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Ward AV, Riley D, Finlay-Schultz J, Brechbuhl HM, Hill KB, Varshney RR, Kabos P, Rudolph MC, Sartorius CA. Targeting aberrant fatty acid synthesis and storage in endocrine resistant breast cancer cells. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.30.596684. [PMID: 38895323 PMCID: PMC11185564 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.30.596684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
Background Lipid metabolic reprogramming is an emerging characteristic of endocrine therapy (ET) resistance in estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer. We explored changes in lipid metabolism in ER+ breast cancer cell lines following acquired resistance to common endocrine treatments and tested efficacy of an inhibitor in current clinical trials. Methods We derived ER+ breast cancer cell lines resistant to Tamoxifen (TamR), Fulvestrant (FulvR), and long-term estrogen withdrawal (EWD). Parental and ET resistant cells were subjected to global gene expression and unbiased lipidomic profiling. Lipid storage changes were assessed via neutral lipid staining with Oil Red O (ORO). The impact of the fatty acid synthase (FASN) inhibitor TVB-2640 on the growth and lipid storage of these cell lines was evaluated. Additionally, 13 C 2 -acetate tracing was used to examine FASN activity in parental and ET resistant cells in the absence or presence of TVB-2640. Results Compared to parental cells, lipid metabolism and processing pathways were notably enriched in ET resistant cells, which exhibited distinct lipidomes characterized by increased triglyceride and polyunsaturated FA (PUFA) species. ET-resistant cells displayed enhanced cytoplasmic lipid droplets. Increased FASN protein levels were observed in ET-resistant cells, and TVB-2640 effectively inhibited FASN activity. FASN inhibition reduced cell growth in some but not all cell lines and ET resistance types and did not correlate to lipid storage reduction. 13 C 2 -acetate tracing confirmed reduced palmitate synthesis and enhanced PUFA synthesis in ET-resistant cells, especially when combined with FulvR. Conclusion ET resistant breast cancer cells exhibit a shift towards enhanced triglyceride storage and complex lipids enriched with PUFA acyl chains. While targeting FASN alongside ET may not fully overcome ET resistance in our models, focusing on the unique lipid metabolic dependencies, such as PUFA pathways, may present a promising alternative strategy for treating ET resistant breast cancer.
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Zhang X, Yang F, Huang Z, Liu X, Xia G, Huang J, Yang Y, Li J, Huang J, Liu Y, Zhou T, Qi W, Gao G, Yang X. Macrophages Promote Subtype Conversion and Endocrine Resistance in Breast Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:678. [PMID: 38339428 PMCID: PMC10854660 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16030678] [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: 12/30/2023] [Revised: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The progression of tumors from less aggressive subtypes to more aggressive states during metastasis poses challenges for treatment strategies. Previous studies have revealed the molecular subtype conversion between primary and metastatic tumors in breast cancer (BC). However, the subtype conversion during lymph node metastasis (LNM) and the underlying mechanism remains unclear. METHODS We compared clinical subtypes in paired primary tumors and positive lymph nodes (PLNs) in BC patients and further validated them in the mouse model. Bioinformatics analysis and macrophage-conditioned medium treatment were performed to investigate the role of macrophages in subtype conversion. RESULTS During LNM, hormone receptors (HRs) were down-regulated, while HER2 was up-regulated, leading to the transformation of luminal A tumors towards luminal B tumors and from luminal B subtype towards HER2-enriched (HER2-E) subtype. The mouse model demonstrated the elevated levels of HER2 in PLN while retaining luminal characteristics. Among the various cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME), macrophages were the most clinically relevant in terms of prognosis. The treatment of a macrophage-conditioned medium further confirmed the downregulation of HR expression and upregulation of HER2 expression, inducing tamoxifen resistance. Through bioinformatics analysis, MNX1 was identified as a potential transcription factor governing the expression of HR and HER2. CONCLUSION Our study revealed the HER2-E subtype conversion during LNM in BC. Macrophages were the crucial cell type in TME, inducing the downregulation of HR and upregulation of HER2, probably via MNX1. Targeting macrophages or MNX1 may provide new avenues for endocrine therapy and targeted treatment of BC patients with LNM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyan Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China; (X.Z.); (F.Y.); (Z.H.); (X.L.); (G.X.); (J.H.); (Y.Y.); (J.L.); (J.H.); (Y.L.); (T.Z.); (W.Q.)
| | - Fengyu Yang
- Department of Biochemistry, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China; (X.Z.); (F.Y.); (Z.H.); (X.L.); (G.X.); (J.H.); (Y.Y.); (J.L.); (J.H.); (Y.L.); (T.Z.); (W.Q.)
| | - Zhijian Huang
- Department of Biochemistry, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China; (X.Z.); (F.Y.); (Z.H.); (X.L.); (G.X.); (J.H.); (Y.Y.); (J.L.); (J.H.); (Y.L.); (T.Z.); (W.Q.)
- Department of Pathology, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen 518107, China
| | - Xiaojun Liu
- Department of Biochemistry, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China; (X.Z.); (F.Y.); (Z.H.); (X.L.); (G.X.); (J.H.); (Y.Y.); (J.L.); (J.H.); (Y.L.); (T.Z.); (W.Q.)
| | - Gan Xia
- Department of Biochemistry, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China; (X.Z.); (F.Y.); (Z.H.); (X.L.); (G.X.); (J.H.); (Y.Y.); (J.L.); (J.H.); (Y.L.); (T.Z.); (W.Q.)
| | - Jieye Huang
- Department of Biochemistry, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China; (X.Z.); (F.Y.); (Z.H.); (X.L.); (G.X.); (J.H.); (Y.Y.); (J.L.); (J.H.); (Y.L.); (T.Z.); (W.Q.)
| | - Yang Yang
- Department of Biochemistry, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China; (X.Z.); (F.Y.); (Z.H.); (X.L.); (G.X.); (J.H.); (Y.Y.); (J.L.); (J.H.); (Y.L.); (T.Z.); (W.Q.)
| | - Junchen Li
- Department of Biochemistry, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China; (X.Z.); (F.Y.); (Z.H.); (X.L.); (G.X.); (J.H.); (Y.Y.); (J.L.); (J.H.); (Y.L.); (T.Z.); (W.Q.)
| | - Jin Huang
- Department of Biochemistry, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China; (X.Z.); (F.Y.); (Z.H.); (X.L.); (G.X.); (J.H.); (Y.Y.); (J.L.); (J.H.); (Y.L.); (T.Z.); (W.Q.)
| | - Yuxin Liu
- Department of Biochemistry, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China; (X.Z.); (F.Y.); (Z.H.); (X.L.); (G.X.); (J.H.); (Y.Y.); (J.L.); (J.H.); (Y.L.); (T.Z.); (W.Q.)
| | - Ti Zhou
- Department of Biochemistry, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China; (X.Z.); (F.Y.); (Z.H.); (X.L.); (G.X.); (J.H.); (Y.Y.); (J.L.); (J.H.); (Y.L.); (T.Z.); (W.Q.)
| | - Weiwei Qi
- Department of Biochemistry, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China; (X.Z.); (F.Y.); (Z.H.); (X.L.); (G.X.); (J.H.); (Y.Y.); (J.L.); (J.H.); (Y.L.); (T.Z.); (W.Q.)
| | - Guoquan Gao
- Department of Biochemistry, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China; (X.Z.); (F.Y.); (Z.H.); (X.L.); (G.X.); (J.H.); (Y.Y.); (J.L.); (J.H.); (Y.L.); (T.Z.); (W.Q.)
