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Anderle N, Schäfer-Ruoff F, Staebler A, Kersten N, Koch A, Önder C, Keller AL, Liebscher S, Hartkopf A, Hahn M, Templin M, Brucker SY, Schenke-Layland K, Schmees C. Breast cancer patient-derived microtumors resemble tumor heterogeneity and enable protein-based stratification and functional validation of individualized drug treatment. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2023; 42:210. [PMID: 37596623 PMCID: PMC10436441 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-023-02782-2] [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: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite tremendous progress in deciphering breast cancer at the genomic level, the pronounced intra- and intertumoral heterogeneity remains a major obstacle to the advancement of novel and more effective treatment approaches. Frequent treatment failure and the development of treatment resistance highlight the need for patient-derived tumor models that reflect the individual tumors of breast cancer patients and allow a comprehensive analyses and parallel functional validation of individualized and therapeutically targetable vulnerabilities in protein signal transduction pathways. Here, we introduce the generation and application of breast cancer patient-derived 3D microtumors (BC-PDMs). Residual fresh tumor tissue specimens were collected from n = 102 patients diagnosed with breast cancer and subjected to BC-PDM isolation. BC-PDMs retained histopathological characteristics, and extracellular matrix (ECM) components together with key protein signaling pathway signatures of the corresponding primary tumor tissue. Accordingly, BC-PDMs reflect the inter- and intratumoral heterogeneity of breast cancer and its key signal transduction properties. DigiWest®-based protein expression profiling of identified treatment responder and non-responder BC-PDMs enabled the identification of potential resistance and sensitivity markers of individual drug treatments, including markers previously associated with treatment response and yet undescribed proteins. The combination of individualized drug testing with comprehensive protein profiling analyses of BC-PDMs may provide a valuable complement for personalized treatment stratification and response prediction for breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Anderle
- NMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institute at the University of Tuebingen, 72770, Reutlingen, Germany.
| | - Felix Schäfer-Ruoff
- NMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institute at the University of Tuebingen, 72770, Reutlingen, Germany
| | - Annette Staebler
- Institute of Pathology and Neuropathology, Eberhard Karls University Tuebingen, 72076, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Nicolas Kersten
- Interfaculty Institute for Bioinformatics and Medical Informatics (IBMI), Eberhard Karls University Tuebingen, Tuebingen, 72076, Germany
- FZI Research Center for Information Technology, 76131, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - André Koch
- Department of Women's Health, University Women's Hospital, Eberhard Karls University Tuebingen, 72076, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Cansu Önder
- Department of Women's Health, University Women's Hospital, Eberhard Karls University Tuebingen, 72076, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Anna-Lena Keller
- NMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institute at the University of Tuebingen, 72770, Reutlingen, Germany
| | - Simone Liebscher
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Department for Medical Technologies and Regenerative Medicine, Eberhard Karls University Tuebingen, 72076, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Andreas Hartkopf
- Department of Women's Health, University Women's Hospital, Eberhard Karls University Tuebingen, 72076, Tuebingen, Germany
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Hospital of Ulm, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Markus Hahn
- Department of Women's Health, University Women's Hospital, Eberhard Karls University Tuebingen, 72076, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Markus Templin
- NMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institute at the University of Tuebingen, 72770, Reutlingen, Germany
| | - Sara Y Brucker
- Department of Women's Health, University Women's Hospital, Eberhard Karls University Tuebingen, 72076, Tuebingen, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC2180) "Image-Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies", Eberhard Karls University Tuebingen, 72076, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Katja Schenke-Layland
- NMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institute at the University of Tuebingen, 72770, Reutlingen, Germany
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Department for Medical Technologies and Regenerative Medicine, Eberhard Karls University Tuebingen, 72076, Tuebingen, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC2180) "Image-Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies", Eberhard Karls University Tuebingen, 72076, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Christian Schmees
- NMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institute at the University of Tuebingen, 72770, Reutlingen, Germany.
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Lavudi K, Nuguri SM, Olverson Z, Dhanabalan AK, Patnaik S, Kokkanti RR. Targeting the retinoic acid signaling pathway as a modern precision therapy against cancers. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1254612. [PMID: 37645246 PMCID: PMC10461636 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1254612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Retinoic acid (RA) is a vital metabolite derived from vitamin A. RA plays a prominent role during development, which helps in embryological advancement and cellular differentiation. Mechanistically, RA binds to its definite nuclear receptors including the retinoic acid receptor and retinoid X receptor, thus triggering gene transcription and further consequences in gene regulation. This functional heterodimer activation later results in gene activation/inactivation. Several reports have been published related to the detailed embryonic and developmental role of retinoic acids and as an anti-cancer drug for specific cancers, including acute promyelocytic leukemia, breast cancer, and prostate cancer. Nonetheless, the other side of all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) has not been explored widely yet. In this review, we focused on the role of the RA pathway and its downstream gene activation in relation to cancer progression. Furthermore, we explored the ways of targeting the retinoic acid pathway by focusing on the dual role of aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) family enzymes. Combination strategies by combining RA targets with ALDH-specific targets make the tumor cells sensitive to the treatment and improve the progression-free survival of the patients. In addition to the genomic effects of ATRA, we also highlighted the role of ATRA in non-canonical mechanisms as an immune checkpoint inhibitor, thus targeting the immune oncological perspective of cancer treatments in the current era. The role of ATRA in activating independent mechanisms is also explained in this review. This review also highlights the current clinical trials of ATRA in combination with other chemotherapeutic drugs and explains the future directional insights related to ATRA usage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kousalya Lavudi
- Department of Radiation Oncology, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
- School of Biotechnology, KIIT University, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India
| | - Shreya Madhav Nuguri
- Department of Food Science and Technology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Zianne Olverson
- Department of Radiation Oncology, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Anantha Krishna Dhanabalan
- Centre for Advanced Study in Crystallography and Biophysics, University of Madras, Guindy Campus, Chennai, India
| | - Srinivas Patnaik
- School of Biotechnology, KIIT University, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India
| | - Rekha Rani Kokkanti
- Department of Biotechnology, Sri Padmavati Mahila Visvavidyalayam, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, India
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3
