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Rodriguez-Tirado C, Sosa MS. How much do we know about the metastatic process? Clin Exp Metastasis 2024:10.1007/s10585-023-10248-0. [PMID: 38520475 DOI: 10.1007/s10585-023-10248-0] [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: 08/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/25/2024]
Abstract
Cancer cells can leave their primary sites and travel through the circulation to distant sites, where they lodge as disseminated cancer cells (DCCs), even during the early and asymptomatic stages of tumor progression. In experimental models and clinical samples, DCCs can be detected in a non-proliferative state, defined as cellular dormancy. This state can persist for extended periods until DCCs reawaken, usually in response to niche-derived reactivation signals. Therefore, their clinical detection in sites like lymph nodes and bone marrow is linked to poor survival. Current cancer therapy designs are based on the biology of the primary tumor and do not target the biology of the dormant DCC population and thus fail to eradicate the initial or subsequent waves of metastasis. In this brief review, we discuss the current methods for detecting DCCs and highlight new strategies that aim to target DCCs that constitute minimal residual disease to reduce or prevent metastasis formation. Furthermore, we present current evidence on the relevance of DCCs derived from early stages of tumor progression in metastatic disease and describe the animal models available for their study. We also discuss our current understanding of the dissemination mechanisms utilized by genetically less- and more-advanced cancer cells, which include the functional analysis of intermediate or hybrid states of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Finally, we raise some intriguing questions regarding the clinical impact of studying the crosstalk between evolutionary waves of DCCs and the initiation of metastatic disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Rodriguez-Tirado
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA.
- Department of Oncology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA.
- Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA.
- Cancer Dormancy and Tumor Microenvironment Institute/Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA.
- Ruth L. and David S. Gottesman Institute for Stem Cell Research and Regenerative Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA.
| | - Maria Soledad Sosa
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA.
- Department of Oncology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA.
- Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA.
- Cancer Dormancy and Tumor Microenvironment Institute/Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA.
- Ruth L. and David S. Gottesman Institute for Stem Cell Research and Regenerative Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA.
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2
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Munoz-Arcos LS, Nicolò E, Serafini MS, Gerratana L, Reduzzi C, Cristofanilli M. Latest advances in clinical studies of circulating tumor cells in early and metastatic breast cancer. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2023; 381:1-21. [PMID: 37739480 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ircmb.2023.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/24/2023]
Abstract
Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) have emerged as a promising biomarker in breast cancer, offering insights into disease progression and treatment response. While CTCs have demonstrated prognostic relevance in early breast cancer, more validation is required to establish optimal cut-off points. In metastatic breast cancer, the detection of CTCs using the Food and Drug Administration-approved CellSearch® system is a strong independent prognostic factor. However, mesenchymal CTCs and the Parsortix® PC1 system show promise as alternative detection methods. This chapter offers a comprehensive review of clinical studies on CTCs in breast cancer, emphasizing their prognostic and predictive value in different stages of the disease and provides insights into potential future directions in CTC research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura S Munoz-Arcos
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology-Oncology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Eleonora Nicolò
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology-Oncology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, United States; Division of New Drugs and Early Drug Development, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Milan, Italy; Department of Oncology and Hematology-Oncology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Mara S Serafini
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology-Oncology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Lorenzo Gerratana
- Department of Medical Oncology, CRO Aviano, National Cancer Institute, IRCCS, Aviano, Italy
| | - Carolina Reduzzi
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology-Oncology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Massimo Cristofanilli
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology-Oncology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, United States.