- Department of Internal Medicine, Guangzhou Women and Children’s Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510700, China
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Xia Yang
- Department of Biochemistry, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China; (X.Z.); (F.Y.); (Z.H.); (X.L.); (G.X.); (J.H.); (Y.Y.); (J.L.); (J.H.); (Y.L.); (T.Z.); (W.Q.)
- Department of Internal Medicine, Guangzhou Women and Children’s Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510700, China
- Guangdong Engineering & Technology Research Center for Gene Manipulation and Biomacromolecular Products, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
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Braune EB, Geist F, Tang X, Kalari K, Boughey J, Wang L, Leon-Ferre RA, D'Assoro AB, Ingle JN, Goetz MP, Kreis J, Wang K, Foukakis T, Seshire A, Wienke D, Lendahl U. Identification of a Notch transcriptomic signature for breast cancer. Breast Cancer Res 2024; 26:4. [PMID: 38172915 PMCID: PMC10765899 DOI: 10.1186/s13058-023-01757-7] [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: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Dysregulated Notch signalling contributes to breast cancer development and progression, but validated tools to measure the level of Notch signalling in breast cancer subtypes and in response to systemic therapy are largely lacking. A transcriptomic signature of Notch signalling would be warranted, for example to monitor the effects of future Notch-targeting therapies and to learn whether altered Notch signalling is an off-target effect of current breast cancer therapies. In this report, we have established such a classifier. METHODS To generate the signature, we first identified Notch-regulated genes from six basal-like breast cancer cell lines subjected to elevated or reduced Notch signalling by culturing on immobilized Notch ligand Jagged1 or blockade of Notch by γ-secretase inhibitors, respectively. From this cadre of Notch-regulated genes, we developed candidate transcriptomic signatures that were trained on a breast cancer patient dataset (the TCGA-BRCA cohort) and a broader breast cancer cell line cohort and sought to validate in independent datasets. RESULTS An optimal 20-gene transcriptomic signature was selected. We validated the signature on two independent patient datasets (METABRIC and Oslo2), and it showed an improved coherence score and tumour specificity compared with previously published signatures. Furthermore, the signature score was particularly high for basal-like breast cancer, indicating an enhanced level of Notch signalling in this subtype. The signature score was increased after neoadjuvant treatment in the PROMIX and BEAUTY patient cohorts, and a lower signature score generally correlated with better clinical outcome. CONCLUSIONS The 20-gene transcriptional signature will be a valuable tool to evaluate the response of future Notch-targeting therapies for breast cancer, to learn about potential effects on Notch signalling from conventional breast cancer therapies and to better stratify patients for therapy considerations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eike-Benjamin Braune
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Xiaojia Tang
- Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Krishna Kalari
- Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Judy Boughey
- Department of Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Liewei Wang
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | | | | | - James N Ingle
- Department of Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Matthew P Goetz
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
- Department of Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | | | - Kang Wang
- Department of Oncology and Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Theodoros Foukakis
- Department of Oncology and Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | | | - Urban Lendahl
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
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Uematsu H, Saito C, Kondo J, Onuma K, Coppo R, Mori Y, Muto M, Kikawa Y, Tada M, Sugie T, Inoue M. De-differentiation in cultures of organoids from luminal-type breast cancer is restored by inhibition of NOTCH signaling. Hum Cell 2023; 36:2099-2112. [PMID: 37634223 DOI: 10.1007/s13577-023-00975-7] [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: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023]
Abstract
Estrogen receptor (ER) expression in breast cancer can change during progression and the treatment, but the mechanism has not been well studied. In this study, we successfully prepared organoids from samples obtained from 33 luminal-type breast cancer patients and studied their ER expression. The expression status was well maintained in primary organoids, whereas it decreased after passaging in most of the cases. In fact, the studied organoid lines were classified into those that retained a high level of ER expression (9%), those that completely lost it (9%), and those that repressed it to varying degrees (82%). In some cases, the ER expression was suddenly and drastically decreased after passaging. Marker protein immunohistochemistry revealed that after passaging, the differentiation status shifted from a luminal- to a basal-like status. Differentially expressed genes suggested the activation of NOTCH signaling in the passaged organoids, wherein a NOTCH inhibitor was able to substantially rescue the decreased ER expression and alter the differentiation status. Our findings suggest that the differentiation status of luminal-type cancer cells is quite flexible, and that by inhibiting the NOTCH signaling we can preserve the differentiation status of luminal-type breast cancer organoids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroyuki Uematsu
- Department of Clinical Bio-Resource Research and Development, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 46-29, Shimoadachi-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8304, Japan
- KBBM Inc, 46-29, Shimoadachi-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8304, Japan
| | - Chieko Saito
- Department of Clinical Bio-Resource Research and Development, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 46-29, Shimoadachi-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8304, Japan
- KBBM Inc, 46-29, Shimoadachi-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8304, Japan
| | - Jumpei Kondo
- Department of Clinical Bio-Resource Research and Development, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 46-29, Shimoadachi-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8304, Japan
- Division of Health Sciences, Department of Molecular Biology and Clinical Investigation, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Kunishige Onuma
- Department of Clinical Bio-Resource Research and Development, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 46-29, Shimoadachi-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8304, Japan
| | - Roberto Coppo
- Department of Clinical Bio-Resource Research and Development, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 46-29, Shimoadachi-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8304, Japan
| | - Yukiko Mori
- Department of Therapeutic Oncology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, 54 Shogoin Kawahara-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8507, Japan
| | - Manabu Muto
- Department of Therapeutic Oncology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, 54 Shogoin Kawahara-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8507, Japan
| | - Yuichiro Kikawa
- Department of Breast Surgery, Kansai Medical University, Hirakata, Osaka, 573-1191, Japan
| | - Manami Tada
- Department of Breast Surgery, Kansai Medical University, Hirakata, Osaka, 573-1191, Japan
| | - Tomoharu Sugie
- Department of Breast Surgery, Kansai Medical University, Hirakata, Osaka, 573-1191, Japan
| | - Masahiro Inoue
- Department of Clinical Bio-Resource Research and Development, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 46-29, Shimoadachi-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8304, Japan.
- Department of Clinical Bio-Resource Research and Development, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Med-Pharm Collaboration Building 503, Shimoadachi-cho 46-29, Sakyou-ku, Kyoto, 606-8304, Japan.