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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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Singh P, Rathi A, Minocha R, Sinha A, Haque MM, Hassan MI, Dohare R. Breast Cancer Prognostic Hub Genes Identified by Integrated Transcriptomic and Weighted Network Analysis: A Road Toward Personalized Medicine. OMICS : A JOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE BIOLOGY 2023; 27:227-236. [PMID: 37155625 DOI: 10.1089/omi.2023.0033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Breast cancer (BC) is the second-most common type and among the leading causes of worldwide cancer-related deaths. There is marked person-to-person variability in susceptibility to, and phenotypic expression and prognosis of BC, a predicament that calls for personalized medicine and individually tailored therapeutics. In this study, we report new observations on prognostic hub genes and key pathways involved in BC. We used the data set GSE109169, comprising 25 pairs of BC and adjacent normal tissues. Using a high-throughput transcriptomic approach, we selected data on 293 differentially expressed genes to establish a weighted gene coexpression network. We identified three age-linked modules where the light-gray module strongly correlated with BC. Based on the gene significance and module membership features, peptidase inhibitor 15 (PI15) and KRT5 were identified as our hub genes from the light-gray module. These genes were further verified at transcriptional and translational levels across 25 pairs of BC and adjacent normal tissues. Their promoter methylation profiles were assessed based on various clinical parameters. In addition, these hub genes were used for Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, and their correlation with tumor-infiltrating immune cells was investigated. We found that PI15 and KRT5 may be potential biomarkers and potential drug targets. These findings call for future research in a larger sample size, which could inform diagnosis and clinical management of BC, thus paving the way toward personalized medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prithvi Singh
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Basic Sciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India
| | - Aanchal Rathi
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India
| | - Rashmi Minocha
- Department of Biochemistry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Anuradha Sinha
- Department of Preventive Oncology, Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Muzaffarpur, India
| | - Mohammad Mahfuzul Haque
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India
| | - Md Imtaiyaz Hassan
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Basic Sciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India
| | - Ravins Dohare
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Basic Sciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India
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Wang MX, Peng ZG. 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases in the progression of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Pharmacol Ther 2023; 246:108428. [PMID: 37116587 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2023.108428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Revised: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 04/30/2023]
Abstract
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become a worldwide epidemic and a major public health problem, with a prevalence of approximately 25%. The pathogenesis of NAFLD is complex and may be affected by the environment and susceptible genetic factors, resulting in a highly variable disease course and no approved drugs in the clinic. Notably, 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 13 (HSD17B13), which belongs to the 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase superfamily (HSD17Bs), is closely related to the clinical outcome of liver disease. HSD17Bs consists of fifteen members, most related to steroid and lipid metabolism, and may have the same biological function as HSD17B13. In this review, we highlight recent advances in basic research on the functional activities, major substrates, and key roles of HSD17Bs in the progression of NAFLD to develop innovative anti-NAFLD drugs targeting HSD17Bs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mei-Xi Wang
- CAMS Key Laboratory of Antiviral Drug Research, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China; Public Laboratory, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Ministry of Education, Tianjin 300060, China
| | - Zong-Gen Peng
- CAMS Key Laboratory of Antiviral Drug Research, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Antimicrobial Agents, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China; Key Laboratory of Biotechnology of Antibiotics, The National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC), Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China.
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6
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Grdseloff N, Boulday G, Rödel CJ, Otten C, Vannier DR, Cardoso C, Faurobert E, Dogra D, Tournier-Lasserve E, Abdelilah-Seyfried S. Impaired retinoic acid signaling in cerebral cavernous malformations. Sci Rep 2023; 13:5572. [PMID: 37019926 PMCID: PMC10076292 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-31905-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The capillary-venous pathology cerebral cavernous malformation (CCM) is caused by loss of CCM1/Krev interaction trapped protein 1 (KRIT1), CCM2/MGC4607, or CCM3/PDCD10 in some endothelial cells. Mutations of CCM genes within the brain vasculature can lead to recurrent cerebral hemorrhages. Pharmacological treatment options are urgently needed when lesions are located in deeply-seated and in-operable regions of the central nervous system. Previous pharmacological suppression screens in disease models of CCM led to the discovery that treatment with retinoic acid improved CCM phenotypes. This finding raised a need to investigate the involvement of retinoic acid in CCM and test whether it has a curative effect in preclinical mouse models. Here, we show that components of the retinoic acid synthesis and degradation pathway are transcriptionally misregulated across disease models of CCM. We complemented this analysis by pharmacologically modifying retinoic acid levels in zebrafish and human endothelial cell models of CCM, and in acute and chronic mouse models of CCM. Our pharmacological intervention studies in CCM2-depleted human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and krit1 mutant zebrafish showed positive effects when retinoic acid levels were increased. However, therapeutic approaches to prevent the development of vascular lesions in adult chronic murine models of CCM were drug regiment-sensitive, possibly due to adverse developmental effects of this hormone. A treatment with high doses of retinoic acid even worsened CCM lesions in an adult chronic murine model of CCM. This study provides evidence that retinoic acid signaling is impaired in the CCM pathophysiology and suggests that modification of retinoic acid levels can alleviate CCM phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nastasja Grdseloff
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, Department of Zoophysiology, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Strasse 24-25, 14476, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Gwenola Boulday
- InsermNeuroDiderot, Université Paris Cité, 75019, Paris, France
| | - Claudia J Rödel
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, Department of Zoophysiology, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Strasse 24-25, 14476, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Cécile Otten
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, Department of Zoophysiology, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Strasse 24-25, 14476, Potsdam, Germany
- Institut Ruđer Bošković, Bijenička cesta 54, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Daphné Raphaelle Vannier
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, INSERM 1209 CNRS, University Grenoble Alpes, 5309, Grenoble, France
| | - Cécile Cardoso
- InsermNeuroDiderot, Université Paris Cité, 75019, Paris, France
| | - Eva Faurobert
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, INSERM 1209 CNRS, University Grenoble Alpes, 5309, Grenoble, France
| | - Deepika Dogra
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, Department of Zoophysiology, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Strasse 24-25, 14476, Potsdam, Germany
- Department of Medical Genetics, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Elisabeth Tournier-Lasserve
- InsermNeuroDiderot, Université Paris Cité, 75019, Paris, France
- Service de Génétique Neurovasculaire, AP-HP, Hôpital Saint-Louis, 75010, Paris, France
| | - Salim Abdelilah-Seyfried
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, Department of Zoophysiology, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Strasse 24-25, 14476, Potsdam, Germany.
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.
