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Pu Q, Gao H. The Role of the Tumor Microenvironment in Triple-Positive Breast Cancer Progression and Therapeutic Resistance. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:5493. [PMID: 38001753 PMCID: PMC10670777 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15225493] [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: 09/15/2023] [Revised: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer (BRCA) is a highly heterogeneous systemic disease. It is ranked first globally in the incidence of new cancer cases and has emerged as the primary cause of cancer-related death among females. Among the distinct subtypes of BRCA, triple-positive breast cancer (TPBC) has been associated with increased metastasis and invasiveness, exhibiting greater resistance to endocrine therapy involving trastuzumab. It is now understood that invasion, metastasis, and treatment resistance associated with BRCA progression are not exclusively due to breast tumor cells but are from the intricate interplay between BRCA and its tumor microenvironment (TME). Accordingly, understanding the pathogenesis and evolution of the TPBC microenvironment demands a comprehensive approach. Moreover, addressing BRCA treatment necessitates a holistic consideration of the TME, bearing significant implications for identifying novel targets for anticancer interventions. This review expounds on the relationship between critical cellular components and factors in the TPBC microenvironment and the inception, advancement, and therapeutic resistance of breast cancer to provide perspectives on the latest research on TPBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Pu
- Department of Breast Surgery, Qilu Hospital (Qingdao), Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Qingdao 266035, China;
- Oncology Laboratory, Qilu Hospital (Qingdao), Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Qingdao 266035, China
| | - Haidong Gao
- Department of Breast Surgery, Qilu Hospital (Qingdao), Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Qingdao 266035, China;
- Oncology Laboratory, Qilu Hospital (Qingdao), Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Qingdao 266035, China
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Darbeheshti F, Kadkhoda S, Keshavarz-Fathi M, Razi S, Bahramy A, Mansoori Y, Rezaei N. Investigation of BRCAness associated miRNA-gene axes in breast cancer: cell-free miR-182-5p as a potential expression signature of BRCAness. BMC Cancer 2022; 22:668. [PMID: 35715772 PMCID: PMC9206264 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-022-09761-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The concept of the ‘BRCAness’ phenotype implies the properties that some sporadic breast cancers (BC) share with BRCA1/2-mutation carriers with hereditary BC. Breast tumors with BRCAness have deficiencies in homologous recombination repair (HRR), like BRCA1/2-mutation carriers, and consequently could benefit from poly-(ADP)-ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibitors and DNA-damaging chemotherapy. Triple-negative breast cancers (TNBC) show a higher frequency of BRCAness than the other BC subtypes. Therefore, looking for BRCAness-related biomarkers could improve personalized management of TNBC patients. microRNAs (miRNAs) play a pivotal role in onco-transcriptomic profiles of tumor cells besides their suitable features as molecular biomarkers. The current study aims to evaluate the expression level of some critical miRNAs-mRNA axes in HRR pathway in tumors and plasma samples from BC patients. The expression levels of three multi-target miRNAs, including miR-182-5p, miR-146a-5p, and miR-498, as well as six downstream HRR-related protein-coding genes, have been investigated in the breast tumors and paired adjacent normal tissues by Real-time PCR. In the next step, based on the results derived from the previous step, we examined the level of cell-free miR-182-5p in the blood plasma samples from the patients. Our results highlight the difference between TNBC and non-TNBC tumor subgroups regarding the dysregulation of the key miRNA/mRNA axes involved in the HRR pathway. Also, for the first time, we show that the level of cell-free miR-182-5p in plasma samples from BC patients could be a clue for screening BC patients eligible for receiving PARP inhibitors through a personalized manner. Altogether, some sporadic BC patients, especially sporadic TNBC, have epigenetically dysregulated HRR pathway that could be identified and benefit from BRCAness-specific therapeutic agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farzaneh Darbeheshti
- Department of Medical Genetics, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Cancer Immunology Project (CIP), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran
| | - Sepideh Kadkhoda
- Department of Medical Genetics, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mahsa Keshavarz-Fathi
- Cancer Immunology Project (CIP), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran.,School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sepideh Razi
- Cancer Immunology Project (CIP), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran.,School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Afshin Bahramy
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Yaser Mansoori
- Noncommunicable Disease Research Center, Fasa University of Medical Sciences, Fasa, Iran. .,Department of Medical Genetics, Fasa University of Medical Sciences, Fasa, Iran.
| | - Nima Rezaei
- Research Center for Immunodeficiencies, Children's Medical Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Dr. Qarib St, Keshavarz Blvd, Tehran, Iran. .,Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. .,Network of Immunity in Infection, Malignancy and Autoimmunity (NIIMA), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran.
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Verma P, Manchukonda NK, Kantevari S, Lopus M. Induction of microtubule hyper stabilization and robust G 2 /M arrest by N-4-CN in human breast carcinoma MDA-MB-231 cells. Fundam Clin Pharmacol 2021; 35:955-967. [PMID: 33576046 DOI: 10.1111/fcp.12660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2020] [Revised: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
AIM Elucidation of the antiproliferative efficacy and mechanism of action of a design-optimized noscapine analog, N-4-CN. METHODS Cell viability was studied using an MTT assay. The drug-tubulin interactions were investigated using spectrofluorometry. The architectural defects, hyper stabilization, and recovery competence of cellular microtubules were studied using immunofluorescence microscopy. DCF-DH and rhodamine 123 were used as probes to to examine the levels of reactive oxygen species and the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, respectively. Flow cytometry revealed the cell cycle progression pattern of the drug-treated cells. KEY FINDINGS Among the cell lines tested, N-4-CN showed the strongest inhibition of the viability of the triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cell line MDA-MB-231(IC50 , 2.7 ± 0.1 µmol/L) and weakest inhibition of the noncancerous epithelial cell line, VERO (IC50 , 60.2 ± 3 µmol/L). It perturbed tertiary structure of tubulin and stabilized colchicine binding to the protein. In cells, N-4-CN hyperstabilized the microtubules, and prevented the recovery of cold-depolymerized microtubules. Its multitude of effects on tubulin and microtubules facilitated cell cycle arrest and subsequent cell death that were complemented by elevated levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS). SIGNIFICANCE Owing to its ability to perturb a well-defined cancer drug target, tubulin, and to promote ROS-facilitated apoptosis, N-4-CN could be investigated further as a potential therapeutic against many neoplasms, including TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prachi Verma
- School of Biological Sciences, UM-DAE Centre for Excellence in Basic Sciences, University of Mumbai, Kalina Campus, Mumbai, India
| | | | - Srinivas Kantevari
- Fluoro & Agrochemicals Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad, India
| | - Manu Lopus
- School of Biological Sciences, UM-DAE Centre for Excellence in Basic Sciences, University of Mumbai, Kalina Campus, Mumbai, India
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