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Moyer CL, Brown PH. Targeting nuclear hormone receptors for the prevention of breast cancer. Front Med (Lausanne) 2023; 10:1200947. [PMID: 37583424 PMCID: PMC10424511 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2023.1200947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 08/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Advancements in research have led to the steady decline of breast cancer mortality over the past thirty years. However, breast cancer incidence has continued to rise, resulting in an undue burden on healthcare costs and highlighting a great need for more effective breast cancer prevention strategies, including targeted chemo preventative agents. Efforts to understand the etiology of breast cancer have uncovered important roles for nuclear receptors in the development and progression of breast cancer. Targeted therapies to inhibit estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) signaling (selective ER modulators, aromatase inhibitors and selective PR modulators) have shown great promise for the treatment and prevention of hormone receptor (HR)-positive breast cancer. However, these drugs do not prevent HR-negative disease. Therefore, recent efforts have focused on novel targeted therapies with the potential to prevent both HR-positive and HR-negative breast cancer. Among these include drugs that target other nuclear receptors, such as retinoic acid receptor (RAR), retinoid X receptor (RXR) and vitamin D receptor (VDR). In this review we provide an overview of recent preclinical and clinical trials targeting members of the nuclear receptor superfamily for the prevention of breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cassandra L. Moyer
- Department of Clinical Cancer Prevention, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Powel H. Brown
- Department of Clinical Cancer Prevention, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
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2
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Chaudhuri A, Kumar DN, Dehari D, Patil R, Singh S, Kumar D, Agrawal AK. Endorsement of TNBC Biomarkers in Precision Therapy by Nanotechnology. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15092661. [PMID: 37174125 PMCID: PMC10177107 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15092661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease which accounts globally for approximately 1 million new cases annually, wherein more than 200,000 of these cases turn out to be cases of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). TNBC is an aggressive and rare breast cancer subtype that accounts for 10-15% of all breast cancer cases. Chemotherapy remains the only therapy regimen against TNBC. However, the emergence of innate or acquired chemoresistance has hindered the chemotherapy used to treat TNBC. The data obtained from molecular technologies have recognized TNBC with various gene profiling and mutation settings that have helped establish and develop targeted therapies. New therapeutic strategies based on the targeted delivery of therapeutics have relied on the application of biomarkers derived from the molecular profiling of TNBC patients. Several biomarkers have been found that are targets for the precision therapy in TNBC, such as EGFR, VGFR, TP53, interleukins, insulin-like growth factor binding proteins, c-MET, androgen receptor, BRCA1, glucocorticoid, PTEN, ALDH1, etc. This review discusses the various candidate biomarkers identified in the treatment of TNBC along with the evidence supporting their use. It was established that nanoparticles had been considered a multifunctional system for delivering therapeutics to target sites with increased precision. Here, we also discuss the role of biomarkers in nanotechnology translation in TNBC therapy and management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aiswarya Chaudhuri
- Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology (BHU), Varanasi 221005, India
| | - Dulla Naveen Kumar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology (BHU), Varanasi 221005, India
| | - Deepa Dehari
- Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology (BHU), Varanasi 221005, India
| | - Rohit Patil
- Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology (BHU), Varanasi 221005, India
| | - Sanjay Singh
- Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology (BHU), Varanasi 221005, India
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University (A Central University), Vidya Vihar, Raebareli Road, Lucknow 226025, India
| | - Dinesh Kumar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology (BHU), Varanasi 221005, India
| | - Ashish Kumar Agrawal
- Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology (BHU), Varanasi 221005, India
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Buonaiuto R, Neola G, Cecere SC, Caltavituro A, Cefaliello A, Pietroluongo E, De Placido P, Giuliano M, Arpino G, De Angelis C. Glucocorticoid Receptor and Ovarian Cancer: From Biology to Therapeutic Intervention. Biomolecules 2023; 13:biom13040653. [PMID: 37189400 DOI: 10.3390/biom13040653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2023] [Revised: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Ovarian cancer (OC) is the leading cause of death from gynecological malignancies worldwide. Fortunately, recent advances in OC biology and the discovery of novel therapeutic targets have led to the development of novel therapeutic agents that may improve the outcome of OC patients. The glucocorticoid receptor (GR) is a ligand-dependent transcriptional factor known for its role in body stress reactions, energy homeostasis and immune regulation. Notably, evidence suggests that GR may play a relevant role in tumor progression and may affect treatment response. In cell culture models, administration of low levels of glucocorticoids (GCs) suppresses OC growth and metastasis. Conversely, high GR expression has been associated with poor prognostic features and long-term outcomes in patients with OC. Moreover, both preclinical and clinical data have shown that GR activation impairs the effectiveness of chemotherapy by inducing the apoptotic pathways and cell differentiation. In this narrative review, we summarize data related to the function and role of GR in OC. To this aim, we reorganized the controversial and fragmented data regarding GR activity in OC and herein describe its potential use as a prognostic and predictive biomarker. Moreover, we explored the interplay between GR and BRCA expression and reviewed the latest therapeutic strategies such as non-selective GR antagonists and selective GR modulators to enhance chemotherapy sensitivity, and to finally provide new treatment options in OC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Buonaiuto
- Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Neola
- Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Sabrina Chiara Cecere
- Oncologia Clinica Sperimentale Uro-Ginecologica, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS Fondazione G Pascale, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Aldo Caltavituro
- Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Amedeo Cefaliello
- Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Erica Pietroluongo
- Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Pietro De Placido
- Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Mario Giuliano
- Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Grazia Arpino
- Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Carmine De Angelis
- Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy
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Veneris JT, Huang L, Churpek JE, Conzen SD, Fleming GF. Glucocorticoid receptor expression is associated with inferior overall survival independent of BRCA mutation status in ovarian cancer. Int J Gynecol Cancer 2019; 29:357-364. [PMID: 30683758 DOI: 10.1136/ijgc-2018-000101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2018] [Revised: 12/07/2018] [Accepted: 12/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE High glucocorticoid receptor (GR) protein expression is associated with decreased progression-free survival in ovarian cancer patients and decreased sensitivity to chemotherapy in preclinical models. Prior studies suggest wild type BRCA1 promotes GR activation. The objective of this study was to characterize the relationship of tumor GR gene expression to outcome in ovarian cancer, and to evaluate the relationship of GR expression with BRCA status. METHODS Whole exome and whole genome sequencing, gene expression, and clinical data were obtained for high-grade serous ovarian cancers in The Cancer Genome Atlas. Cases with pathogenic somatic or germline BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations were identified and classified as BRCA mutated. High or low glucocorticoid receptor expression was defined as expression above or below median of the GR/nuclear receptor subfamily 3 C1 (NR3C1) gene level. Overall survival was estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method and compared by Cox regression analysis. RESULTS Combined germline DNA sequencing and tumor microarray expression data were available for 222 high-grade serous ovarian cancer cases. Among these, 47 had a deleterious germline and/or somatic mutation in BRCA1 or BRCA2. In multivariate analysis, high glucocorticoid receptor gene expression was associated with decreased overall survival among ovarian cancer patients, independently of BRCA mutation status. No correlation of GR/NR3C1 gene expression with BRCA mutation status or BRCA1 or BRCA2 mRNA level was observed. CONCLUSIONS Increased GR gene expression is associated with decreased overall survival in ovarian cancer patients, independently of BRCA mutation status. High-grade serous ovarian cancers with high GR expression and wild type BRCA have a particularly poor outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Taylor Veneris
- Department of Medicine, Section of Hematology-Oncology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Lei Huang
- Center for Research Informatics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Jane E Churpek
- Department of Medicine, Section of Hematology-Oncology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- The University of Chicago Comprehensive Cancer Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Suzanne D Conzen
- Department of Medicine, Section of Hematology-Oncology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- The University of Chicago Comprehensive Cancer Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Ben May Department for Cancer Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Gini F Fleming
- Department of Medicine, Section of Hematology-Oncology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- The University of Chicago Comprehensive Cancer Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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5
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Gompel A, Plu-Bureau G. Progesterone, progestins and the breast in menopause treatment. Climacteric 2018; 21:326-332. [DOI: 10.1080/13697137.2018.1476483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- A. Gompel
- Unité de Gynécologie Endocrinienne, Université Paris Descartes Hôpitaux, Universitaires Port Royal-Cochin, Paris, France
| | - G. Plu-Bureau
- Unité de Gynécologie Endocrinienne, Université Paris Descartes Hôpitaux, Universitaires Port Royal-Cochin, Paris, France