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7
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McGinn O, Riley D, Finlay-Schultz J, Paul KV, Kabos P, Sartorius CA. Cytokeratins 5 and 17 Maintain an Aggressive Epithelial State in Basal-Like Breast Cancer. Mol Cancer Res 2022; 20:1443-1455. [PMID: 35639459 PMCID: PMC9444965 DOI: 10.1158/1541-7786.mcr-21-0866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2021] [Revised: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Basal-like breast cancers (BLBC) are the most common triple-negative subtype (hormone receptor and HER2 negative) with poor short-term disease outcome and are commonly identified by expression of basal cytokeratins (CK) 5 and 17. The goal of this study was to investigate whether CK5 and CK17 play a role in adverse behavior of BLBC cells. BLBC cell lines contain heterogeneous populations of cells expressing CK5, CK17, and the mesenchymal filament protein vimentin. Stable shRNA knockdown of either CK5 or CK17 compared with non-targeting control in BLBC cells was sufficient to promote an epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) gene signature with loss of E-cadherin and an increase in vimentin expression. Relative to control cells, CK5 and CK17 knockdown cells acquired a more spindle-like morphology with increased cell scattering and were more invasive in vitro. However, CK5 or CK17 knockdown compared with control cells generated decreased lymph node and lung metastases in vivo. Loss of CK5 or CK17 moderately reduced the IC50 dose of doxorubicin in vitro and led to increased doxorubicin efficacy in vivo. Single-cell RNA-sequencing of BLBC patient-derived xenografts identified heterogeneous populations of CK5/CK17, vimentin, and dual basal CK/vimentin-positive cells that fell on an EMT spectrum of epithelial, mesenchymal, and intermediate, respectively, whereas knockdown of CK5 transitioned cells toward a more mesenchymal score. IMPLICATIONS This study supports that basal CKs 5 and 17 contribute to the adverse behavior of BLBC cells and could be an untapped source of therapeutic vulnerability for this aggressive disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia McGinn
- Department of Pathology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Duncan Riley
- Department of Pathology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Jessica Finlay-Schultz
- Department of Pathology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Kiran V. Paul
- Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Peter Kabos
- Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Carol A. Sartorius
- Department of Pathology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
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8
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Ward AV, Matthews SB, Fettig LM, Riley D, Finlay-Schultz J, Paul KV, Jackman M, Kabos P, MacLean PS, Sartorius CA. Estrogens and Progestins Cooperatively Shift Breast Cancer Cell Metabolism. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:1776. [PMID: 35406548 PMCID: PMC8996926 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14071776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2022] [Revised: 03/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Metabolic reprogramming remains largely understudied in relation to hormones in estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) positive breast cancer. In this study, we investigated how estrogens, progestins, or the combination, impact metabolism in three ER and PR positive breast cancer cell lines. We measured metabolites in the treated cells using ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS). Top metabolic processes upregulated with each treatment involved glucose metabolism, including Warburg effect/glycolysis, gluconeogenesis, and the pentose phosphate pathway. RNA-sequencing and pathway analysis on two of the cell lines treated with the same hormones, found estrogens target oncogenes, such as MYC and PI3K/AKT/mTOR that control tumor metabolism, while progestins increased genes associated with fatty acid metabolism, and the estrogen/progestin combination additionally increased glycolysis. Phenotypic analysis of cell energy metabolism found that glycolysis was the primary hormonal target, particularly for the progestin and estrogen-progestin combination. Transmission electron microscopy found that, compared to vehicle, estrogens elongated mitochondria, which was reversed by co-treatment with progestins. Progestins promoted lipid storage both alone and in combination with estrogen. These findings highlight the shift in breast cancer cell metabolism to a more glycolytic and lipogenic phenotype in response to combination hormone treatment, which may contribute to a more metabolically adaptive state for cell survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley V. Ward
- Department of Pathology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA; (A.V.W.); (S.B.M.); (L.M.F.); (D.R.); (J.F.-S.)
| | - Shawna B. Matthews
- Department of Pathology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA; (A.V.W.); (S.B.M.); (L.M.F.); (D.R.); (J.F.-S.)
| | - Lynsey M. Fettig
- Department of Pathology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA; (A.V.W.); (S.B.M.); (L.M.F.); (D.R.); (J.F.-S.)
| | - Duncan Riley
- Department of Pathology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA; (A.V.W.); (S.B.M.); (L.M.F.); (D.R.); (J.F.-S.)
| | - Jessica Finlay-Schultz
- Department of Pathology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA; (A.V.W.); (S.B.M.); (L.M.F.); (D.R.); (J.F.-S.)
| | - Kiran V. Paul
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA; (K.V.P.); (P.K.)
| | - Matthew Jackman
- Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Diabetes, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA; (M.J.); (P.S.M.)
| | - Peter Kabos
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA; (K.V.P.); (P.K.)
| | - Paul S. MacLean
- Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Diabetes, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA; (M.J.); (P.S.M.)
| | - Carol A. Sartorius
- Department of Pathology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA; (A.V.W.); (S.B.M.); (L.M.F.); (D.R.); (J.F.-S.)
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9
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Seachrist DD, Anstine LJ, Keri RA. FOXA1: A Pioneer of Nuclear Receptor Action in Breast Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13205205. [PMID: 34680352 PMCID: PMC8533709 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13205205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2021] [Revised: 10/11/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The pioneering function of FOXA1 establishes estrogen-responsive transcriptomes in luminal breast cancer. Dysregulated FOXA1 chromatin occupancy through focal amplification, mutation, or cofactor recruitment modulates estrogen receptor (ER) transcriptional programs and drives endocrine-resistant disease. However, ER is not the sole nuclear receptor (NR) expressed in breast cancers, nor is it the only NR for which FOXA1 serves as a licensing factor. Receptors for androgens, glucocorticoids, and progesterone are also found in the majority of breast cancers, and their functions are also impacted by FOXA1. These NRs interface with ER transcriptional programs and, depending on their activation level, can reprogram FOXA1-ER cistromes. Thus, NR interplay contributes to endocrine therapy response and resistance and may provide a vulnerability for future therapeutic benefit in patients. Herein, we review what is known regarding FOXA1 regulation of NR function in breast cancer in the context of cell identity, endocrine resistance, and NR crosstalk in breast cancer progression and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darcie D. Seachrist
- Department of Cancer Biology, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA;
- Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA;
| | - Lindsey J. Anstine
- Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA;
- Department of Pharmacology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Ruth A. Keri
- Department of Cancer Biology, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA;
- Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA;
- Department of Cancer Biology, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
- Correspondence:
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10
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Kumar S, Freelander A, Lim E. Type 1 Nuclear Receptor Activity in Breast Cancer: Translating Preclinical Insights to the Clinic. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:4972. [PMID: 34638457 PMCID: PMC8507977 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13194972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Revised: 09/27/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The nuclear receptor (NR) family of transcription factors is intimately associated with the development, progression and treatment of breast cancer. They are used diagnostically and prognostically, and crosstalk between nuclear receptor pathways and growth factor signalling has been demonstrated in all major subtypes of breast cancer. The majority of breast cancers are driven by estrogen receptor α (ER), and anti-estrogenic therapies remain the backbone of treatment, leading to clinically impactful improvements in patient outcomes. This serves as a blueprint for the development of therapies targeting other nuclear receptors. More recently, pivotal findings into modulating the progesterone (PR) and androgen receptors (AR), with accompanying mechanistic insights into NR crosstalk and interactions with other proliferative pathways, have led to clinical trials in all of the major breast cancer subtypes. A growing body of evidence now supports targeting other Type 1 nuclear receptors such as the glucocorticoid receptor (GR), as well as Type 2 NRs such as the vitamin D receptor (VDR). Here, we reviewed the existing preclinical insights into nuclear receptor activity in breast cancer, with a focus on Type 1 NRs. We also discussed the potential to translate these findings into improving patient outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanjeev Kumar
- Faculty of Medicine, St Vincent’s Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Darlinghurst 2010, Australia; (A.F.); (E.L.)