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3
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Huang Y, Wang H, Yue X, Li X. Bone serves as a transfer station for secondary dissemination of breast cancer. Bone Res 2023; 11:21. [PMID: 37085486 PMCID: PMC10121690 DOI: 10.1038/s41413-023-00260-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2022] [Revised: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 04/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Metastasis is responsible for the majority of deaths among breast cancer patients. Although parallel polyclonal seeding has been shown to contribute to organ-specific metastasis, in the past decade, horizontal cross-metastatic seeding (metastasis-to-metastasis spreading) has also been demonstrated as a pattern of distant metastasis to multiple sites. Bone, as the most frequent first destination of breast cancer metastasis, has been demonstrated to facilitate the secondary dissemination of breast cancer cells. In this review, we summarize the clinical and experimental evidence that bone is a transfer station for the secondary dissemination of breast cancer. We also discuss the regulatory mechanisms of the bone microenvironment in secondary seeding of breast cancer, focusing on stemness regulation, quiescence-proliferation equilibrium regulation, epigenetic reprogramming and immune escape of cancer cells. Furthermore, we highlight future research perspectives and strategies for preventing secondary dissemination from bone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yufan Huang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center of Cancer, Tianjin, 300060, China
- Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center of Cancer, Tianjin, 300060, China
- Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer Prevention and Treatment of the Ministry of Education, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center of Cancer, Tianjin, 300060, China
| | - Hongli Wang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center of Cancer, Tianjin, 300060, China
- Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center of Cancer, Tianjin, 300060, China
- Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer Prevention and Treatment of the Ministry of Education, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center of Cancer, Tianjin, 300060, China
| | - Xiaomin Yue
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center of Cancer, Tianjin, 300060, China
- Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center of Cancer, Tianjin, 300060, China
- Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer Prevention and Treatment of the Ministry of Education, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center of Cancer, Tianjin, 300060, China
| | - Xiaoqing Li
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center of Cancer, Tianjin, 300060, China.
- Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center of Cancer, Tianjin, 300060, China.
- Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer Prevention and Treatment of the Ministry of Education, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center of Cancer, Tianjin, 300060, China.
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4
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Magbanua MJM, van ‘t Veer L, Clark AS, Chien AJ, Boughey JC, Han HS, Wallace A, Beckwith H, Liu MC, Yau C, Wileyto EP, Ordonez A, Solanki T, Hsiao F, Lee JC, Basu A, Swigart LB, Perlmutter J, Delson AL, Bayne L, Deluca S, Yee SS, Carpenter EL, Esserman LJ, Park JW, Chodosh LA, DeMichele A. Outcomes and clinicopathologic characteristics associated with disseminated tumor cells in bone marrow after neoadjuvant chemotherapy in high-risk early stage breast cancer: the I-SPY SURMOUNT study. Breast Cancer Res Treat 2023; 198:383-390. [PMID: 36689092 PMCID: PMC10290540 DOI: 10.1007/s10549-022-06803-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Disseminated tumor cells (DTCs) expressing epithelial markers in the bone marrow are associated with recurrence and death, but little is known about risk factors predicting their occurrence. We detected EPCAM+/CD45- cells in bone marrow from early stage breast cancer patients after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in the I-SPY 2 Trial and examined clinicopathologic factors and outcomes. METHODS Patients who signed consent for SURMOUNT, a sub-study of the I-SPY 2 Trial (NCT01042379), had bone marrow collected after NAC at the time of surgery. EPCAM+CD45- cells in 4 mLs of bone marrow aspirate were enumerated using immunomagnetic enrichment/flow cytometry (IE/FC). Patients with > 4.16 EPCAM+CD45- cells per mL of bone marrow were classified as DTC-positive. Tumor response was assessed using the residual cancer burden (RCB), a standardized approach to quantitate the extent of residual invasive cancer present in the breast and the axillary lymph nodes after NAC. Association of DTC-positivity with clinicopathologic variables and survival was examined. RESULTS A total of 73 patients were enrolled, 51 of whom had successful EPCAM+CD45- cell enumeration. Twenty-four of 51 (47.1%) were DTC-positive. The DTC-positivity rate was similar across receptor subtypes, but DTC-positive patients were significantly younger (p = 0.0239) and had larger pretreatment tumors compared to DTC-negative patients (p = 0.0319). Twenty of 51 (39.2%) achieved a pathologic complete response (pCR). While DTC-positivity was not associated with achieving pCR, it was significantly associated with higher RCB class (RCB-II/III, 62.5% vs. RCB-0/I; 33.3%; Chi-squared p = 0.0373). No significant correlation was observed between DTC-positivity and distant recurrence-free survival (p = 0.38, median follow-up = 3.2 years). CONCLUSION DTC-positivity at surgery after NAC was higher in younger patients, those with larger tumors, and those with residual disease at surgery.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - A. Jo Chien