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Corsaro L, Gambino VS. Notch, SUMOylation, and ESR-Mediated Signalling Are the Main Molecular Pathways Showing Significantly Different Epimutation Scores between Expressing or Not Oestrogen Receptor Breast Cancer in Three Public EWAS Datasets. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:4109. [PMID: 37627137 PMCID: PMC10452656 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15164109] [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: 06/15/2023] [Revised: 07/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Oestrogen receptor expression in breast cancer (BC) cells is a marker of high cellular differentiation and allows the identification of two BC groups (ER-positive and ER-negative) that, although not completely homogeneous, differ in biological characteristics, clinical behaviour, and therapeutic options. The study, based on three publicly available EWAS (Epigenetic Wide Association Study) datasets, focuses on the comparison between these two groups of breast cancer using an epimutation score. The score is calculated not only based on the presence of the epimutation, but also on the deviation amplitude of the methylation outlier value. For each dataset, we performed a functional analysis based first on the functional gene region of each annotated gene (we aggregated the data per gene region TSS1500, TSS200, first-exon, and body-gene identified by the information from the Illumina Data Sheet), and then, we performed a pathway enrichment analysis through the REACTOME database based on the genes with the highest epimutation score. Thus, we blended our results and found common pathways for all three datasets. We found that a higher and significant epimutation score due to hypermethylation in ER-positive BC is present in the promoter region of the genes belonging to the SUMOylation pathway, the Notch pathway, the IFN-γ signalling pathway, and the deubiquitination protease pathway, while a higher and significant level of epimutation due to hypomethylation in ER-positive BC is present in the promoter region of the genes belonging to the ESR-mediated pathway. The presence of this state of promoter hypomethylation in the ESR-mediated signalling genes is consistent and coherent with an active signalling pathway mediated by oestrogen function in the group of ER-positive BC. The SUMOylation and Notch pathways are associated with BC pathogenesis and have been found to play distinct roles in the two BC subgroups. We speculated that the altered methylation profile may play a role in regulating signalling pathways with specific functions in the two subgroups of ER BC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luigi Corsaro
- Centro Diagnostico Italiano, Università di Pavia, 20100 Milan, Italy
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Chen Y, Zhang XF, Ou-Yang L. Inferring cancer common and specific gene networks via multi-layer joint graphical model. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2023; 21:974-990. [PMID: 36733706 PMCID: PMC9873583 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2023.01.017] [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: 05/17/2022] [Revised: 01/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer is a complex disease caused primarily by genetic variants. Reconstructing gene networks within tumors is essential for understanding the functional regulatory mechanisms of carcinogenesis. Advances in high-throughput sequencing technologies have provided tremendous opportunities for inferring gene networks via computational approaches. However, due to the heterogeneity of the same cancer type and the similarities between different cancer types, it remains a challenge to systematically investigate the commonalities and specificities between gene networks of different cancer types, which is a crucial step towards precision cancer diagnosis and treatment. In this study, we propose a new sparse regularized multi-layer decomposition graphical model to jointly estimate the gene networks of multiple cancer types. Our model can handle various types of gene expression data and decomposes each cancer-type-specific network into three components, i.e., globally shared, partially shared and cancer-type-unique components. By identifying the globally and partially shared gene network components, our model can explore the heterogeneous similarities between different cancer types, and our identified cancer-type-unique components can help to reveal the regulatory mechanisms unique to each cancer type. Extensive experiments on synthetic data illustrate the effectiveness of our model in joint estimation of multiple gene networks. We also apply our model to two real data sets to infer the gene networks of multiple cancer subtypes or cell lines. By analyzing our estimated globally shared, partially shared, and cancer-type-unique components, we identified a number of important genes associated with common and specific regulatory mechanisms across different cancer types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanxiao Chen
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Intelligent Information Processing, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Media Security, and Guangdong Laboratory of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Economy(SZ), Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xiao-Fei Zhang
- School of Mathematics and Statistics & Hubei Key Laboratory of Mathematical Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China
| | - Le Ou-Yang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Intelligent Information Processing, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Media Security, and Guangdong Laboratory of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Economy(SZ), Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China,Corresponding author.
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7
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Ozyurt R, Ozpolat B. Molecular Mechanisms of Anti-Estrogen Therapy Resistance and Novel Targeted Therapies. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:5206. [PMID: 36358625 PMCID: PMC9655708 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14215206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Revised: 10/05/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 07/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer (BC) is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women, constituting one-third of all cancers in women, and it is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. Anti-estrogen therapies, such as selective estrogen receptor modulators, significantly improve survival in estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) BC patients, which represents about 70% of cases. However, about 60% of patients inevitably experience intrinsic or acquired resistance to anti-estrogen therapies, representing a major clinical problem that leads to relapse, metastasis, and patient deaths. The resistance mechanisms involve mutations of the direct targets of anti-estrogen therapies, compensatory survival pathways, as well as alterations in the expression of non-coding RNAs (e.g., microRNA) that regulate the activity of survival and signaling pathways. Although cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitors have significantly improved survival, the efficacy of these therapies alone and in combination with anti-estrogen therapy for advanced ER+ BC, are not curative in advanced and metastatic disease. Therefore, understanding the molecular mechanisms causing treatment resistance is critical for developing highly effective therapies and improving patient survival. This review focuses on the key mechanisms that contribute to anti-estrogen therapy resistance and potential new treatment strategies alone and in combination with anti-estrogen drugs to improve the survival of BC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rumeysa Ozyurt
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Houston Methodist Research Institute, Department of Nanomedicine, 6670 Bertner Ave, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Bulent Ozpolat
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Houston Methodist Research Institute, Department of Nanomedicine, 6670 Bertner Ave, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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8
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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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9
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Hussain Y, Khan H, Alam W, Aschner M, Abdullah, Alsharif KF, Saso L. Flavonoids Targeting the mTOR Signaling Cascades in Cancer: A Potential Crosstalk in Anti-Breast Cancer Therapy. OXIDATIVE MEDICINE AND CELLULAR LONGEVITY 2022; 2022:4831833. [PMID: 35795855 PMCID: PMC9252758 DOI: 10.1155/2022/4831833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 06/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death in women, with triple-negative breast cancer being the most lethal and aggressive form. Conventional therapies, such as radiation, surgery, hormonal, immune, gene, and chemotherapy, are widely used, but their therapeutic efficacy is limited due to adverse side effects, toxicities, resistance, recurrence, and therapeutic failure. Many molecules have been identified and investigated as potential therapeutic agents for breast cancer, with a focus on various signaling pathways. Flavonoids are a versatile class of phytochemicals that have been used in cancer treatment to overcome issues with traditional therapies. Cell proliferation, growth, apoptosis, autophagy, and survival are all controlled by mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling. Flavonoids target mTOR signaling in breast cancer, and when this signaling pathway is regulated or deregulated, various signaling pathways provide potential therapeutic means. The role of various flavonoids as phytochemicals in targeting mTOR signaling pathways in breast cancer is highlighted in this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaseen Hussain
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
- Department of Pharmacy, Bashir Institute of Health Sciences, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Haroon Khan
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Chemical and Life Sciences, Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan 23200, Pakistan
| | - Waqas Alam
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Chemical and Life Sciences, Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan 23200, Pakistan
| | - Michael Aschner
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Abdullah
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Malakand, Chakdara, Dir Lower, Pakistan
| | - Khalaf F. Alsharif
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, College of Applied Medical Science, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia
| | - Luciano Saso
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology “Vittorio Erspamer” Sapienza University, 00185 Rome, Italy
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10
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Roles of Notch Signaling in the Tumor Microenvironment. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23116241. [PMID: 35682918 PMCID: PMC9181414 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23116241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Revised: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The Notch signaling pathway is an architecturally simple signaling mechanism, well known for its role in cell fate regulation during organ development and in tissue homeostasis. In keeping with its importance for normal development, dysregulation of Notch signaling is increasingly associated with different types of tumors, and proteins in the Notch signaling pathway can act as oncogenes or tumor suppressors, depending on the cellular context and tumor type. In addition to a role as a driver of tumor initiation and progression in the tumor cells carrying oncogenic mutations, it is an emerging realization that Notch signaling also plays a role in non-mutated cells in the tumor microenvironment. In this review, we discuss how aberrant Notch signaling can affect three types of cells in the tumor stroma-cancer-associated fibroblasts, immune cells and vascular cells-and how this influences their interactions with the tumor cells. Insights into the roles of Notch in cells of the tumor environment and the impact on tumor-stroma interactions will lead to a deeper understanding of Notch signaling in cancer and inspire new strategies for Notch-based tumor therapy.