- Garvan Institute of Medical Research, University of New South Wales, Darlinghurst 2010, Australia
| | - Allegra Freelander
- Faculty of Medicine, St Vincent’s Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Darlinghurst 2010, Australia; (A.F.); (E.L.)
- Garvan Institute of Medical Research, University of New South Wales, Darlinghurst 2010, Australia
| | - Elgene Lim
- Faculty of Medicine, St Vincent’s Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Darlinghurst 2010, Australia; (A.F.); (E.L.)
- Garvan Institute of Medical Research, University of New South Wales, Darlinghurst 2010, Australia
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11
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All-trans retinoic acid and protein kinase C α/β1 inhibitor combined treatment targets cancer stem cells and impairs breast tumor progression. Sci Rep 2021; 11:6044. [PMID: 33723318 PMCID: PMC7961031 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-85344-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2020] [Accepted: 02/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among women worldwide. Blocking a single signaling pathway is often an ineffective therapy, especially in the case of aggressive or drug-resistant tumors. Since we have previously described the mechanism involved in the crosstalk between Retinoic Acid system and protein kinase C (PKC) pathway, the rationale of our study was to evaluate the effect of combining all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA) with a classical PCK inhibitor (Gö6976) in preclinical settings. Employing hormone-independent mammary cancer models, Gö6976 and ATRA combined treatment induced a synergistic reduction in proliferative potential that correlated with an increased apoptosis and RARs modulation towards an anti-oncogenic profile. Combined treatment also impairs growth, self-renewal and clonogenicity potential of cancer stem cells and reduced tumor growth, metastatic spread and cancer stem cells frequency in vivo. An in-silico analysis of “Kaplan–Meier plotter” database indicated that low PKCα together with high RARα mRNA expression is a favorable prognosis factor for hormone-independent breast cancer patients. Here we demonstrate that a classical PKC inhibitor potentiates ATRA antitumor effects also targeting cancer stem cells growth, self-renewal and frequency.
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12
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Orienti I, Farruggia G, Nguyen F, Guan P, Calonghi N, Kolla V, Chorny M, Brodeur GM. Nanomicellar Lenalidomide-Fenretinide Combination Suppresses Tumor Growth in an MYCN Amplified Neuroblastoma Tumor. Int J Nanomedicine 2020; 15:6873-6886. [PMID: 32982239 PMCID: PMC7502401 DOI: 10.2147/ijn.s262032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2020] [Accepted: 08/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose In a previous study, we demonstrated that the combination of fenretinide with lenalidomide, administered by a novel nanomicellar formulation (FLM), provided a strong antitumor effect in a neuroblastoma TrkB-expressing tumor. In this study, we tested the nanomicellar combination in an MYCN amplified neuroblastoma xenograft to assess its efficacy in different tumor genotypes and evaluate the interactions of the nanomicelles with the tumor cells. Experimental Design FLM was administered to mice bearing human NLF xenografts to evaluate its efficacy in comparison with the nanomicelles containing fenretinide alone (FM). Confocal laser-scanning fluorescence microscopy images of the NLF cells treated with FLM and FM allowed us to estimate the nanomicelle ability to transport the encapsulated drugs inside the tumor cells. Flow cytometric analysis of the cells from treated tumors was performed to assess the effect of treatment on GD2 expression and NK cell infiltration. Results FLM and FM decreased the growth of NLF xenografts at comparable extents during the treatment period. Afterwards, FLM induced a progressive tumor regression without regrowth, while FM treatment was followed by regrowth within 15-20 days after the end of treatment. Both FLM and FM were able to penetrate the tumor cells transporting the encapsulated drugs. FLM transported higher amount of fenretinide inside the cells. Also, FLM treatment strongly increased GD2 expression in treated tumors and slightly decreased the NK infiltration compared to FM. Conclusion FLM treatment induced a superior antitumor response than FM in NLF xenografts, presumably due to the combined effects of fenretinide cytotoxicity and lenalidomide antiangiogenic activity. The ability of FLM to penetrate tumor cells, transporting the encapsulated drugs, substantially improved the therapeutic efficiency of this system. Moreover, the enhancement of GD2 expression in FLM treated tumors offers the possibility to further increase the antitumor effect by the use of anti-GD2 CAR-T cells and anti-GD2 antibodies in combination with FLM in multimodal therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabella Orienti
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Bologna 40127, Italy
| | - Giovanna Farruggia
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Bologna 40127, Italy
| | - Ferro Nguyen
- Divisions of Oncology and Cardiology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Peng Guan
- Divisions of Oncology and Cardiology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Natalia Calonghi
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Bologna 40127, Italy
| | - Venkatadri Kolla
- Divisions of Oncology and Cardiology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Michael Chorny
- Divisions of Oncology and Cardiology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Garrett M Brodeur
- Divisions of Oncology and Cardiology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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13
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Horwitz KB, Sartorius CA. 90 YEARS OF PROGESTERONE: Progesterone and progesterone receptors in breast cancer: past, present, future. J Mol Endocrinol 2020; 65:T49-T63. [PMID: 32485679 PMCID: PMC8525510 DOI: 10.1530/jme-20-0104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2020] [Accepted: 05/29/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Progesterone and progesterone receptors (PR) have a storied albeit controversial history in breast cancers. As endocrine therapies for breast cancer progressed through the twentieth century from oophorectomy to antiestrogens, it was recognized in the 1970s that the presence of estrogen receptors (ER) alone could not efficiently predict treatment responses. PR, an estrogen regulated protein, became the first prognostic and predictive marker of response to endocrine therapies. It remains today as the gold standard for predicting the existence of functional, targetable ER in breast malignancies. PRs were subsequently identified as highly structured transcription factors that regulate diverse physiological processes in breast cancer cells. In the early 2000s, the somewhat surprising finding that prolonged use of synthetic progestin-containing menopausal hormone therapies was associated with increased breast cancer incidence raised new questions about the role of PR in 'tumorigenesis'. Most recently, PR have been linked to expansion of cancer stem cells that are postulated to be the principal cells reactivated in occult or dormant disease. Other studies establish PR as dominant modulators of ER activity. Together, these findings mark PR as bona fide targets for progestin or antiprogestin therapies, yet their diverse actions have confounded that use. Here we summarize the early history of PR in breast cancer; debunk the theory that progesterone causes cancer; discuss recent discoveries that PR regulate cell heterogeneity; attempt to unify theories describing PR as either good or bad actors in tumors; and discuss emerging areas of research that may help explain this enigmatic hormone and receptor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn B. Horwitz
- Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045
| | - Carol A. Sartorius
- Department of Pathology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045
- Corresponding author
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14
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Cytokeratin 5 alters β-catenin dynamics in breast cancer cells. Oncogene 2020; 39:2478-2492. [PMID: 31988452 PMCID: PMC7085458 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-020-1164-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2019] [Revised: 12/26/2019] [Accepted: 01/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Estrogen receptor (ER) positive breast cancers often contain subpopulations of cells that express the intermediate filament protein cytokeratin 5 (CK5). CK5+ cells are enriched in cancer stem cell (CSC) properties, can be induced by progestins, and predict poor prognosis in ER+ breast cancer. We established through CK5 knockout and overexpression in ER+ breast cancer cell lines that CK5 is important for tumorsphere formation, prompting us to speculate that CK5 has regulatory activity in CSCs. To interrogate CK5 interacting proteins that may be functionally cooperative, we performed immunoprecipitation-mass spectrometry for CK5 in ER+ breast cancer cells. Focusing on proteins with signaling activity, we identified β-catenin, a key transcription factor of the Wnt signaling pathway and cell adhesion molecule, as a CK5 interactor, which we confirmed by co-immunoprecipitation in several breast cancer models. We interrogated the dual functions of β-catenin in relation to CK5. Knockout or knockdown of CK5 ablated β-catenin transcriptional activity in response to progestins and Wnt stimuli. Conversely, CK5 induced by progestins or overexpression was sufficient to promote loss of β-catenin at the cell membrane and total E-cadherin loss. A breast cancer patient-derived xenograft showed similar loss of membrane β-catenin and E-cadherin in CK5+ but not intratumoral CK5− cells and single cell RNA sequencing found the top enriched pathways in the CK5+ cell cluster were cell junction remodeling and signaling. This report highlights that CK5 actively remodels cell morphology and that blockade of CK5-β-catenin interaction may reverse the detrimental properties of CK5+ breast cancer cells.
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15
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Autenshlyus A, Arkhipov S, Mikhailova E, Marinkin I, Varaksin N, Vavilin V, Lyakhovich V. Effects of polyclonal activators on cell differentiation and cytokine production of cultured invasive breast carcinoma of no special type, their association with tumour histopathological parameters and lymph node metastasis. Int J Immunopathol Pharmacol 2020; 34:2058738420950580. [PMID: 33100082 PMCID: PMC7786416 DOI: 10.1177/2058738420950580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2019] [Accepted: 07/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Currently, a number of promising strategies and approaches to cancer treatment include differentiation therapy. However, theoretical and methodological foundations of this field are not yet well developed. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of a mixture of polyclonal activators (PAs; phytohaemagglutinin, concanavalin A and lipopolysaccharide) on cytokine production by biopsy samples of invasive breast carcinoma of no special type (IBC-NST) having various differentiation abilities and metastatic potentials as well as on differentiation status of the IBC-NST biopsy samples. We used ELISAs to investigate spontaneous and PA-stimulated cytokine production in the IBC-NST biopsy samples; from these data, we calculated a cytokine production stimulation index (SIPA). The effect of PAs on tumour cell differentiation was determined via a differentiation stimulation index (DSI). DSI was found to vary within the range 1.0-5.0. After treatment with PAs, in the IBC-NST biopsy samples of group I (DSI <1.25), the production of IL-2, IL-6, IL-8, IL-17, IL-18, IL-1β, IL-1Ra, TNF-α and GM-CSF increased; in the biopsy samples of group II (DSI >1.25), the production of IL-6, IL-1β, IL-1Ra, TNF-α, G-CSF and GM-CSF significantly increased, while the production of VEGF-A decreased. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis of SIPA revealed that increased production of IL-18 in the IBC-NST biopsy samples after exposure to PAs may block the PA-driven, cytokine-mediated differentiation of moderately differentiated into highly differentiated tumour cells. The ROC analysis also uncovered an association between the responses of tumour cells to PAs and lymph node metastasis observed in the patients. The findings suggest that there is a need for research aimed at finding new drugs for differentiating cancer therapy and at searching for targeted inducers of cytokine production or specific suppressors of their induction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Autenshlyus
- Novosibirsk State Medical University, Russia
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biophysics, Subdivision of Federal Research Center of Fundamental and Translational Medicine, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Sergey Arkhipov
- Novosibirsk State Medical University, Russia
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biophysics, Subdivision of Federal Research Center of Fundamental and Translational Medicine, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Elena Mikhailova
- Novosibirsk State Medical University, Russia
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biophysics, Subdivision of Federal Research Center of Fundamental and Translational Medicine, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | | | | | - Valentin Vavilin
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biophysics, Subdivision of Federal Research Center of Fundamental and Translational Medicine, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Vyacheslav Lyakhovich
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biophysics, Subdivision of Federal Research Center of Fundamental and Translational Medicine, Novosibirsk, Russia
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16
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Orienti I, Nguyen F, Guan P, Kolla V, Calonghi N, Farruggia G, Chorny M, Brodeur GM. A Novel Nanomicellar Combination of Fenretinide and Lenalidomide Shows Marked Antitumor Activity in a Neuroblastoma Xenograft Model. DRUG DESIGN DEVELOPMENT AND THERAPY 2019; 13:4305-4319. [PMID: 31908416 PMCID: PMC6930389 DOI: 10.2147/dddt.s221909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2019] [Accepted: 12/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Purpose Currently >50% of high-risk neuroblastoma (NB) patients, despite intensive therapy and initial partial or complete response, develop recurrent NB due to the persistence of minimal residual disease (MRD) that is resistant to conventional antitumor drugs. Indeed, their low therapeutic index prevents drug-dose escalation and protracted administration schedules, as would be required for MRD treatment. Thus, more effective and less toxic therapies are urgently needed for the management of MRD. To address this aim, we evaluated a new combination of fenretinide and lenalidomide, both endowed with antitumor activity and low-toxicity profiles. New nanomicelles were prepared as carriers for this combination to maximize bioavailability and accumulation at the tumor site because of the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect. Experimental design New nanomicelles containing the fenretinide–lenalidomide combination (FLnMs) were prepared by a one-step method, providing high drug encapsulation and micelle dimensions suitable for tumor accumulation. Their administration to mice bearing human NB xenografts allowed us to evaluate their efficacy in comparison with the nanomicelles containing fenretinide alone (FnMs). Results Treatment by FLnMs significantly decreased the tumor growth of NB xenografts. FLnMs were more active than FnMs despite comparable fenretinide concentrations in tumors, and lenalidomide alone did not show cytotoxic activity in vitro against NB cells. The tumor mass at the end of treatment with FLnMs was predominantly necrotic, with a decreased Ki-67 proliferation index. Conclusion FLnMs provided superior antitumor efficacy in NB xenografts compared to FnMs. The enhanced efficacy of the combination was likely due to the antiangiogenic effect of lenalidomide added to the cytotoxic effect of fenretinide. This new nanomicellar combination is characterized by a low-toxicity profile and offers a novel therapeutic option for the treatment of high-risk tumors where the persistence of MRD requires repeated administrations of therapeutic agents over long periods of time to avoid recurrent disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabella Orienti