- University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
| | | | | | - Anne Wallace
- University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA
| | | | | | - Christina Yau
- University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
| | | | - Andrea Ordonez
- University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
| | - Tulasi Solanki
- University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
| | - Feng Hsiao
- University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
| | - Jen Chieh Lee
- University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
| | - Amrita Basu
- University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
| | | | | | - Amy L. Delson
- University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
| | | | | | | | | | | | - John W. Park
- University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
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Multi-Parameter Analysis of Disseminated Tumor Cells (DTCs) in Early Breast Cancer Patients with Hormone-Receptor-Positive Tumors. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15030568. [PMID: 36765527 PMCID: PMC9913363 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15030568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Revised: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patients with hormone-receptor-positive (HR+) breast cancer are at increased risk for late recurrence. One reason might be disseminated tumor cells (DTCs), which split off in the early stages of the disease and metastasize into the bone marrow (BM). METHODS We developed a novel multi-parameter immunofluorescence staining protocol using releasable and bleachable antibody-fluorochrome-conjugates. This sequential procedure enabled us to analyze six distinct phenotypical and therapy-related markers on the same DTC. We characterized BM aspirates from 29 patients with a HR+ tumor and a known positive DTC status-based on the standardized detection of epithelial cells in BM. RESULTS Using the immunofluorescence staining, a total of 153 DTCs were detected. Luminal A patients revealed a higher DTC count compared with luminal B. The majority of the detected DTCs were CK-positive (128/153). However, in 16 of 17 luminal A patients we found HER2-positive DTCs. We detected CK-negative DTCs (25/153) in 12 of 29 patients. Of those cells, 76% were Ki67-positive and 68% were HER2-positive. Moreover, we detected DTC clusters consisting of mixed characteristics in 6 of 29 patients. CONCLUSIONS Using sequential multi-parameter imaging made it possible to identify distinct DTC profiles not solely based on epithelial features. Our findings indicate that characterization rather than quantification of DTCs might be relevant for treatment decisions.
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6
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Sanaat Z, Nouri O, Khanzadeh M, Mostafaei H, Vahed N, Kabiri N, Khoei RAA, Salehi-Pourmehr H. Bisphosphonates and Prevention of the Perimenopausal Breast Cancer Recurrence: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. J Breast Cancer 2022; 25:454-472. [PMID: 36265887 PMCID: PMC9807326 DOI: 10.4048/jbc.2022.25.e39] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Revised: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Bisphosphonates (BPs) have a powerful effect on reducing bone resorption and improving the survival of patients with breast cancer. We aimed to investigate the impact of BP treatment on the prevention of recurrence, metastasis, and death of breast cancer survivors in the perimenopausal period. METHODS The search strategy aimed to identify both published and unpublished studies in PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Embase, ProQuest, and Google Scholar in March 2021. Two independent reviewers assessed quantitative papers selected for retrieval for methodological validity before being included in the review using standardized critical appraisal instruments from the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Meta-Analysis of Statistics Assessment and Review Instrument (JBI-MAStARI). Statistical meta-analysis was performed using Review Manager (RevMan) 5.4 statistical software when the data were homogenous. Meta-analysis was performed by calculating the effect size (hazard ratio; HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS Twenty-one studies were eligible for this systematic review and meta-analysis. The overall The HRs for disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) in women who received BPs were 0.89 (95% CI, 0.83-0.97; p = 0.005), and 0.75 (95% CI, 0.63-0.89; p = 0.001), respectively. The results showed that BPs had a significant effect on the prevention of locoregional (HR, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.42-0.97; p = 0.04), bone (95% CI, 0.74-0.95; p ≤ 0.001), and distant metastases (HR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.62-0.94; p = 0.01). In the subgroup analysis based on study design, the only insignificant HR in the included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was that of locoregional metastasis. CONCLUSION Although BPs have a promising effect on DFS, OS, and bone metastasis of perimenopausal women survivors of breast cancer, more RCTs are needed to evaluate their effect on other survivors' outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zohreh Sanaat