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McNamara KM, Kannai A, Sasano H. Possible roles for glucocorticoid signalling in breast cancer. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2018; 466:38-50. [PMID: 28687451 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2017.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2017] [Revised: 07/03/2017] [Accepted: 07/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Our understanding of breast cancer biology, and our ability to manipulate breast cancers have grown exponentially in the last 20 years. Much of that expansion has focused on the roles of steroids in driving these neoplasms. Initially this research focused on estrogens and progesterone receptors, and more recently on androgen actions in breast cancers. This review aims to make the case for glucocorticoids as the next essential steroid subclass that contributes significantly to our understanding of steroidogenic regulation of these neoplasms. Glucocorticoids have the potential to play multiple roles in the regulation of breast cancers including their control of cellular differentiation, apoptosis and proliferation. Beyond this they also act as a master integrator of organ homeostats in relation to such as circadian rhythms and stress responses. Therefore a better understanding of glucocorticoids and breast cancer could help to explain some of the epidemiological links between circadian disruption and/or stress and breast cancer development. Finally glucocorticoids are currently used during chemotherapeutic treatment in breast cancer therapy and yet results of various studies suggest that this may have an adverse impact on treatment success. This review aims to summarise the current evidence for glucocorticoids as actors in breast cancer and then suggest future essential approaches in order to determine the roles of glucocorticoids in this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keely M McNamara
- Department of Anatomical Pathology, School of Graduate Medicine, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan.
| | - Ayako Kannai
- Department of Anatomical Pathology, School of Graduate Medicine, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Hironobu Sasano
- Department of Anatomical Pathology, School of Graduate Medicine, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
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7
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Proliferation and ovarian hormone signaling are impaired in normal breast tissues from women with BRCA1 mutations: benefit of a progesterone receptor modulator treatment as a breast cancer preventive strategy in women with inherited BRCA1 mutations. Oncotarget 2018; 7:45317-45330. [PMID: 27246982 PMCID: PMC5216725 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.9638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2016] [Accepted: 05/09/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Women with inherited BRCA1 mutations have an elevated risk (40-80%) for developing breast and ovarian cancers. Reproductive history has been reported to alter this risk, suggesting a relationship between ovarian hormone signaling and BRCA1-related tumor development. BRCA1 interactions with estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) signaling were previously described in human breast cancer cell lines and mouse models. However, few studies have examined the effect of ovarian hormone regulation in normal human breast tissues bearing a heterozygous BRCA1 mutation. This study compares the proliferation level (Ki67) and the expression of ER, PR, and of the PR target gene, fatty acid synthase (FASN), in histologically normal breast tissues from women with BRCA1 mutations (BRCA1+/mut, n=23) or without BRCA1 mutations (BRCA1+/+, n=28). BRCA1+/mut tissues showed an increased proliferation and impaired hormone receptor expression with a marked loss of the PR isoform, PR-B. Responses to estradiol and progesterone treatments in BRCA1+/mut and BRCA1+/+ breast tissues were studied in a mouse xenograft model, and showed that PR and FASN expression were deregulated in BRCA1+/mut breast tissues. Progesterone added to estradiol treatment increased the proliferation in a subset of BRCA1+/mut breast tissues. The PR inhibitor, ulipristal acetate (UPA), was able to reverse this aberrant progesterone-induced proliferation. This study suggests that a subset of women with BRCA1 mutations could be candidates for a UPA treatment as a preventive breast cancer strategy.
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The Two Faces of Adjuvant Glucocorticoid Treatment in Ovarian Cancer. Discov Oncol 2018; 9:95-107. [PMID: 29313170 DOI: 10.1007/s12672-017-0319-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2017] [Accepted: 12/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Adjuvant glucocorticoid treatment is routinely used in the treatment of ovarian cancer to mitigate the undesirable side effects of chemotherapy, thereby enhancing tolerability to higher cytotoxic drug doses and frequency of treatment cycles. However, in vitro and preclinical in vivo and ex vivo studies indicate that glucocorticoids may spare tumor cells from undergoing cell death through enhanced cell adhesion, promotion of anti-inflammatory signaling, and/or inhibition of apoptotic pathways. The implications of laboratory studies showing potential negative impact on the efficacy of chemotherapy have been long overlooked since clinical investigations have found no apparent survival detriment attributable to adjuvant glucocorticoid use. Importantly, these clinical studies were not randomized and most did not consider glucocorticoid receptor status, a vital determinant of tumor response to glucocorticoid administration. Additionally, the clinically beneficial elements of increased chemotherapy treatment adherence and dosing afforded by adjuvant glucocorticoids may offset and therefore mask their anti-chemotherapy activities. This review summarizes the current evidence on the impact of glucocorticoids in ovarian cancer and discusses the need for further research and development of alternative strategies to ameliorate untoward side effects of chemotherapy.