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Bologna 40127, Italy
| | - Ferro Nguyen
- Divisions of Oncology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Peng Guan
- Divisions of Oncology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Venkatadri Kolla
- Divisions of Oncology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Natalia Calonghi
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Bologna 40127, Italy
| | - Giovanna Farruggia
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Bologna 40127, Italy
| | - Michael Chorny
- Divisions of Oncology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Garrett M Brodeur
- Divisions of Oncology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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17
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CTCs Expression Profiling for Advanced Breast Cancer Monitoring. Cancers (Basel) 2019; 11:cancers11121941. [PMID: 31817194 PMCID: PMC6966538 DOI: 10.3390/cancers11121941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2019] [Revised: 11/18/2019] [Accepted: 12/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The study of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) has a huge clinical interest in advance and metastatic breast cancer patients. However, many approaches are biased by the use of epithelial markers, which underestimate non-epithelial CTCs phenotypes. CTCs enumeration provides valuable prognostic information; however, molecular characterization could be the best option to monitor patients throughout the disease since it may provide more relevant clinical information to the physicians. In this work, we aimed at enumerating and performing a molecular characterization of CTCs from a cohort of 20 patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC), monitoring the disease at different time points of the therapy, and at progression when it occurred. To this end, we used a CTC negative enrichment protocol that allowed us to recover a higher variety of CTCs phenotypes. With this strategy, we were able to obtain gene expression data from CTCs from all the patients. In addition, we found that high expression levels of PALB2 and MYC were associated with a worse outcome. Interestingly, we identified that CTCs with an EpCAMhighVIMlowALDH1A1high signature showed both shorter overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS), suggesting that CTCs with epithelial-stem features had the most aggressive phenotype.
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18
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Mahabadi JA, Tameh AA, Talaei SA, Karimian M, Rahiminia T, Enderami SE, Gheibi Hayat SM, Nikzad H. Retinoic acid and/or progesterone differentiate mouse induced pluripotent stem cells into male germ cells in vitro. J Cell Biochem 2019; 121:2159-2169. [PMID: 31646671 DOI: 10.1002/jcb.29439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2019] [Accepted: 10/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Numerous reagents were employed for differentiating induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) into male germ cells; however, the induction procedure was ineffective. The aim of this study was to improve the in vitro differentiation of mice iPSCs (miPSCs) into male germ cells with retinoic acid (RA) and progesterone (P). miPSCs were differentiated to embryoid bodies (EBs) in suspension with RA with or without progesterone for 0, 4, and 7 days. Then, the expression of certain genes at different stages of male germ cell development including Ddx4 (pre meiosis), Stra8 (meiosis), AKAP3 (post meiosis), and Mvh protein was examined in RNA and/or protein levels by real-time polymerase chain reaction or flow cytometry, respectively. The Stra8 gene expression increased in the RA groups on all days. But, expression of this gene declined in RA + P groups. In addition, an increased expression of Ddx4 gene was observed on day 0 in the P group. Also, a significant upregulation was observed in the expression of AKAP3 gene in the RA + P group on days 0 and 4. However, gene expression decreased in P and RA groups on day 7. The expression of Mvh protein significantly increased in the RA group on day 7. The Mvh expression was also enhanced in the P group on day 4, but it decreased on day 7, while this protein upregulated on day 0 and 7 in the RA + P group. The miPSCs have the capacity for in vitro differentiation into male germ cells by RA and/or progesterone. However, the effects of these inducers depend on the type of combination and an effective time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javad Amini Mahabadi
- Gametogenesis Research Center, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
| | - Abolfazl Aazami Tameh
- Anatomical Sciences Research Center, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
| | | | - Mohammad Karimian
- Anatomical Sciences Research Center, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
| | - Tahereh Rahiminia
- Gametogenesis Research Center, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
| | - Seyed Ehsan Enderami
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Immunogenetics Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Seyed Mohammad Gheibi Hayat
- Department of Medical Genetics, School of Medicine, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
| | - Hossein Nikzad
- Gametogenesis Research Center, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
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19
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Two Opposing Faces of Retinoic Acid: Induction of Stemness or Induction of Differentiation Depending on Cell-Type. Biomolecules 2019; 9:biom9100567. [PMID: 31590252 PMCID: PMC6843238 DOI: 10.3390/biom9100567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2019] [Revised: 10/01/2019] [Accepted: 10/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Stem cells have the capacity of self-renewal and, through proliferation and differentiation, are responsible for the embryonic development, postnatal development, and the regeneration of tissues in the adult organism. Cancer stem cells, analogous to the physiological stem cells, have the capacity of self-renewal and may account for growth and recurrence of tumors. Development and regeneration of healthy tissues and tumors depend on the balance of different genomic and nongenomic signaling pathways that regulate stem cell quiescence, proliferation, and differentiation. During evolution, this balance became dependent on all-trans retinoic acid (RA), a molecule derived from the environmental factor vitamin A. Here we summarize some recent findings on the prominent role of RA on the proliferation of stem and progenitor cells, in addition to its well-known function as an inductor of cell differentiation. A better understanding of the regulatory mechanisms of stemness and cell differentiation by RA may improve the therapeutic options of this molecule in regenerative medicine and cancer.