- Hematology and Oncology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Ozra Nouri
- Research Center for Evidence-Based Medicine, Iranian EBM Center: A Joanna Briggs Institute Center of Excellence, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Monireh Khanzadeh
- Student Research Committee, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Hadi Mostafaei
- Department of Urology, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Nafiseh Vahed
- Research Center for Evidence-Based Medicine, Iranian EBM Center: A Joanna Briggs Institute Center of Excellence, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Neda Kabiri
- Research Center for Evidence-Based Medicine, Iranian EBM Center: A Joanna Briggs Institute Center of Excellence, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Reza Ali Akbari Khoei
- Research Center for Evidence-Based Medicine, Iranian EBM Center: A Joanna Briggs Institute Center of Excellence, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Hanieh Salehi-Pourmehr
- Research Center for Evidence-Based Medicine, Iranian EBM Center: A Joanna Briggs Institute Center of Excellence, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
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Trapp EK, Fasching PA, Fehm T, Schneeweiss A, Mueller V, Harbeck N, Lorenz R, Schumacher C, Heinrich G, Schochter F, de Gregorio A, Tzschaschel M, Rack B, Janni W, Friedl TWP. Does the Presence of Circulating Tumor Cells in High-Risk Early Breast Cancer Patients Predict the Site of First Metastasis—Results from the Adjuvant SUCCESS A Trial. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14163949. [PMID: 36010945 PMCID: PMC9406108 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14163949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Revised: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Due to recent advances in breast cancer detection and treatment strategies, the number of breast cancer survivors has increased over the past decades. However, breast cancer follow-up guidelines have not changed for years. The presence of CTCs detected during follow-up has been shown to indicate poor prognosis in high-risk breast cancer patients. Here, we evaluated if the presence of CTCs also indicates the site of metastatic disease by analyzing CTC status and metastatic location in 206 patients with distant recurrence from the large adjuvant breast cancer trial SUCCESS A. Patients who were CTC-positive both before and after chemotherapy were more likely to show bone-only first distant disease (37.5% vs. 21.0%) and first distant disease at multiple sites (31.3% vs. 12.6%) than patients without CTCs. These data indicate that CTCs might serve as a liquid biopsy surveillance-marker enabling risk-stratification for deciding on further adjuvant add-on-treatment. Abstract The prognostic relevance of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in breast cancer is well established. However, little is known about the association of CTCs and site of first metastasis. In the SUCCESS A trial, 373 out of 3754 randomized high-risk breast cancer patients developed metastatic disease. CTC status was assessed by the FDA-approved CellSearch®-System (Menarini Silicon Biosystems, Bologna, Italy) in 206 of these patients before chemotherapy and additionally in 159 patients after chemotherapy. CTCs were detected in 70 (34.0%) of 206 patients before (median 2 CTCs, 1–827) and in 44 (27.7%) of 159 patients after chemotherapy (median 1 CTC, 1–124); 16 (10.1%) of 159 patients were CTC-positive at both timepoints. The site of first distant disease was bone-only, visceral-only, and other-site-only in 44 (21.4%), 60 (29.1%), and 74 (35.9%) patients, respectively, while 28 (13.6%) patients had multiple sites of first metastatic disease. Patients with CTCs at both timepoints more often showed bone-only first distant disease (37.5% vs. 21.0%) and first distant disease at multiple sites (31.3% vs. 12.6%) than patients without CTCs before and/or after chemotherapy (p = 0.027). In conclusion, the presence of CTCs before and after chemotherapy is associated with multiple-site or bone-only first-distant disease and may trigger intensified follow-up and perhaps further treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabeth K. Trapp
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Medical University of Graz, 8036 Graz, Austria
- Correspondence:
| | - Peter A. Fasching
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg, 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Tanja Fehm
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Hospital Duesseldorf, Heinrich-Heine University Duesseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Andreas Schneeweiss