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Chen Q, Li C, Gong Z, Chan ECY, Snyder SA, Lam SH. Common deregulated gene expression profiles and morphological changes in developing zebrafish larvae exposed to environmental-relevant high to low concentrations of glucocorticoids. CHEMOSPHERE 2017; 172:429-439. [PMID: 28092764 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2017.01.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2016] [Revised: 01/04/2017] [Accepted: 01/05/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Synthetic glucocorticoids have been detected in environmental waters and their biological potency have raised concerns of their impact on aquatic vertebrates especially fish. In this study, developing zebrafish larvae exposed to representative glucocorticoids (dexamethasone, prednisolone and triamcinolone) at 50 pM to 50 nM from 3 h post-fertilisation to 5 days post-fertilisation were investigated. Microarray analysis identified 1255, 1531, and 2380 gene probes, which correspondingly mapped to 660, 882 and 1238 human/rodent homologs, as deregulated by dexamethasone, prednisolone and triamcinolone, respectively. A total of 248 gene probes which mapped to 159 human/rodent homologs were commonly deregulated by the three glucocorticoids. These homologs were associated with over 20 molecular functions from cell cycle to cellular metabolisms, and were involved in the development and function of connective tissue, nervous, haematological, and digestive systems. Glucocorticoid receptor signalling, NRF2-mediated oxidative stress response and RAR signalling were among the top perturbed canonical pathways. Morphological analyses using four transgenic zebrafish lines revealed that the hepatic and endothelial-vascular systems were affected by all three glucocorticoids while nervous, pancreatic and myeloid cell systems were affected by one of them. Quantitative real-time PCR detected significant change in the expression of seven genes at 50 pM of all three glucocorticoids, a concentration comparable to total glucocorticoids reported in environmental waters. Three genes (cry2b, fbxo32, and klhl38b) responded robustly to all glucocorticoid concentrations tested. The common deregulated genes with the associated biological processes and morphological changes can be used for biological inference of glucocorticoid exposure in fish for future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiyu Chen
- NUS Environmental Research Institute, National University of Singapore, 5A Engineering Drive 1, Singapore 117411, Singapore
| | - Caixia Li
- NUS Environmental Research Institute, National University of Singapore, 5A Engineering Drive 1, Singapore 117411, Singapore; Department of Biological Science, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117543, Singapore
| | - Zhiyuan Gong
- Department of Biological Science, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117543, Singapore
| | - Eric Chun Yong Chan
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Shane A Snyder
- University of Arizona, 1133 E. James E. Rogers Way, Harshbarger 108, Tucson, AZ 85721-0011, USA
| | - Siew Hong Lam
- NUS Environmental Research Institute, National University of Singapore, 5A Engineering Drive 1, Singapore 117411, Singapore; Department of Biological Science, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117543, Singapore.