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20
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Orienti I, Salvati V, Sette G, Zucchetti M, Bongiorno-Borbone L, Peschiaroli A, Zolla L, Francescangeli F, Ferrari M, Matteo C, Bello E, Di Virgilio A, Falchi M, De Angelis ML, Baiocchi M, Melino G, De Maria R, Zeuner A, Eramo A. A novel oral micellar fenretinide formulation with enhanced bioavailability and antitumour activity against multiple tumours from cancer stem cells. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL & CLINICAL CANCER RESEARCH : CR 2019; 38:373. [PMID: 31439019 PMCID: PMC6706930 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-019-1383-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2019] [Accepted: 08/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Background An increasing number of anticancer agents has been proposed in recent years with the attempt to overcome treatment-resistant cancer cells and particularly cancer stem cells (CSC), the major culprits for tumour resistance and recurrence. However, a huge obstacle to treatment success is the ineffective delivery of drugs within the tumour environment due to limited solubility, short circulation time or inconsistent stability of compounds that, together with concomitant dose-limiting systemic toxicity, contribute to hamper the achievement of therapeutic drug concentrations. The synthetic retinoid Fenretinide (4-hydroxy (phenyl)retinamide; 4-HPR) formerly emerged as a promising anticancer agent based on pre-clinical and clinical studies. However, a major limitation of fenretinide is traditionally represented by its poor aqueous solubility/bioavailability due to its hydrophobic nature, that undermined the clinical success of previous clinical trials. Methods Here, we developed a novel nano-micellar fenretinide formulation called bionanofenretinide (Bio-nFeR), based on drug encapsulation in an ion-pair stabilized lipid matrix, with the aim to raise fenretinide bioavailability and antitumour efficacy. Results Bio-nFeR displayed marked antitumour activity against lung, colon and melanoma CSC both in vitro and in tumour xenografts, in absence of mice toxicity. Bio-nFeR is suitable for oral administration, reaching therapeutic concentrations within tumours and an unprecedented therapeutic activity in vivo as single agent. Conclusion Altogether, our results indicate Bio-nFeR as a novel anticancer agent with low toxicity and high activity against tumourigenic cells, potentially useful for the treatment of solid tumours of multiple origin. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13046-019-1383-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabella Orienti
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Valentina Salvati
- Department of Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.,Istituto di Patologia Generale, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Giovanni Sette
- Department of Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.,Istituto di Patologia Generale, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Massimo Zucchetti
- Department of Oncology, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Angelo Peschiaroli
- National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Institute of Translational Pharmacology IFT, Rome, Italy
| | - Lello Zolla
- Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences, University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
| | | | - Mariella Ferrari
- Department of Oncology, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Cristina Matteo
- Department of Oncology, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Ezia Bello
- Department of Oncology, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Antonio Di Virgilio
- Service for Biotechnology and Animal Welfare, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Mario Falchi
- National AIDS Center, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Laura De Angelis
- Department of Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Marta Baiocchi
- Department of Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Gerry Melino
- Department of Experimental Medicine, TOR, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy
| | - Ruggero De Maria
- Istituto di Patologia Generale, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy.,Fondazione Policlinico Universitario "A. Gemelli" - I.R.C.C.S, Rome, Italy
| | - Ann Zeuner
- Department of Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Adriana Eramo
- Department of Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
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21
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Maiti S, Nazmeen A. Impaired redox regulation of estrogen metabolizing proteins is important determinant of human breast cancers. Cancer Cell Int 2019; 19:111. [PMID: 31114446 PMCID: PMC6518504 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-019-0826-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2019] [Accepted: 04/13/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Estrogen evidently involves critically in the pathogenesis of gynaecological-cancers. Reports reveal that interference in estrogen-signalling can influence cell-cycle associated regulatory-processes in female reproductive-organs. The major determinants that influence E2-signallings are estrogen-receptor (ER), estrogen-sulfotransferase (SULT1E1), sulfatase (STS), and a formylglycine-generating-enzyme (FGE) which regulates STS activity. The purpose of this mini review was to critically analyze the correlation between oxidative-threats and redox-regulation in the process of estrogen signalling. It is extensively investigated and reported that oxidative-stress is linked to cancer. But no definite mechanism has been explored till date. The adverse effects of oxidative-threat/free-radicals (like genotoxic-effects, gene-regulation, and mitochondrial impairment) have been linked to several diseases like diabetes/cardiovascular-syndrome/stroke and cancer. However, a significant correlation between oxidative-stress and gynaecological-cancers are repeatedly reported without pointing a definite mechanism. For the first time in our study we have investigated the relationship between oxidative stress and the regulation of estrogen via estrogen metabolizing proteins. Reports reveal that ER, SULT1E1, STS and FGE are target-molecules of oxidative-stress and may function differently in oxidizing and reducing environment. In addition, estrogen itself can induce oxidative-stress. This fact necessitates identifying the critical connecting events between oxidative-stress and regulation of estrogen-associated-molecules (ER, SULT1E1, STS, and FGE) that favors tumorigenesis/carcinogenesis. The current review focus is on unique redox-regulation of estrogen and its regulatory-molecules via oxidative-stress. This mechanistic-layout may identify new therapeutic-targets and open further scopes to treat gynecological-cancers more effectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Smarajit Maiti
- Dept. of Biochemistry, Cell & Molecular Therapeutics Lab, Oriental Institute of Science & Technology, Midnapore, 721101 India
- Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Cell & Molecular Therapeutics Lab, OIST, Midnapore, 721102 India
| | - Aarifa Nazmeen
- Dept. of Biochemistry, Cell & Molecular Therapeutics Lab, Oriental Institute of Science & Technology, Midnapore, 721101 India
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22
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Liu XY, Ma D, Xu XE, Jin X, Yu KD, Jiang YZ, Shao ZM. Genomic Landscape and Endocrine-Resistant Subgroup in Estrogen Receptor-Positive, Progesterone Receptor-Negative, and HER2-Negative Breast Cancer. Am J Cancer Res 2018; 8:6386-6399. [PMID: 30613307 PMCID: PMC6299689 DOI: 10.7150/thno.29164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2018] [Accepted: 11/08/2018] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Estrogen receptor-positive, progesterone receptor-negative, and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative (ER+PR-HER2-) breast cancer comprise a special type of breast cancer that constitutes ~10% of all breast cancer patients. ER+PR-HER2- tumor benefits less from endocrine therapy, while its genomic features remain elusive. In this study, we systematically assessed the multiomic landscape and endocrine responsiveness of ER+PR-HER2- breast cancer. Methods: This study incorporated five cohorts. The first and second cohorts were from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database (n=130,856) and Molecular Taxonomy of Breast Cancer International Consortium (n=1,055) for analyzing survival outcomes and endocrine responsiveness. The third cohort was from The Cancer Genome Atlas (n=630) for multiomic analysis and endocrine-resistant subgroup exploration. The fourth cohort, from the MD Anderson database (n=92), was employed to assist gene selection. The fifth cohort was a prospective observational cohort from Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center (n=245) that was utilized to validate the gene-defined subgroup by immunohistochemistry (IHC). Results: Clinically, ER+PR-HER2- tumors showed lower endocrine responsiveness than did ER+PR+HER2- tumors. Genomically, copy number loss or promoter methylation of PR genes occurred in 75% of ER+PR-HER2- tumors, collectively explaining PR loss. ER+PR-HER2- tumors had higher TP53 (30.3% vs. 17.0%) and lower PIK3CA mutation rates (25.8% vs. 42.7%) and exhibited more ZNF703 (21.5% vs. 13.6%) and RPS6KB1 (18.5% vs. 7.8%) amplification events than ER+PR+HER2- tumors. Among ER+PR-HER2- tumors, nearly 20% were of the PAM50-defined non-luminal-like subgroup and manifested lower endocrine sensitivity scores and enriched biosynthesis, metabolism and DNA replication pathways. We further identified the non-luminal-like subgroup using three IHC markers, GATA3, CK5, and EGFR. These IHC-defined non-luminal-like (GATA3-negative, CK5-positive and/or EGFR-positive) tumors received limited benefit from adjuvant endocrine therapy. Conclusion: ER+PR-HER2- breast cancer consists of clinically and genomically distinct groups that may require different treatment strategies. The non-luminal-like subgroup was associated with reduced benefit from endocrine therapy.
