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Pastena P, Perera H, Martinino A, Kartsonis W, Giovinazzo F. Unraveling Biomarker Signatures in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review for Targeted Approaches. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:2559. [PMID: 38473804 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25052559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2024] [Revised: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 02/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is one of the most aggressive subtypes of breast cancer, marked by poor outcomes and dismal prognosis. Due to the absence of targetable receptors, chemotherapy still represents the main therapeutic option. Therefore, current research is now focusing on understanding the specific molecular pathways implicated in TNBC, in order to identify novel biomarker signatures and develop targeted therapies able to improve its clinical management. With the aim of identifying novel molecular features characterizing TNBC, elucidating the mechanisms by which these molecular biomarkers are implicated in the tumor development and progression, and assessing the impact on cancerous cells following their inhibition or modulation, we conducted a literature search from the earliest works to December 2023 on PubMed, Scopus, and Web Of Science. A total of 146 studies were selected. The results obtained demonstrated that TNBC is characterized by a heterogeneous molecular profile. Several biomarkers have proven not only to be characteristic of TNBC but also to serve as potential effective therapeutic targets, holding the promise of a new era of personalized treatments able to improve its prognosis. The pre-clinical findings that have emerged from our systematic review set the stage for further investigation in forthcoming clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Pastena
- Department of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, Brookhaven, NY 11794, USA
| | - Hiran Perera
- Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, Brookhaven, NY 11794, USA
| | | | - William Kartsonis
- Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, Brookhaven, NY 11794, USA
| | - Francesco Giovinazzo
- Department of Surgery, Saint Camillus Hospital, 31100 Treviso, Italy
- Department of Surgery, UniCamillus-Saint Camillus International University of Health Sciences, 00131 Rome, Italy
- Department of Surgery, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
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Madera S, Izzo F, Chervo MF, Dupont A, Chiauzzi VA, Bruni S, Petrillo E, Merin SS, De Martino M, Montero D, Levit C, Lebersztein G, Anfuso F, Roldán Deamicis A, Mercogliano MF, Proietti CJ, Schillaci R, Elizalde PV, Cordo Russo RI. Halting ErbB-2 isoforms retrograde transport to the nucleus as a new theragnostic approach for triple-negative breast cancer. Cell Death Dis 2022; 13:447. [PMID: 35534460 PMCID: PMC9084267 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-022-04855-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Revised: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is clinically defined by the absence of estrogen and progesterone receptors and the lack of membrane overexpression or gene amplification of receptor tyrosine kinase ErbB-2/HER2. Due to TNBC heterogeneity, clinical biomarkers and targeted therapies for this disease remain elusive. We demonstrated that ErbB-2 is localized in the nucleus (NErbB-2) of TNBC cells and primary tumors, from where it drives growth. We also discovered that TNBC expresses both wild-type ErbB-2 (WTErbB-2) and alternative ErbB-2 isoform c (ErbB-2c). Here, we revealed that the inhibitors of the retrograde transport Retro-2 and its cyclic derivative Retro-2.1 evict both WTErbB-2 and ErbB-2c from the nucleus of BC cells and tumors. Using BC cells from several molecular subtypes, as well as normal breast cells, we demonstrated that Retro-2 specifically blocks proliferation of BC cells expressing NErbB-2. Importantly, Retro-2 eviction of both ErbB-2 isoforms from the nucleus resulted in a striking growth abrogation in multiple TNBC preclinical models, including tumor explants and xenografts. Our mechanistic studies in TNBC cells revealed that Retro-2 induces a differential accumulation of WTErbB-2 at the early endosomes and the plasma membrane, and of ErbB-2c at the Golgi, shedding new light both on Retro-2 action on endogenous protein cargoes undergoing retrograde transport, and on the biology of ErbB-2 splicing variants. In addition, we revealed that the presence of a functional signal peptide and a nuclear export signal (NES), both located at the N-terminus of WTErbB-2, and absent in ErbB-2c, accounts for the differential subcellular distribution of ErbB-2 isoforms upon Retro-2 treatment. Our present discoveries provide evidence for the rational repurposing of Retro-2 as a novel therapeutic agent for TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santiago Madera
- Laboratory of Molecular Mechanisms of Carcinogenesis and Molecular Endocrinology, Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME), CONICET, Vuelta de Obligado 2490, C1428ADN, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Franco Izzo
- New York Genome Center, New York, NY, USA
- Meyer Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - María F Chervo
- Laboratory of Molecular Mechanisms of Carcinogenesis and Molecular Endocrinology, Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME), CONICET, Vuelta de Obligado 2490, C1428ADN, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Agustina Dupont
- Laboratory of Molecular Mechanisms of Carcinogenesis and Molecular Endocrinology, Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME), CONICET, Vuelta de Obligado 2490, C1428ADN, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Violeta A Chiauzzi
- Laboratory of Molecular Mechanisms of Carcinogenesis and Molecular Endocrinology, Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME), CONICET, Vuelta de Obligado 2490, C1428ADN, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Sofia Bruni
- Laboratory of Molecular Mechanisms of Carcinogenesis and Molecular Endocrinology, Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME), CONICET, Vuelta de Obligado 2490, C1428ADN, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Ezequiel Petrillo
- Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Celular and CONICET-UBA, Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE), C1428EHA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Sharon S Merin
- Laboratory of Molecular Mechanisms of Carcinogenesis and Molecular Endocrinology, Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME), CONICET, Vuelta de Obligado 2490, C1428ADN, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Mara De Martino
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Diego Montero
- Laboratory of Molecular Mechanisms of Carcinogenesis and Molecular Endocrinology, Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME), CONICET, Vuelta de Obligado 2490, C1428ADN, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Claudio Levit
- Servicio de Ginecología, Sanatorio Sagrado Corazón, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | | | - Fabiana Anfuso