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Buxant F, Kindt N, Noël JC, Laurent G, Saussez S. Preexposure of MCF-7 breast cancer cell line to dexamethasone alters the cytotoxic effect of paclitaxel but not 5-fluorouracil or epirubicin chemotherapy. BREAST CANCER-TARGETS AND THERAPY 2017; 9:171-175. [PMID: 28352202 PMCID: PMC5358959 DOI: 10.2147/bctt.s120005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Purpose Glucocorticoids (GCs) are often administered prior to any chemotherapeutics to prevent the secondary effects of anticancer agents. Glucocorticoid receptors (GRs) are expressed in several types of cancer cells, particularly in several histological types of breast cancer. Activation of GRs is not associated with any specific cellular response. Both proapoptotic and antiapoptotic responses have been observed, depending on the study or the type of breast cancer cells. Therefore, it is of relevance to investigate the possible modulation of apoptotic effect of chemotherapeutic agents when cancerous cells have previously been exposed to GCs. Methods In vitro cell growth was assayed by counting MCF-7 cells upon exposure to epirubicin (25 nM), 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) (15 µM), and paclitaxel (15 nM), either with or without prior exposure to the GC dexamethasone (Dex) (100 nM). Results Following preexposure to Dex, the antiapoptotic activity of paclitaxel was significantly reduced by 8.5% (p<0.05), but the activities of epirubicin and 5-FU remained unaltered. Conclusion In light of the finding that the response of MCF-7 cells pretreated with Dex was significantly reduced, we recommend that the function of GCs should be defined more precisely if they are to be used in conjunction with chemotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nadège Kindt
- Department of Anatomy, Laboratory of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Mons, Mons
| | - Jean-Christophe Noël
- Department of Pathology, Erasme Hospital, Free University of Brussels (ULB), Brussels
| | - Guy Laurent
- Department of Histology, Laboratory of Histology, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Mons, Mons, Belgium
| | - Sven Saussez
- Department of Anatomy, Laboratory of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Mons, Mons
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Fleisher B, Clarke C, Ait-Oudhia S. Current advances in biomarkers for targeted therapy in triple-negative breast cancer. BREAST CANCER (DOVE MEDICAL PRESS) 2016; 8:183-197. [PMID: 27785100 PMCID: PMC5063595 DOI: 10.2147/bctt.s114659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a complex heterogeneous disease characterized by the absence of three hallmark receptors: human epidermal growth factor receptor 2, estrogen receptor, and progesterone receptor. Compared to other breast cancer subtypes, TNBC is more aggressive, has a higher prevalence in African-Americans, and more frequently affects younger patients. Currently, TNBC lacks clinically accepted targets for tailored therapy, warranting the need for candidate biomarkers. BiomarkerBase, an online platform used to find biomarkers reported in clinical trials, was utilized to screen all potential biomarkers for TNBC and select only the ones registered in completed TNBC trials through clinicaltrials.gov. The selected candidate biomarkers were classified as surrogate, prognostic, predictive, or pharmacodynamic (PD) and organized by location in the blood, on the cell surface, in the cytoplasm, or in the nucleus. Blood biomarkers include vascular endothelial growth factor/vascular endothelial growth factor receptor and interleukin-8 (IL-8); cell surface biomarkers include EGFR, insulin-like growth factor binding protein, c-Kit, c-Met, and PD-L1; cytoplasm biomarkers include PIK3CA, pAKT/S6/p4E-BP1, PTEN, ALDH1, and the PIK3CA/AKT/mTOR-related metabolites; and nucleus biomarkers include BRCA1, the gluco-corticoid receptor, TP53, and Ki67. Candidate biomarkers were further organized into a "cellular protein network" that demonstrates potential connectivity. This review provides an inventory and reference point for promising biomarkers for breakthrough targeted therapies in TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brett Fleisher
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Center for Pharmacometrics and Systems Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Orlando, FL
| | - Charlotte Clarke
- Department of Translational Research, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Sihem Ait-Oudhia
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Center for Pharmacometrics and Systems Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Orlando, FL
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12
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Obeid JP, Zafar N, El Hokayem J. Steroid Hormone Receptor Coregulators in Endocrine Cancers. IUBMB Life 2016; 68:504-15. [PMID: 27240871 DOI: 10.1002/iub.1517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2016] [Revised: 05/11/2016] [Accepted: 05/11/2016] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Coregulators span a broad and extensive domain in modulating cellular transcriptional activity. Studies have established a dynamic role for such coregulators in various endocrine cancers. Steroid hormone receptors (SHRs) play a pivotal role in such endocrine cancers, and interact abundantly with transcriptional coregulators in altering gene expression. Several families of coregulators have implications in propagating the development, progression and invasion of breast, prostate, and other hormone-responsive cancers. This mini-review aims to discuss different classes of coregulators involved in endocrine cancers and highlight unique information regarding each family with relevance to mechanism, intervention, and novel directions being investigated. © 2016 IUBMB Life, 68(7):504-515, 2016.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Pierre Obeid