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23
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Shi J, Chen Y, Chen W, Tang C, Zhang H, Chen Y, Yang X, Xu Z, Wei J, Chen J. Isobavachalcone sensitizes cells to E2-induced paclitaxel resistance by down-regulating CD44 expression in ER+ breast cancer cells. J Cell Mol Med 2018; 22:5220-5230. [PMID: 30179299 PMCID: PMC6201375 DOI: 10.1111/jcmm.13719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2018] [Accepted: 05/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Oestrogen receptor (ER) is expressed in approximately 60%‐70% of human breast cancer. Clinical trials and retrospective analyses have shown that ER‐positive (ER+) tumours are more tolerant to chemotherapeutic drug resistance than ER‐negative (ER−) tumours. In addition, isobavachalcone (IBC) is known as a kind of phytoestrogen with antitumour effect. However, the underlying mechanism of IBC in ER+ breast cancer needs to be elucidated further. Our in vitro experiments showed that IBC could attenuate 17β‐estradiol (E2)‐induced paclitaxel resistance and that E2 could stimulate CD44 expression in ER+ breast cancer cells but not in ER− cells. Meanwhile, E2 could promote ERα expression to render ER+ breast cancer cells resistant to paclitaxel. Furthermore, we established paclitaxel‐resistant breast cancer cell lines and determined the function of ERα in the enhancement of paclitaxel resistance via the regulation of CD44 transcription. IBC down‐regulated ERα and CD44 expression and thus inhibited tumour growth in paclitaxel‐resistant xenograft models. Overall, our data demonstrated for the first time that IBC could decrease CD44 expression level via the ERα pathway and make ER+ breast cancer cells sensitive to paclitaxel treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junfeng Shi
- Department of Oncology, Nanjing First Hospital, NanJing Medical University, Nanjing, China.,Clinical Research Center, Xuyi People's Hospital, Xuyi, China
| | - Yi Chen
- Department of Oncology, Nanjing Pukou Central Hospital, Nanjing, China
| | - Wenxing Chen
- School of pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Cuiju Tang
- Department of Oncology, Nanjing First Hospital, NanJing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Honghong Zhang
- Department of Oncology, Nanjing First Hospital, NanJing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yuetong Chen
- Department of Oncology, Nanjing First Hospital, NanJing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xiuwei Yang
- Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Zhi Xu
- Department of Oncology, Nanjing First Hospital, NanJing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jingsun Wei
- Department of Oncology, Nanjing First Hospital, NanJing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jinfei Chen
- Department of Oncology, Nanjing First Hospital, NanJing Medical University, Nanjing, China.,Clinical Research Center, Xuyi People's Hospital, Xuyi, China.,Jiangsu Key Lab of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention and Treatment, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Personalized Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
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24
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Finlay-Schultz J, Gillen AE, Brechbuhl HM, Ivie JJ, Matthews SB, Jacobsen BM, Bentley DL, Kabos P, Sartorius CA. Breast Cancer Suppression by Progesterone Receptors Is Mediated by Their Modulation of Estrogen Receptors and RNA Polymerase III. Cancer Res 2017; 77:4934-4946. [PMID: 28729413 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-16-3541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2016] [Revised: 06/12/2017] [Accepted: 07/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Greater than 50% of estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancers coexpress the progesterone receptor (PR), which can directly and globally modify ER action to attenuate tumor growth. However, whether this attenuation is mediated only through PR-ER interaction remains unknown. To address this question, we assessed tumor growth in ER/PR-positive patient-derived xenograft models of breast cancer, where both natural and synthetic progestins were found to antagonize the mitogenic effects of estrogens. Probing the genome-wide mechanisms by which this occurs, we documented that chronic progestin treatment blunted ER-mediated gene expression up to 2-fold at the level of mRNA transcripts. Unexpectedly, <25% of all ER DNA binding events were affected by the same treatment. The PR cistrome displayed a bimodal distribution. In one group, >50% of PR binding sites were co-occupied by ER, with a propensity for both receptors to coordinately gain or lose binding in the presence of progesterone. In the second group, PR but not ER was associated with a large fraction of RNA polymerase III-transcribed tRNA genes, independent of hormone treatment. Notably, we discovered that PR physically associated with the Pol III holoenzyme. Select pre-tRNAs and mature tRNAs with PR and POLR3A colocalized at their promoters were relatively decreased in estrogen + progestin-treated tumors. Our results illuminate how PR may indirectly impede ER action by reducing the bioavailability of translational molecules needed for tumor growth. Cancer Res; 77(18); 4934-46. ©2017 AACR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Finlay-Schultz
- Department of Pathology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado.
| | - Austin E Gillen
- RNA Bioscience Initiative, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Heather M Brechbuhl
- Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Joshua J Ivie
- Department of Pathology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Shawna B Matthews
- Department of Pathology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Britta M Jacobsen
- Department of Pathology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
| | - David L Bentley
- RNA Bioscience Initiative, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Peter Kabos
- Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Carol A Sartorius
- Department of Pathology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado.
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