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11
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Li Z, McGinn O, Wu Y, Bahreini A, Priedigkeit NM, Ding K, Onkar S, Lampenfeld C, Sartorius CA, Miller L, Rosenzweig M, Cohen O, Wagle N, Richer JK, Muller WJ, Buluwela L, Ali S, Bruno TC, Vignali DAA, Fang Y, Zhu L, Tseng GC, Gertz J, Atkinson JM, Lee AV, Oesterreich S. ESR1 mutant breast cancers show elevated basal cytokeratins and immune activation. Nat Commun 2022; 13:2011. [PMID: 35440136 PMCID: PMC9019037 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-29498-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2020] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Estrogen receptor alpha (ER/ESR1) is frequently mutated in endocrine resistant ER-positive (ER+) breast cancer and linked to ligand-independent growth and metastasis. Despite the distinct clinical features of ESR1 mutations, their role in intrinsic subtype switching remains largely unknown. Here we find that ESR1 mutant cells and clinical samples show a significant enrichment of basal subtype markers, and six basal cytokeratins (BCKs) are the most enriched genes. Induction of BCKs is independent of ER binding and instead associated with chromatin reprogramming centered around a progesterone receptor-orchestrated insulated neighborhood. BCK-high ER+ primary breast tumors exhibit a number of enriched immune pathways, shared with ESR1 mutant tumors. S100A8 and S100A9 are among the most induced immune mediators and involve in tumor-stroma paracrine crosstalk inferred by single-cell RNA-seq from metastatic tumors. Collectively, these observations demonstrate that ESR1 mutant tumors gain basal features associated with increased immune activation, encouraging additional studies of immune therapeutic vulnerabilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheqi Li
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Womens Cancer Research Center, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Magee-Womens Research Institute, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Olivia McGinn
- Womens Cancer Research Center, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Magee-Womens Research Institute, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Yang Wu
- Womens Cancer Research Center, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Magee-Womens Research Institute, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Amir Bahreini
- Womens Cancer Research Center, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Magee-Womens Research Institute, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Nolan M Priedigkeit
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Womens Cancer Research Center, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Magee-Womens Research Institute, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Kai Ding
- Womens Cancer Research Center, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Magee-Womens Research Institute, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Sayali Onkar
- Womens Cancer Research Center, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Magee-Womens Research Institute, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy Program, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Tumor Microenvironment Center, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Caleb Lampenfeld
- Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy Program, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Tumor Microenvironment Center, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Carol A Sartorius
- Department of Pathology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Lori Miller
- Womens Cancer Research Center, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Magee-Womens Research Institute, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | | | - Ofir Cohen
- Department of Medical Oncology and Center for Cancer Precision Medicine, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Nikhil Wagle
- Department of Medical Oncology and Center for Cancer Precision Medicine, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jennifer K Richer
- Department of Pathology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - William J Muller
- Goodman Cancer Centre and Departments of Biochemistry and Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Laki Buluwela
- Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, London, UK
| | - Simak Ali
- Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, London, UK
| | - Tullia C Bruno
- Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy Program, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Tumor Microenvironment Center, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Dario A A Vignali
- Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy Program, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Tumor Microenvironment Center, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Yusi Fang
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Li Zhu
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - George C Tseng
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Jason Gertz
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Jennifer M Atkinson
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Womens Cancer Research Center, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Magee-Womens Research Institute, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Adrian V Lee
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Womens Cancer Research Center, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Magee-Womens Research Institute, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Steffi Oesterreich
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
- Womens Cancer Research Center, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
- Magee-Womens Research Institute, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
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12
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Means-Powell JA, Mayer IA, Ismail-Khan R, Del Valle L, Tonetti D, Abramson VG, Sanders MS, Lush RM, Sorrentino C, Majumder S, Miele L. A Phase Ib Dose Escalation Trial of RO4929097 (a γ-secretase inhibitor) in Combination with Exemestane in Patients with ER + Metastatic Breast Cancer (MBC). Clin Breast Cancer 2022; 22:103-114. [PMID: 34903452 PMCID: PMC8821119 DOI: 10.1016/j.clbc.2021.10.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Revised: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 10/22/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
PRECLINICAL STUDIES: have demonstrated a complex cross-talk between Notch and estrogen signaling in ERα-positive breast cancer. Gamma-secretase inhibitors (GSIs) are investigational agents that block the cleavage and activation of Notch receptors. In animal models of endocrine-resistant breast cancer, combinations of tamoxifen and GSIs produce additive or synergistic efficacy, while decreasing the intestinal toxicity of GSIs. However, results of a clinical trial of a GSI-endocrine therapy combination in the metastatic setting have not been published to date, nor had the safety of such combinations been investigated with longer term treatment. We conducted a phase 1b dose escalation trial (NCT01149356) of GSI RO4929097 with exemestane in patients with ERα+, metastatic breast cancer (MBC) STUDY OBJECTIVES: To determine the safety, tolerability and maximum tolerated dose (MTD) or recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D) of RO4929097 when administered in combination with exemestane in patients with estrogen receptor positive metastatic breast cancer RESULTS: We enrolled 15 patients with MBC. Of 14 evaluable patients, one had a partial response, 6 had stable disease and 7 progressive disease. Twenty % of patients had stable disease for ≥ 6 months. Common toxicities included nausea (73.3%), anorexia (60%), hyperglycemia (53.3%), hypophosphatemia (46.7%), fatigue (66.7%) and cough (33.0%). Grade 3 toxicities were uncommon, and included hypophosphatemia (13%) and rash (6.3%). Rash was the only DLT observed at 140 mg/d. Results suggest a possible recommended phase 2 dose of 90 mg/d. Ten patients with evaluable archival tissue showed expression of PKCα, which correlated with expression of Notch4. Mammospheres from a PKCα-expressing, endocrine-resistant T47D cell line were inhibited by a GSI-fulvestrant combination CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicate that combinations including endocrine therapy and Notch inhibitors deserve further investigation in endocrine-resistant ERα-positive breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie A Means-Powell
- Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Nashville, TN; Present address: Tennessee Oncology, Springfield, TN
| | | | | | - Luis Del Valle
- Stanley S. Scott Cancer Center, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center and Louisiana Cancer Research Center, New Orleans, LA; Department of Pathology, Louisiana State university Health, New Orleans, LA
| | - Debra Tonetti
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago School of Pharmacy, Chicago, IL
| | | | | | - Richard M Lush
- Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Nashville, TN; Section of Hematology/Oncology, Present address: George Washington University Cancer Center, Washington D.C, USA
| | - Claudia Sorrentino
- Department of Genetics, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine, New Orleans
| | - Samarpan Majumder
- Department of Genetics, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine, New Orleans
| | - Lucio Miele
- Stanley S. Scott Cancer Center, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center and Louisiana Cancer Research Center, New Orleans, LA; Department of Genetics, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine, New Orleans.