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Miami, FL, USA
| | - Nawal Zafar
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Miami, FL, USA
| | - Jimmy El Hokayem
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Miami, FL, USA
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13
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Voutsadakis IA. Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) and Regulation of EMT Factors by Steroid Nuclear Receptors in Breast Cancer: A Review and in Silico Investigation. J Clin Med 2016; 5:E11. [PMID: 26797644 PMCID: PMC4730136 DOI: 10.3390/jcm5010011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2015] [Revised: 12/23/2015] [Accepted: 12/30/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Steroid Nuclear Receptors (SNRs) are transcription factors of the nuclear receptor super-family. Estrogen Receptor (ERα) is the best-studied and has a seminal role in the clinic both as a prognostic marker but also as a predictor of response to anti-estrogenic therapies. Progesterone Receptor (PR) is also used in the clinic but with a more debatable prognostic role and the role of the four other SNRs, ERβ, Androgen Receptor (AR), Glucocorticoid Receptor (GR) and Mineralocorticoid Receptor (MR), is starting only to be appreciated. ERα, but also to a certain degree the other SNRs, have been reported to be involved in virtually every cancer-enabling process, both promoting and impeding carcinogenesis. Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) and the reverse Mesenchymal Epithelial Transition (MET) are such carcinogenesis-enabling processes with important roles in invasion and metastasis initiation but also establishment of tumor in the metastatic site. EMT is governed by several signal transduction pathways culminating in core transcription factors of the process, such as Snail, Slug, ZEB1 and ZEB2, and Twist, among others. This paper will discuss direct regulation of these core transcription factors by SNRs in breast cancer. Interrogation of publicly available databases for binding sites of SNRs on promoters of core EMT factors will also be included in an attempt to fill gaps where other experimental data are not available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ioannis A Voutsadakis
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Sault Area Hospital, Sault Ste Marie, ON P6B 0A8, Canada.
- Division of Clinical Sciences, Northern Ontario School of Medicine, Sudbury, QC P3E 2C6, Canada.
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14
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McNamara KM, Sasano H. Beyond the C18 frontier: Androgen and glucocorticoid metabolism in breast cancer tissues: The role of non-typical steroid hormones in breast cancer development and progression. Steroids 2015; 103:115-22. [PMID: 26057662 DOI: 10.1016/j.steroids.2015.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2014] [Revised: 05/22/2015] [Accepted: 05/25/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Breast cancer's hormonal dependence is well known and has been so for a long time. However in the last two decades great advances have been made in understanding the local metabolism of steroids within tissue. In the form of aromatase inhibition this is already one of the mainstays of breast cancer therapy. This review aims to summarise briefly what is known in terms of the metabolism of C18 steroids but perhaps more importantly to touch on the new developments regarding the importance of the metabolism of androgens and glucocorticoids in breast tissue. It is our hope that this review should provide the reader with a "birds eye view" of the current state of knowledge regarding localised steroid metabolism in the breast.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keely May McNamara
- Department of Pathology, Tohoku University School of Medicine, 2-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8575, Japan.
| | - Hironobu Sasano
- Department of Pathology, Tohoku University School of Medicine, 2-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8575, Japan
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Liu B, Ezeogu L, Zellmer L, Yu B, Xu N, Joshua Liao D. Protecting the normal in order to better kill the cancer. Cancer Med 2015; 4:1394-403. [PMID: 26177855 PMCID: PMC4567024 DOI: 10.1002/cam4.488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2015] [Revised: 05/21/2015] [Accepted: 05/27/2015] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Chemotherapy is the only option for oncologists when a cancer has widely spread to different body sites. However, almost all currently available chemotherapeutic drugs will eventually encounter resistance after their initial positive effect, mainly because cancer cells develop genetic alterations, collectively coined herein as mutations, to adapt to the therapy. Some patients may still respond to a second chemo drug, but few cases respond to a third one. Since it takes time for cancer cells to develop new mutations and then select those life-sustaining ones via clonal expansion, "run against time for mutations to emerge" should be a crucial principle for treatment of those currently incurable cancers. Since cancer cells constantly change to adapt to the therapy whereas normal cells are stable, it may be a better strategy to shift our focus from killing cancer cells per se to protecting normal cells from chemotherapeutic toxicity. This new strategy requires the development of new drugs that are nongenotoxic and can quickly, in just hours or days, kill cancer cells without leaving the still-alive cells with time to develop mutations, and that should have their toxicities confined to only one or few organs, so that specific protections can be developed and applied.