- National Center for Tumor Diseases, Heidelberg University Hospital and German Cancer Research Center, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Volkmar Mueller
- Department of Gynecology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Nadia Harbeck
- Breast Center, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics and CCC Munich, LMU University Hospital, 81337 München, Germany
| | - Ralf Lorenz
- Gynecologic Practice Dr. Lorenz, N. Hecker, Dr. Kreiss-Sender, 38100 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Claudia Schumacher
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, St. Elisabeth’s Hospital, 50935 Cologne, Germany
| | | | - Fabienne Schochter
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Hospital Ulm, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Amelie de Gregorio
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Hospital Ulm, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Marie Tzschaschel
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Hospital Ulm, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Brigitte Rack
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Hospital Ulm, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Janni
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Hospital Ulm, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Thomas W. P. Friedl
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Hospital Ulm, 89081 Ulm, Germany
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Centonze G, Natalini D, Piccolantonio A, Salemme V, Morellato A, Arina P, Riganti C, Defilippi P. Cholesterol and Its Derivatives: Multifaceted Players in Breast Cancer Progression. Front Oncol 2022; 12:906670. [PMID: 35719918 PMCID: PMC9204587 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.906670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cholesterol is an essential lipid primarily synthesized in the liver through the mevalonate pathway. Besides being a precursor of steroid hormones, bile acid, and vitamin D, it is an essential structural component of cell membranes, is enriched in membrane lipid rafts, and plays a key role in intracellular signal transduction. The lipid homeostasis is finely regulated end appears to be impaired in several types of tumors, including breast cancer. In this review, we will analyse the multifaceted roles of cholesterol and its derivatives in breast cancer progression. As an example of the bivalent role of cholesterol in the cell membrane of cancer cells, on the one hand, it reduces membrane fluidity, which has been associated with a more aggressive tumor phenotype in terms of cell motility and migration, leading to metastasis formation. On the other hand, it makes the membrane less permeable to small water-soluble molecules that would otherwise freely cross, resulting in a loss of chemotherapeutics permeability. Regarding cholesterol derivatives, a lower vitamin D is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, while steroid hormones, coupled with the overexpression of their receptors, play a crucial role in breast cancer progression. Despite the role of cholesterol and derivatives molecules in breast cancer development is still controversial, the use of cholesterol targeting drugs like statins and zoledronic acid appears as a challenging promising tool for breast cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giorgia Centonze
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Torino, Torino, Italy.,Interdepartmental Center of Research in Molecular Biotechnology, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Dora Natalini
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Torino, Torino, Italy.,Interdepartmental Center of Research in Molecular Biotechnology, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Alessio Piccolantonio
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Torino, Torino, Italy.,Interdepartmental Center of Research in Molecular Biotechnology, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Salemme
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Torino, Torino, Italy.,Interdepartmental Center of Research in Molecular Biotechnology, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Alessandro Morellato
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Torino, Torino, Italy.,Interdepartmental Center of Research in Molecular Biotechnology, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Pietro Arina
- University College London (UCL), Bloomsbury Institute of Intensive Care Medicine, Division of Medicine, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Chiara Riganti
- Interdepartmental Center of Research in Molecular Biotechnology, University of Torino, Torino, Italy.,Department of Oncology, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Paola Defilippi
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Torino, Torino, Italy.,Interdepartmental Center of Research in Molecular Biotechnology, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
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9
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The mevalonate pathway in breast cancer biology. Cancer Lett 2022; 542:215761. [DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2022.215761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2022] [Revised: 05/25/2022] [Accepted: 05/26/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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