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13
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Hussein S, Khanna P, Yunus N, Gatza ML. Nuclear Receptor-Mediated Metabolic Reprogramming and the Impact on HR+ Breast Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13194808. [PMID: 34638293 PMCID: PMC8508306 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13194808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed and second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in women in the United States, with hormone receptor positive (HR+) tumors representing more than two-thirds of new cases. Recent evidence has indicated that dysregulation of multiple metabolic programs, which can be driven through nuclear receptor activity, is essential for tumor genesis, progression, therapeutic resistance and metastasis. This study will review the current advances in our understanding of the impact and implication of altered metabolic processes driven by nuclear receptors, including hormone-dependent signaling, on HR+ breast cancer. Abstract Metabolic reprogramming enables cancer cells to adapt to the changing microenvironment in order to maintain metabolic energy and to provide the necessary biological macromolecules required for cell growth and tumor progression. While changes in tumor metabolism have been long recognized as a hallmark of cancer, recent advances have begun to delineate the mechanisms that modulate metabolic pathways and the consequence of altered signaling on tumorigenesis. This is particularly evident in hormone receptor positive (HR+) breast cancers which account for approximately 70% of breast cancer cases. Emerging evidence indicates that HR+ breast tumors are dependent on multiple metabolic processes for tumor progression, metastasis, and therapeutic resistance and that changes in metabolic programs are driven, in part, by a number of key nuclear receptors including hormone-dependent signaling. In this review, we discuss the mechanisms and impact of hormone receptor mediated metabolic reprogramming on HR+ breast cancer genesis and progression as well as the therapeutic implications of these metabolic processes in this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaimaa Hussein
- Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08903, USA; (S.H.); (P.K.)
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08903, USA
| | - Pooja Khanna
- Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08903, USA; (S.H.); (P.K.)
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08903, USA
- School of Arts and Sciences, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08903, USA;
| | - Neha Yunus
- School of Arts and Sciences, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08903, USA;
| | - Michael L. Gatza
- Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08903, USA; (S.H.); (P.K.)
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08903, USA
- School of Arts and Sciences, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08903, USA;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-732-235-8751
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14
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Chen W, Wei W, Yu L, Ye Z, Huang F, Zhang L, Hu S, Cai C. Mammary Development and Breast Cancer: a Notch Perspective. J Mammary Gland Biol Neoplasia 2021; 26:309-320. [PMID: 34374886 PMCID: PMC8566423 DOI: 10.1007/s10911-021-09496-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2020] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Mammary gland development primarily occurs postnatally, and this unique process is complex and regulated by systemic hormones and local growth factors. The mammary gland is also a highly dynamic organ that undergoes profound changes at puberty and during the reproductive cycle. These changes are driven by mammary stem cells (MaSCs). Breast cancer is one of the most common causes of cancer-related death in women. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) play prominent roles in tumor initiation, drug resistance, tumor recurrence, and metastasis. The highly conserved Notch signaling pathway functions as a key regulator of the niche mediating mammary organogenesis and breast neoplasia. In this review, we discuss mechanisms by which Notch contributes to breast carcinoma pathology and suggest potentials for therapeutic targeting of Notch in breast cancer. In summary, we provide a comprehensive overview of Notch functions in regulating MaSCs, mammary development, and breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weizhen Chen
- Department of Orthopaedics, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Medical Research Institute, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Wei Wei
- Department of Orthopaedics, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Medical Research Institute, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Liya Yu
- Department of Orthopaedics, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Medical Research Institute, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Zi Ye
- Department of Orthopaedics, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Medical Research Institute, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Fujing Huang
- Department of Orthopaedics, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Medical Research Institute, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Liyan Zhang
- Department of Orthopaedics, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Medical Research Institute, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Shiqi Hu
- DU-ANU Joint Science College, Shandong University, Weihai, 264200, China
| | - Cheguo Cai
- Department of Orthopaedics, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Medical Research Institute, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China.
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15
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Nandi A, Chakrabarti R. The many facets of Notch signaling in breast cancer: toward overcoming therapeutic resistance. Genes Dev 2021; 34:1422-1438. [PMID: 33872192 PMCID: PMC7608750 DOI: 10.1101/gad.342287.120] [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] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
In this review, Nandi et al. revisit the mechanisms by which Notch receptors and ligands contribute to normal mammary gland development and breast tumor progression. The authors also discuss combinatorial approaches aimed at disrupting Notch- and TME-mediated resistance that may improve prognosis in breast cancer patients. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related death in women and is a complex disease with high intratumoral and intertumoral heterogeneity. Such heterogeneity is a major driving force behind failure of current therapies and development of resistance. Due to the limitations of conventional therapies and inevitable emergence of acquired drug resistance (chemo and endocrine) as well as radio resistance, it is essential to design novel therapeutic strategies to improve the prognosis for breast cancer patients. Deregulated Notch signaling within the breast tumor and its tumor microenvironment (TME) is linked to poor clinical outcomes in treatment of resistant breast cancer. Notch receptors and ligands are also important for normal mammary development, suggesting the potential for conserved signaling pathways between normal mammary gland development and breast cancer. In this review, we focus on mechanisms by which Notch receptors and ligands contribute to normal mammary gland development and breast tumor progression. We also discuss how complex interactions between cancer cells and the TME may reduce treatment efficacy and ultimately lead to acquired drug or radio resistance. Potential combinatorial approaches aimed at disrupting Notch- and TME-mediated resistance that may aid in achieving in an improved patient prognosis are also highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ajeya Nandi
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
| | - Rumela Chakrabarti
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
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16
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Geles KG, Gao Y, Giannakou A, Sridharan L, Yamin TT, Zhang J, Karim R, Bard J, Piche-Nicholas N, Charati M, Maderna A, Lucas J, Golas J, Guffroy M, Pirie-Shepherd S, Roy M, Qian J, Franks T, Zhong W, O'Donnell CJ, Tchistiakova L, Gerber HP, Sapra P. NOTCH3-targeted antibody drug conjugates regress tumors by inducing apoptosis in receptor cells and through transendocytosis into ligand cells. CELL REPORTS MEDICINE 2021; 2:100279. [PMID: 34095881 PMCID: PMC8149476 DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2021.100279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2020] [Revised: 01/20/2021] [Accepted: 04/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Aberrant NOTCH3 signaling and overexpression is oncogenic, associated with cancer stem cells and drug resistance, yet therapeutic targeting remains elusive. Here, we develop NOTCH3-targeted antibody drug conjugates (NOTCH3-ADCs) by bioconjugation of an auristatin microtubule inhibitor through a protease cleavable linker to two antibodies with differential abilities to inhibit signaling. The signaling inhibitory antibody rapidly induces ligand-independent receptor clustering and internalization through both caveolin and clathrin-mediated pathways. The non-inhibitory antibody also efficiently endocytoses via clathrin without inducing receptor clustering but with slower lysosomal co-localization kinetics. In addition, DLL4 ligand binding to the NOTCH3 receptor mediates transendocytosis of NOTCH3-ADCs into ligand-expressing cells. NOTCH3-ADCs internalize into receptor and ligand cells independent of signaling and induce cell death in both cell types representing an atypical mechanism of ADC cytotoxicity. Treatment of xenografts with NOTCH3-ADCs leads to sustained tumor regressions, outperforms standard-of-care chemotherapy, and allows targeting of tumors that overexpress NOTCH3 independent of signaling inhibition. NOTCH3 receptor is overexpressed in breast, lung, and ovarian tumors Newly generated NOTCH3-targeted antibody drug conjugates are efficacious and safe NOTCH3 antibodies internalize through different routes depending on signaling status NOTCH3 antibody intercellular trafficking occurs by transendocytosis into ligand cells
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth G Geles
- Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development, Oncology Research and Development, Pearl River, NY, USA
| | - Yijie Gao
- BioMedicine Design, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Andreas Giannakou
- Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development, Oncology Research and Development, Pearl River, NY, USA
| | - Latha Sridharan
- Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development, Oncology Research and Development, Pearl River, NY, USA
| | - Ting-Ting Yamin
- Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development, Oncology Research and Development, Pearl River, NY, USA
| | | | | | - Joel Bard
- BioMedicine Design, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Manoj Charati
- Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development, Oncology Research and Development, Pearl River, NY, USA
| | | | - Judy Lucas
- Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development, Oncology Research and Development, Pearl River, NY, USA
| | - Jonathon Golas
- Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development, Oncology Research and Development, Pearl River, NY, USA
| | - Magali Guffroy
- Drug Safety Research and Development, Pearl River, NY, USA
| | | | - Marc Roy
- Drug Safety Research and Development, Groton, CT, USA
| | - Jessie Qian
- Drug Safety Research and Development, Groton, CT, USA
| | - Tania Franks
- Drug Safety Research and Development, Groton, CT, USA
| | - Wenyan Zhong
- Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development, Oncology Research and Development, Pearl River, NY, USA
| | | | | | - Hans-Peter Gerber
- Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development, Oncology Research and Development, Pearl River, NY, USA
| | - Puja Sapra
- Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development, Oncology Research and Development, Pearl River, NY, USA
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17
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Sales-Dias J, Ferreira A, Lamy M, Domenici G, Monteiro SMS, Pires A, Lemos AR, Kucheryava K, Nobre LS, Sousa PMF, Bandeiras TM, Silva G, Barbas A. Development of antibodies against the notch ligand Delta-Like-1 by phage display with activity against breast cancer cells. N Biotechnol 2021; 64:17-26. [PMID: 33992842 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbt.2021.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Revised: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Notch signalling is a well-established oncogenic pathway, and its ligand Delta-like 1 (DLL1) is overexpressed in estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancers and associated with poor patient prognosis. Hence, DLL1 has become an interesting therapeutic target for breast cancer. Here, the development of specific functional blocking anti-DLL1 antibodies with potential activity against ER+ breast cancer cells is reported. Human DLL1 proteins, containing the essential regions for binding to the Notch receptor and Notch signalling activation, were produced and used to select specific scFv antibody fragments by phage display. Fifteen unique scFvs were identified and reformatted into full IgGs. Characterization of these antibodies by ELISA, surface plasmon resonance and flow cytometry enabled selection of three specific anti-DLL1 IgGs, sharing identical VH regions, with nM affinities. Cellular assays on ER+ breast cancer MCF-7 cells showed that one of the IgGs (IgG-69) was able to partially impair DLL1-mediated activation of the Notch pathway, as determined by Notch reporter and RT-qPCR assays, and to attenuate cell growth. Treatment of MCF-7 cells with IgG-69 reduced mammosphere formation, suggesting that it decreases the breast cancer stem cell subpopulation. These results support the use of this strategy to develop and identify potential anti-DLL1 antibodies candidates against breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joana Sales-Dias
- iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, (Institute of Experimental and Technological Biology), Oeiras, Portugal; ITQB, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, (Institute of Chemical and Biological Technology António Xavier), Nova University Lisbon, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Andreia Ferreira
- iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, (Institute of Experimental and Technological Biology), Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Márcia Lamy
- iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, (Institute of Experimental and Technological Biology), Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Giacomo Domenici
- iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, (Institute of Experimental and Technological Biology), Oeiras, Portugal; ITQB, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, (Institute of Chemical and Biological Technology António Xavier), Nova University Lisbon, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Sandra M S Monteiro
- iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, (Institute of Experimental and Technological Biology), Oeiras, Portugal
| | - António Pires
- iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, (Institute of Experimental and Technological Biology), Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Ana R Lemos
- iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, (Institute of Experimental and Technological Biology), Oeiras, Portugal; ITQB, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, (Institute of Chemical and Biological Technology António Xavier), Nova University Lisbon, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Khrystyna Kucheryava
- iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, (Institute of Experimental and Technological Biology), Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Lígia S Nobre
- iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, (Institute of Experimental and Technological Biology), Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Pedro M F Sousa
- iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, (Institute of Experimental and Technological Biology), Oeiras, Portugal; ITQB, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, (Institute of Chemical and Biological Technology António Xavier), Nova University Lisbon, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Tiago M Bandeiras
- iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, (Institute of Experimental and Technological Biology), Oeiras, Portugal; ITQB, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, (Institute of Chemical and Biological Technology António Xavier), Nova University Lisbon, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Gabriela Silva
- iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, (Institute of Experimental and Technological Biology), Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Ana Barbas
- iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, (Institute of Experimental and Technological Biology), Oeiras, Portugal; Bayer Portugal, LDA, Rua Quinta Do Pinheiro, Carnaxide, 2790-143, Portugal.
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18
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Abstract
Wnt signaling is an important morphogenetic signaling pathway best known for its essential role in determining embryonic cell fates; it is often activated to re-specify fetal cells or to maintain the lineage flexibility of somatic stem cells. In this review, we consider the role of this pathway in the remarkable process of differentiation, growth and morphogenesis of the mammary gland during embryogenesis, ductal outgrowth and pregnancy. Specifically, mammary stem cells are compared with stem cells from other tissues, to identify commonalities and differences. Wnt signaling is known to be required to maintain the bipotent basal stem cell present in adult mammary ductal trees, however, the absence of this stem cell has little effect on growth or morphogenesis, and Wnt signaling is not induced during the ductal/alveolar expansion during pregnancy. The evidence for pre-determined hierarchies of mammary epithelial cells is reviewed, together with the role of signaling between mixtures of specified mammary epithelial cells in the maintenance of Wnt-dependent clonagenic stem cells. The dazzling variety of Wnt signaling components expressed by mammary epithelial cells is presented, along with some potential stromal sources of Wnt proteins that may be important starting points for the induction of plasticity in the epithelium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline M Alexander
- McArdle Laboratory for Cancer Research, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, United States.
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19
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Campaner E, Zannini A, Santorsola M, Bonazza D, Bottin C, Cancila V, Tripodo C, Bortul M, Zanconati F, Schoeftner S, Del Sal G. Breast Cancer Organoids Model Patient-Specific Response to Drug Treatment. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:E3869. [PMID: 33371412 PMCID: PMC7770601 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12123869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2020] [Revised: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 12/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Tumor organoids are tridimensional cell culture systems that are generated in vitro from surgically resected patients' tumors. They can be propagated in culture maintaining several features of the tumor of origin, including cellular and genetic heterogeneity, thus representing a promising tool for precision cancer medicine. Here, we established patient-derived tumor organoids (PDOs) from different breast cancer subtypes (luminal A, luminal B, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-enriched, and triple negative). The established model systems showed histological and genomic concordance with parental tumors. However, in PDOs, the ratio of diverse cell populations was frequently different from that originally observed in parental tumors. We showed that tumor organoids represent a valuable system to test the efficacy of standard therapeutic treatments and to identify drug resistant populations within tumors. We also report that inhibitors of mechanosignaling and of Yes-associated protein 1 (YAP) activation can restore chemosensitivity in drug resistant tumor organoids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Campaner
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, 34127 Trieste, Italy; (E.C.); (A.Z.); (M.S.); (S.S.)
- National Laboratory CIB (LNCIB), Area Science Park—Padriciano, 34149 Trieste, Italy
| | - Alessandro Zannini
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, 34127 Trieste, Italy; (E.C.); (A.Z.); (M.S.); (S.S.)
- National Laboratory CIB (LNCIB), Area Science Park—Padriciano, 34149 Trieste, Italy
| | - Mariangela Santorsola
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, 34127 Trieste, Italy; (E.C.); (A.Z.); (M.S.); (S.S.)
