduced using lentiviral HER2 overexpression particles. Functionality of HER2 was determined by protein analysis and localization studies. The tumorigenic potential of HER2 overexpressing cells was assessed by analysis of proliferation, migration and invasion capacity. Response to chemotherapeutic agents and anti-HER2 agents was determined by cell viability assays. RESULTS We demonstrated functional overexpression of HER2 in TNBC cell lines of different subtypes. Whereas in cell types with more pronounced epithelial features (e.g. MDA-MB-468) HER2 overexpression increases proliferation and migration, in mesenchymal cell lines (MDA-MB-231 and BT-549) HER2 was able to further increase invasive potential. No changes were found in cancer stem cell characteristics or in response to chemotherapy, a trait of TNBC. When treated with anti-HER2 agents, however, HER2 overexpressing TNBC cells showed increased sensitivity to these agents. CONCLUSION This proof-of-principle study demonstrates that reverse engineering of TNBC cells might offer a novel targeted treatment strategy for this most aggressive subtype of breast cancer.
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33
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Liu Z, Delavan B, Roberts R, Tong W. Lessons Learned from Two Decades of Anticancer Drugs. Trends Pharmacol Sci 2017; 38:852-872. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tips.2017.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2017] [Revised: 06/09/2017] [Accepted: 06/19/2017] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
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34
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Zhao Y, Ge CC, Wang J, Wu XX, Li XM, Li W, Wang SS, Liu T, Hou JZ, Sun H, Fang D, Xie SQ. MEK inhibitor, PD98059, promotes breast cancer cell migration by inducing β-catenin nuclear accumulation. Oncol Rep 2017; 38:3055-3063. [PMID: 29048617 DOI: 10.3892/or.2017.5955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2017] [Accepted: 07/28/2017] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Abnormal activation of the RAF/MEK/ERK signaling pathway has been observed in breast cancer. Thus, a number of MEK inhibitors have been designed as one treatment option for breast cancer. Although some studies have found that these MEK inhibitors inhibit the growth of a variety of human cancer cells, some trials have shown that the use of MEK inhibitors as a treatment for breast cancer does not adequately improve survival for unknown reasons. In the present study, MEK inhibitor PD98059 was used to evaluate its anticancer effects on human breast cancer MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells and to explore the possible mechanism of action. Our results revealed that MEK inhibitor PD98059 exhibited antiproliferative effects in a dose- and time-dependent manner in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. Conversely, incubation of MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells with PD98059 promoted their migration. Further investigation disclosed that the enhanced ability of migration promoted by PD98059 was dependent on β-catenin nuclear translocation in the MCF-7 and MDA-MB‑231 cells. Subsequent experiments documented that activation of EGFR signaling induced by PD98059 increased the amount of β-catenin in the nucleus. Taken together, our findings may elucidate a possible mechanism explaining the ineffectiveness of MEK inhibitors in breast cancer treatment and improve our understanding of the role of MEK in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Zhao
- Institute of Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy, Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan 475004, P.R. China
| | - Chao-Chao Ge
- Institute of Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy, Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan 475004, P.R. China
| | - Jun Wang
- Institute of Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy, Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan 475004, P.R. China
| | - Xiao-Xiao Wu
- Institute of Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy, Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan 475004, P.R. China
| | - Xiao-Min Li
- Institute of Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy, Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan 475004, P.R. China
| | - Wei Li
- Institute of Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy, Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan 475004, P.R. China
| | - Sha-Sha Wang
- Institute of Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy, Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan 475004, P.R. China
| | - Tong Liu
- Institute of Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy, Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan 475004, P.R. China
| | - Jiu-Zhou Hou
- Institute of Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy, Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan 475004, P.R. China
| | - Hua Sun
- Institute of Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy, Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan 475004, P.R. China
| | - Dong Fang
- Institute of Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy, Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan 475004, P.R. China
| | - Song-Qiang Xie
- Institute of Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy, Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan 475004, P.R. China
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35
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Costa R, Shah AN, Santa-Maria CA, Cruz MR, Mahalingam D, Carneiro BA, Chae YK, Cristofanilli M, Gradishar WJ, Giles FJ. Targeting Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor in triple negative breast cancer: New discoveries and practical insights for drug development. Cancer Treat Rev 2017; 53:111-119. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ctrv.2016.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2016] [Revised: 12/23/2016] [Accepted: 12/24/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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36
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Ochnik AM, Baxter RC. Combination therapy approaches to target insulin-like growth factor receptor signaling in breast cancer. Endocr Relat Cancer 2016; 23:R513-R536. [PMID: 27733416 DOI: 10.1530/erc-16-0218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2016] [Accepted: 09/09/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Insulin-like growth factor receptor (IGF1R) signaling as a therapeutic target has been widely studied and clinically tested. Despite the vast amount of literature supporting the biological role of IGF1R in breast cancer, effective clinical translation in targeting its activity as a cancer therapy has not been successful. The intrinsic complexity of cancer cell signaling mediated by many tyrosine kinase growth factor receptors that work together to modulate each other and intracellular downstream mediators in the cell highlights that studying IGF1R expression and activity as a prognostic factor and therapeutic target in isolation is certainly associated with problems. This review discusses the current literature and clinical trials associated with IGF-1 signaling and attempts to look at new ways of designing novel IGF1R-directed breast cancer therapy approaches to target its activity
and/or intracellular downstream signaling pathways in IGF1R-expressing breast cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandra M Ochnik
- Kolling Institute of Medical ResearchUniversity of Sydney, Royal North Shore Hospital, St Leonards, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Robert C Baxter
- Kolling Institute of Medical ResearchUniversity of Sydney, Royal North Shore Hospital, St Leonards, New South Wales, Australia
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37
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Verma N, Müller AK, Kothari C, Panayotopoulou E, Kedan A, Selitrennik M, Mills GB, Nguyen LK, Shin S, Karn T, Holtrich U, Lev S. Targeting of PYK2 Synergizes with EGFR Antagonists in Basal-like TNBC and Circumvents HER3-Associated Resistance via the NEDD4–NDRG1 Axis. Cancer Res 2016; 77:86-99. [DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-16-1797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2016] [Revised: 09/22/2016] [Accepted: 10/04/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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38
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Molecular Role of EGFR-MAPK Pathway in Patchouli Alcohol-Induced Apoptosis and Cell Cycle Arrest on A549 Cells In Vitro and In Vivo. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2016; 2016:4567580. [PMID: 27830146 PMCID: PMC5086517 DOI: 10.1155/2016/4567580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2016] [Accepted: 07/20/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Nowadays, chemotherapy is still the main effective treatment for cancer. Herb prescriptions containing Pogostemon cablin Benth (also known as "Guang-Huo-Xiang") have been widely used in Chinese medicine today. In our research, we found that patchouli alcohol, a compound isolated from the oil of Pogostemon cablin Benth, exerted antitumor ability against human lung cancer A549 cells ability both in vitro and in vivo. MTT assay was used to assess cell viability. Hoechst 33342 staining and TUNEL cover glass staining provided the visual evidence of apoptosis. Caspase activity measurement showed that patchouli alcohol activated caspase 9 and caspase 3 of mitochondria-mediated apoptosis. Consistently, patchouli alcohol inhibited the xenograft tumor in vivo. Further investigation of the underlying molecular mechanism showed that MAPK and EGFR pathway might contribute to the antitumor effect of patchouli alcohol. Our study proved that patchouli alcohol might be able to serve as a novel antitumor compound in the clinical treatment of lung cancer.
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