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bingya Liu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Gastric Neoplasms, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of MedicineShanghai, 200025, China
| | - Lewis Ezeogu
- Hormel Institute, University of MinnesotaAustin, Minnesota, 55912
| | - Lucas Zellmer
- Hormel Institute, University of MinnesotaAustin, Minnesota, 55912
| | - Baofa Yu
- Beijing Baofa Cancer Hospital, Shahe Wangzhuang Gong Ye YuanChang Pin Qu, Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Ningzhi Xu
- Laboratory of Cell and Molecular Biology, Cancer Institute, Chinese Academy of Medical ScienceBeijing, 100021, China
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Li D, Chen NN, Cao JM, Sun WP, Zhou YM, Li CY, Wang XX. BRCA1 as a nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD)-dependent metabolic switch in ovarian cancer. Cell Cycle 2015; 13:2564-71. [PMID: 25486197 DOI: 10.4161/15384101.2015.942208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Both hereditary factors (e.g., BRCA1) and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD)-dependent metabolic pathways are implicated in the initiation and progression of ovarian cancer. However, whether crosstalk exists between BRCA1 and NAD metabolism remains largely unknown. Here, we showed that: (i) BRCA1 inactivation events (mutation and promoter methylation) were accompanied by elevated levels of NAD; (ii) the knockdown or overexpression of BRCA1 was an effective way to induce an increase or decrease of nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (Nampt)-related NAD synthesis, respectively; and (iii) BRCA1 expression patterns were inversely correlated with NAD levels in human ovarian cancer specimens. In addition, it is worth noting that: (i) NAD incubation induced increased levels of BRCA1 in a concentration-dependent manner; (ii) Nampt knockdown-mediated reduction in NAD levels was effective at inhibiting BRCA1 expression; and (iii) the overexpression of Nampt led to higher NAD levels and a subsequent increase in BRCA1 levels in primary ovarian cancer cells and A2780, HO-8910 and ES2 ovarian cancer cell lines. These results highlight a novel link between BRCA1 and NAD. Our findings imply that genetic (e.g., BRCA1 inactivation) and NAD-dependent metabolic pathways are jointly involved in the malignant progression of ovarian cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Da Li
- a Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology ; Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University ; Shenyang , China
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Buxant F, Kindt N, Laurent G, Noël JC, Saussez S. Antiproliferative effect of dexamethasone in the MCF-7 breast cancer cell line. Mol Med Rep 2015; 12:4051-4054. [PMID: 26080744 PMCID: PMC4526043 DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2015.3920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2014] [Accepted: 02/27/2015] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Glucocorticoids (GCs) are used in the treatment of cancer to induce programmed cell death in the transformed cells of the hematopoietic system and to reduce side effects. Additionally, GCs are described as an inhibitor of certain chemotherapy or radiation-induced apoptosis and also an inhibitor of cancer progression by downregulating or upregulating the expression of several genes. The present study used immunofluorescence to investigate the presence of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) in MCF-7 cells, and the cell culture growth was determined by cell counting the number of cells following exposure to GC and/or dexamethasone (Dex). The presence and immunoreactivity of the GR were confirmed, and treatment with Dex (10−8–10−7 M) caused an inhibitory effect (30–35%) on the proliferative activity of the MCF-7 cells. This growth inhibitory effect was possibly produced by the pro-apopotic effect of Dex. Since Dex is administered systematically prior to breast cancer chemotherapy, the possible interactions between these drugs require further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frederic Buxant
- Department of Gynecology, Iris South Hospital, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Nadège Kindt
- Laboratory of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Mons, 7000 Mons, Belgium
| | - Guy Laurent
- Laboratory of Histology, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Mons, 7000 Mons, Belgium
| | - Jean-Christophe Noël
- Department of Pathology, Erasme Hospital, Free University of Brussels, 1070 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Sven Saussez
- Laboratory of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Mons, 7000 Mons, Belgium