- National Laboratory CIB (LNCIB), Area Science Park—Padriciano, 34149 Trieste, Italy
| | - Deborah Bonazza
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Hospital of Cattinara, University of Trieste, 34149 Trieste, Italy; (D.B.); (C.B.); (M.B.); (F.Z.)
- UCO Anatomia e Istologia Patologica, Azienda Sanitaria Universitaria Giuliano Isontina (ASUGI), Hospital of Cattinara, 34149 Trieste, Italy
| | - Cristina Bottin
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Hospital of Cattinara, University of Trieste, 34149 Trieste, Italy; (D.B.); (C.B.); (M.B.); (F.Z.)
- UCO Anatomia e Istologia Patologica, Azienda Sanitaria Universitaria Giuliano Isontina (ASUGI), Hospital of Cattinara, 34149 Trieste, Italy
| | - Valeria Cancila
- Tumor Immunology Unit, Department of Health Science, Human Pathology Section, School of Medicine, University of Palermo, 90133 Palermo, Italy; (V.C.); (C.T.)
| | - Claudio Tripodo
- Tumor Immunology Unit, Department of Health Science, Human Pathology Section, School of Medicine, University of Palermo, 90133 Palermo, Italy; (V.C.); (C.T.)
- Fondazione Istituto FIRC di Oncologia Molecolare (IFOM), 20139 Milano, Italy
| | - Marina Bortul
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Hospital of Cattinara, University of Trieste, 34149 Trieste, Italy; (D.B.); (C.B.); (M.B.); (F.Z.)
- Breast Unit, Division of General Surgery, Azienda Sanitaria Universitaria Giuliano Isontina (ASUGI), Hospital of Cattinara, 34149 Trieste, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Zanconati
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Hospital of Cattinara, University of Trieste, 34149 Trieste, Italy; (D.B.); (C.B.); (M.B.); (F.Z.)
- UCO Anatomia e Istologia Patologica, Azienda Sanitaria Universitaria Giuliano Isontina (ASUGI), Hospital of Cattinara, 34149 Trieste, Italy
| | - Stefan Schoeftner
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, 34127 Trieste, Italy; (E.C.); (A.Z.); (M.S.); (S.S.)
- National Laboratory CIB (LNCIB), Area Science Park—Padriciano, 34149 Trieste, Italy
| | - Giannino Del Sal
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, 34127 Trieste, Italy; (E.C.); (A.Z.); (M.S.); (S.S.)
- National Laboratory CIB (LNCIB), Area Science Park—Padriciano, 34149 Trieste, Italy
- Fondazione Istituto FIRC di Oncologia Molecolare (IFOM), 20139 Milano, Italy
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20
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Mavingire N, Campbell P, Wooten J, Aja J, Davis MB, Loaiza-Perez A, Brantley E. Cancer stem cells: Culprits in endocrine resistance and racial disparities in breast cancer outcomes. Cancer Lett 2020; 500:64-74. [PMID: 33309858 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2020.12.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2020] [Revised: 11/24/2020] [Accepted: 12/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs) promote endocrine therapy (ET) resistance, also known as endocrine resistance in hormone receptor (HR) positive breast cancer. Endocrine resistance occurs via mechanisms that are not yet fully understood. In vitro, in vivo and clinical data suggest that signaling cascades such as Notch, hypoxia inducible factor (HIF), and integrin/Akt promote BCSC-mediated endocrine resistance. Once HR positive breast cancer patients relapse on ET, targeted therapy agents such as cyclin dependent kinase inhibitors are frequently implemented, though secondary resistance remains a threat. Here, we discuss Notch, HIF, and integrin/Akt pathway regulation of BCSC activity and potential strategies to target these pathways to counteract endocrine resistance. We also discuss a plausible link between elevated BCSC-regulatory gene levels and reduced survival observed among African American women with basal-like breast cancer which lacks HR expression. Should future studies reveal a similar link for patients with luminal breast cancer, then the use of agents that impede BCSC activity could prove highly effective in improving clinical outcomes among African American breast cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Mavingire
- Department of Basic Sciences, Loma Linda University Health School of Medicine, Loma Linda, CA, USA.
| | - Petreena Campbell
- Department of Basic Sciences, Loma Linda University Health School of Medicine, Loma Linda, CA, USA.
| | - Jonathan Wooten
- Department of Basic Sciences, Loma Linda University Health School of Medicine, Loma Linda, CA, USA; Center for Health Disparities and Molecular Medicine, Loma Linda University Health School of Medicine, Loma Linda, CA, USA.
| | - Joyce Aja
- National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines.
| | - Melissa B Davis
- Department of Surgery, Weill Cornell Medicine-New York Presbyterian Hospital Network, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Andrea Loaiza-Perez
- Facultad de Medicina, Instituto de Oncología Ángel H. Roffo (IOAHR), Universidad de Buenos Aires, Área Investigación, Av. San Martin, 5481, C1417 DTB Buenos Aires, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Argentina.
| | - Eileen Brantley
- Department of Basic Sciences, Loma Linda University Health School of Medicine, Loma Linda, CA, USA; Center for Health Disparities and Molecular Medicine, Loma Linda University Health School of Medicine, Loma Linda, CA, USA; Department of Pharmaceutical and Administrative Sciences, Loma Linda University Health School of Pharmacy, Loma Linda, CA, USA.
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21
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Gharaibeh L, Elmadany N, Alwosaibai K, Alshaer W. Notch1 in Cancer Therapy: Possible Clinical Implications and Challenges. Mol Pharmacol 2020; 98:559-576. [PMID: 32913140 DOI: 10.1124/molpharm.120.000006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2020] [Accepted: 08/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The Notch family consists of four highly conserved transmembrane receptors. The release of the active intracellular domain requires the enzymatic activity of γ-secretase. Notch is involved in embryonic development and in many physiologic processes of normal cells, in which it regulates growth, apoptosis, and differentiation. Notch1, a member of the Notch family, is implicated in many types of cancer, including breast cancer (especially triple-negative breast cancer), leukemias, brain tumors, and many others. Notch1 is tightly connected to many signaling pathways that are therapeutically involved in tumorigenesis. Together, they impact apoptosis, proliferation, chemosensitivity, immune response, and the population of cancer stem cells. Notch1 inhibition can be achieved through various and diverse methods, the most common of which are the γ-secretase inhibitors, which produce a pan-Notch inhibition, or the use of Notch1 short interference RNA or Notch1 monoclonal antibodies, which produce a more specific blockade. Downregulation of Notch1 can be used alone or in combination with chemotherapy, which can achieve a synergistic effect and a decrease in chemoresistance. Targeting Notch1 in cancers that harbor high expression levels of Notch1 offers an addition to therapeutic strategies recruited for managing cancer. Considering available evidence, Notch1 offers a legitimate target that might be incorporated in future strategies for combating cancer. In this review, the possible clinical applications of Notch1 inhibition and the obstacles that hinder its clinical application are discussed. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Notch1 plays an important role in different types of cancer. Numerous approaches of Notch1 inhibition possess potential benefits in the management of various clinical aspects of cancer. The application of different Notch1 inhibition modalities faces many challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Gharaibeh
- Pharmacological and Diagnostic Research Center, Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Ahliyya Amman University, Amman, Jordan (L.G); Cellular Neurosciences, Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany (N.E.); Research Center, King Fahad Specialist Hospital, Dammam, Saudi Arabia (K.A.); and Cell Therapy Center, The University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan (W.A.)
| | - N Elmadany
- Pharmacological and Diagnostic Research Center, Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Ahliyya Amman University, Amman, Jordan (L.G); Cellular Neurosciences, Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany (N.E.); Research Center, King Fahad Specialist Hospital, Dammam, Saudi Arabia (K.A.); and Cell Therapy Center, The University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan (W.A.)
| | - K Alwosaibai
- Pharmacological and Diagnostic Research Center, Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Ahliyya Amman University, Amman, Jordan (L.G); Cellular Neurosciences, Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany (N.E.); Research Center, King Fahad Specialist Hospital, Dammam, Saudi Arabia (K.A.); and Cell Therapy Center, The University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan (W.A.)
| | - W Alshaer
- Pharmacological and Diagnostic Research Center, Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Ahliyya Amman University, Amman, Jordan (L.G); Cellular Neurosciences, Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany (N.E.); Research Center, King Fahad Specialist Hospital, Dammam, Saudi Arabia (K.A.); and Cell Therapy Center, The University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan (W.A.)