- Servicio de Ginecología, Sanatorio Sagrado Corazón, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Agustina Roldán Deamicis
- Laboratory of Molecular Mechanisms of Carcinogenesis and Molecular Endocrinology, Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME), CONICET, Vuelta de Obligado 2490, C1428ADN, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - María F Mercogliano
- Laboratory of Molecular Mechanisms of Carcinogenesis and Molecular Endocrinology, Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME), CONICET, Vuelta de Obligado 2490, C1428ADN, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Cecilia J Proietti
- Laboratory of Molecular Mechanisms of Carcinogenesis and Molecular Endocrinology, Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME), CONICET, Vuelta de Obligado 2490, C1428ADN, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Roxana Schillaci
- Laboratory of Molecular Mechanisms of Carcinogenesis and Molecular Endocrinology, Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME), CONICET, Vuelta de Obligado 2490, C1428ADN, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Patricia V Elizalde
- Laboratory of Molecular Mechanisms of Carcinogenesis and Molecular Endocrinology, Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME), CONICET, Vuelta de Obligado 2490, C1428ADN, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Rosalía I Cordo Russo
- Laboratory of Molecular Mechanisms of Carcinogenesis and Molecular Endocrinology, Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME), CONICET, Vuelta de Obligado 2490, C1428ADN, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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NRG1/ERBB3/ERBB2 Axis Triggers Anchorage-Independent Growth of Basal-like/Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cells. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14071603. [PMID: 35406375 PMCID: PMC8997077 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14071603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Revised: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease, categorized into distinct subgroups with different clinical prognoses and treatment strategies. This study aimed to evaluate the role of ERBB3 in different molecular subtypes of breast cancers. Despite ERBB3/HER3 and its partner ERBB2/HER2 showing low expression levels in basal-like/triple-negative breast cancers, stratification of basal-like patients according to ERBB3 mRNA expression levels highlighted a correlation between higher ERBB3 levels and shorter relapse-free patients’ survival. In vitro analyses unveiled that the activation of the NRG1/ERBB3/ERBB2 axis robustly induces anchorage-independent growth of basal-like/triple-negative breast cancer cellular models, without significant effects on cell proliferation, differentiation, and migration in adhesion. Overall, our data suggest that ERBB2/ERBB3 plays an oncogenic role in basal-like/triple-negative breast cancer patients, suggesting its neutralization as a therapeutic strategy for these breast cancer subtypes, which today have very limited treatment opportunities. Abstract ERBB3, also known as HER3, is a tyrosine kinase transmembrane receptor of the ERBB family. Upon binding to neuregulin 1 (NRG1), ERBB3 preferentially dimerizes with HER2 (ERBB2), in turn inducing aggressive features in several cancer types. The analysis of a dataset of breast cancer patients unveiled that higher ERBB3 mRNA expression correlates with shorter relapse-free survival in basal-like breast cancers, despite low ERBB3 expression in this breast cancer subtype. Administration of neuregulin 1 beta (NRG1β) significantly affected neither cellular proliferation nor the basal migratory ability of basal-like/triple-negative quasi-normal MCF10A breast cells, cultured in mono-layer conditions. Furthermore, no significant regulation in cell morphology or in the expression of basal/myoepithelial and luminal markers was observed upon stimulation with NRG1β. In non-adherent conditions, NRG1β administration to MCF10A cells did not significantly influence cell survival; however, it robustly induced cell growth as spheroids (3D growth). Intriguingly, a remarkable upregulation of ERBB3 and ERBB2 protein abundance was observed in 3D compared to 2D cell cultures, and NRG1β-induced 3D cell growth was efficiently prevented by the anti-HER2 monoclonal antibody pertuzumab. Similar results were obtained by the analysis of basal-like/triple-negative breast cancer cellular models, MDA-MB-468 and MDA-MB-231 cells, in which NRG1β induced anchorage-independent cell growth that in turn was prevented or reduced by the simultaneous administration of anti-HER2 neutralizing antibodies. Finally, the ability of pertuzumab in suppressing NRG1β-induced 3D growth was also evaluated and confirmed in MCF10A engineered with HER2-overexpression. We suggest that the NRG1/ERBB3/ERBB2 pathway promotes the anchorage-independent growth of basal-like breast cancer cells. Importantly, we provide evidence that ERBB2 neutralization, in particular by pertuzumab, robustly inhibits this process. Our results pave the way towards the development of novel anticancer strategies for basal-like breast cancer patients based on the interception of the NRG1/ERBB3/ERBB2 signaling axis.
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Servetto A, Formisano L, Arteaga CL. FGFR signaling and endocrine resistance in breast cancer: Challenges for the clinical development of FGFR inhibitors. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2021; 1876:188595. [PMID: 34303787 PMCID: PMC10537726 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2021.188595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2021] [Revised: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) and their receptors (FGFRs) have been extensively investigated in solid malignancies, representing an attractive therapeutic target. In breast cancer, especially in estrogen receptor positive (ER+) subtype, FGFR signaling aberrations have been reported to contribute to proliferation, dedifferentiation, metastasis and drug resistance. However, clinical trials evaluating the use of FGFR inhibitors in breast cancer have had disappointing results. The different biological properties of distinct FGFR alterations and lack of established patient selection criteria, in addition to the early use of non-selective inhibitors, are possible reasons of this failure. Herein, we review the current knowledge regarding the role of FGFR signaling in endocrine resistance in breast cancer. We will also summarize the results from the clinical development of FGFR inhibitors in breast cancer, discussing future challenges to identify the correct cohorts of patients to enroll in trials testing FGFR inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Servetto
- Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States of America; Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Luigi Formisano
- Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Carlos L Arteaga
- Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States of America.
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