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Hormonal prevention of breast cancer. ANNALES D'ENDOCRINOLOGIE 2014; 75:148-55. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ando.2014.04.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2013] [Revised: 02/09/2014] [Accepted: 04/29/2014] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Ritter HD, Mueller CR. Expression microarray identifies the unliganded glucocorticoid receptor as a regulator of gene expression in mammary epithelial cells. BMC Cancer 2014; 14:275. [PMID: 24755251 PMCID: PMC4021255 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2407-14-275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2013] [Accepted: 04/14/2014] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background While glucocorticoids and the liganded glucocorticoid receptor (GR) have a well-established role in the maintenance of differentiation and suppression of apoptosis in breast tissue, the involvement of unliganded GR in cellular processes is less clear. Our previous studies implicated unliganded GR as a positive regulator of the BRCA1 tumour suppressor gene in the absence of glucocorticoid hormone, which suggested it could play a similar role in the regulation of other genes. Methods An shRNA vector directed against GR was used to create mouse mammary cell lines with depleted endogenous levels of this receptor in order to further characterize the role of GR in breast cells. An expression microarray screen for targets of unliganded GR was performed using our GR-depleted cell lines maintained in the absence of glucocorticoids. Candidate genes positively regulated by unliganded GR were identified, classified by Gene Ontology and Ingenuity Pathway Analysis, and validated using quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase PCR. Chromatin immunoprecipitation and dual luciferase expression assays were conducted to further investigate the mechanism through which unliganded GR regulates these genes. Results Expression microarray analysis revealed 260 targets negatively regulated and 343 targets positively regulated by unliganded GR. A number of the positively regulated targets were involved in pro-apoptotic networks, possibly opposing the activity of liganded GR targets. Validation and further analysis of five candidates from the microarray indicated that two of these, Hsd11b1 and Ch25h, were regulated by unliganded GR in a manner similar to Brca1 during glucocorticoid treatment. Furthermore, GR was shown to interact directly with and upregulate the Ch25h promoter in the absence, but not the presence, of hydrocortisone (HC), confirming our previously described model of gene regulation by unliganded GR. Conclusion This work presents the first identification of targets of unliganded GR. We propose that the balance between targets of liganded and unliganded GR signaling is responsible for controlling differentiation and apoptosis, respectively, and suggest that gene regulation by unliganded GR may represent a mechanism for reducing the risk of breast tumourigenesis by the elimination of abnormal cells.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Christopher R Mueller
- Queen's Cancer Research Institute, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7L 3N6.
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Fang YY, Li D, Cao C, Li CY, Li TT. Glucocorticoid receptor repression mediated by BRCA1 inactivation in ovarian cancer. BMC Cancer 2014; 14:188. [PMID: 24629067 PMCID: PMC4004164 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2407-14-188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2013] [Accepted: 03/10/2014] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND BRCA mutations are the main known hereditary factor for ovarian cancer. Notably, emerging evidence indicates that the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) has drawn considerable interest in ovarian cancer development. However, dynamic cross-talk between BRCA1 and GR signaling pathways are poorly understood. METHODS The regulatory effects of BRCA on GR were assessed in 146 serous ovarian cancer patients (28 pairs of BRCA1-mutated or not, 23 pairs of BRCA2-mutated or not, and 22 pairs with hypermethylated BRCA1 promoter or not). BRCA1 promoter methylation was analyzed by bisulfite sequencing using primers flanking the core promoter region. Expression levels of BRCA1 and GR were assessed by immunohistochemistry and real-time PCR. Regression analysis was used to examine the possible relationship between BRCA1 and GR expression levels. The knockdown and overexpression of BRCA1 were achieved using a lentiviral vector in 293 T cells, SKOV3 ovarian cancer cells, and primary non-mutated and BRCA1-mutated ovarian cancer cells. RESULTS GR expression levels were unchanged in non-BRCA1-mutated, non-BRCA2-mutated and BRCA2-mutated ovarian cancer compared to their normal tissues; BRCA1 repression (BRCA1 mutation or BRCA1 promoter hypermethylation) ovarian cancer showed decreased GR levels compared to normal tissue; there was a positive correlation between BRCA1 and GR expression in human ovarian cancer specimens; BRCA1 knockdown was effective at inhibiting GR expression, and overexpression of BRCA1 induces an increase in GR levels in ovarian cancer cells. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that GR may be a potential target for BRCA1 in ovarian cancer progression.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Da Li
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shengjing Hospital, China Medical University, Shenyang 110004, China.
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