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22
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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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23
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Guo L, Zhang A, Xiong J. Identification of specific microRNA-messenger RNA regulation pairs in four subtypes of breast cancer. IET Syst Biol 2020; 14:120-126. [PMID: 32406376 PMCID: PMC8687302 DOI: 10.1049/iet-syb.2019.0086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2019] [Revised: 10/04/2019] [Accepted: 12/13/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Four subtypes of breast cancer, luminal A, luminal B, basal-like, human epidermal growth factor receptor-enriched, have been identified based on gene expression profiles of human tumours. The goal of this study is to find whether the same groups' genes would exhibit different networks among the four subtypes. Differential expressed genes between each of the four subtypes and the normal samples were identified. The overlaps between the four groups of differentially expressed genes were used to construct regulations networks for each of the four subtypes. Univariate and multivariate Cox regressions were employed to test the genes in the four regulation networks. This study demonstrated that the common genes in four subtypes showed different regulation. Also, the hsa-miR-182 and decorin pair performs different functions among the four subtypes of breast cancer. The result indicated that heterogeneity of breast cancer is not only reflected in the different expression patterns among different genes, but also in the different regulatory networks of the same group of genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling Guo
- College of Electrical Engineering, Northwest University for Nationalities, Lanzhou, 730030, People's Republic of China
| | - Aihua Zhang
- College of Electrical and Information Engineering, Lanzhou University of Technology, Lanzhou, 730050, People's Republic of China.
| | - Jie Xiong
- Department of applied mathematics, Changsha University, Changsha, 410022, People's Republic of China
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24
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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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25
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Rodriguez D, Ramkairsingh M, Lin X, Kapoor A, Major P, Tang D. The Central Contributions of Breast Cancer Stem Cells in Developing Resistance to Endocrine Therapy in Estrogen Receptor (ER)-Positive Breast Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2019; 11:cancers11071028. [PMID: 31336602 PMCID: PMC6678134 DOI: 10.3390/cancers11071028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2019] [Revised: 07/17/2019] [Accepted: 07/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer stem cells (BCSC) play critical roles in the acquisition of resistance to endocrine therapy in estrogen receptor (ER)-positive (ER + ve) breast cancer (BC). The resistance results from complex alterations involving ER, growth factor receptors, NOTCH, Wnt/β-catenin, hedgehog, YAP/TAZ, and the tumor microenvironment. These mechanisms are likely converged on regulating BCSCs, which then drive the development of endocrine therapy resistance. In this regard, hormone therapies enrich BCSCs in ER + ve BCs under both pre-clinical and clinical settings along with upregulation of the core components of “stemness” transcriptional factors including SOX2, NANOG, and OCT4. SOX2 initiates a set of reactions involving SOX9, Wnt, FXY3D, and Src tyrosine kinase; these reactions stimulate BCSCs and contribute to endocrine resistance. The central contributions of BCSCs to endocrine resistance regulated by complex mechanisms offer a unified strategy to counter the resistance. ER + ve BCs constitute approximately 75% of BCs to which hormone therapy is the major therapeutic approach. Likewise, resistance to endocrine therapy remains the major challenge in the management of patients with ER + ve BC. In this review we will discuss evidence supporting a central role of BCSCs in developing endocrine resistance and outline the strategy of targeting BCSCs to reduce hormone therapy resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Rodriguez
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada
- The Research Institute of St Joe's Hamilton, St Joseph's Hospital, Hamilton, ON L8N 4A6, Canada
- Urological Cancer Center for Research and Innovation (UCCRI), St Joseph's Hospital, Hamilton, ON L8N 4A6, Canada
- The Hamilton Center for Kidney Research, St. Joseph's Hospital, Hamilton, ON L8N 4A6, Canada
| | - Marc Ramkairsingh
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada
- The Research Institute of St Joe's Hamilton, St Joseph's Hospital, Hamilton, ON L8N 4A6, Canada
- Urological Cancer Center for Research and Innovation (UCCRI), St Joseph's Hospital, Hamilton, ON L8N 4A6, Canada
- The Hamilton Center for Kidney Research, St. Joseph's Hospital, Hamilton, ON L8N 4A6, Canada
| | - Xiaozeng Lin
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada
- The Research Institute of St Joe's Hamilton, St Joseph's Hospital, Hamilton, ON L8N 4A6, Canada
- Urological Cancer Center for Research and Innovation (UCCRI), St Joseph's Hospital, Hamilton, ON L8N 4A6, Canada
- The Hamilton Center for Kidney Research, St. Joseph's Hospital, Hamilton, ON L8N 4A6, Canada
| | - Anil Kapoor
- The Research Institute of St Joe's Hamilton, St Joseph's Hospital, Hamilton, ON L8N 4A6, Canada
- Urological Cancer Center for Research and Innovation (UCCRI), St Joseph's Hospital, Hamilton, ON L8N 4A6, Canada
- Department of Surgery, McMaster University, Hamilton, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Pierre Major
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Oncology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, L8V 5C2, Canada
| | - Damu Tang
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada.
- The Research Institute of St Joe's Hamilton, St Joseph's Hospital, Hamilton, ON L8N 4A6, Canada.
- Urological Cancer Center for Research and Innovation (UCCRI), St Joseph's Hospital, Hamilton, ON L8N 4A6, Canada.
- The Hamilton Center for Kidney Research, St. Joseph's Hospital, Hamilton, ON L8N 4A6, Canada.
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26
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Fortini F, Vieceli Dalla Sega F, Caliceti C, Lambertini E, Pannuti A, Peiffer DS, Balla C, Rizzo P. Estrogen-mediated protection against coronary heart disease: The role of the Notch pathway. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 2019; 189:87-100. [PMID: 30817989 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsbmb.2019.02.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2018] [Revised: 02/05/2019] [Accepted: 02/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Estrogen regulates a plethora of biological processes, under physiological and pathological conditions, by affecting key pathways involved in the regulation of cell proliferation, fate, survival and metabolism. The Notch receptors are mediators of communication between adjacent cells and are key determinants of cell fate during development and in postnatal life. Crosstalk between estrogen and the Notch pathway intervenes in many processes underlying the development and maintenance of the cardiovascular system. The identification of molecular mechanisms underlying the interaction between these types of endocrine and juxtacrine signaling are leading to a deeper understanding of physiological conditions regulated by these steroid hormones and, potentially, to novel therapeutic approaches to prevent pathologies linked to reduced levels of estrogen, such as coronary heart disease, and cardiotoxicity caused by hormone therapy for estrogen-receptor-positive breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Cristiana Caliceti
- Department of Chemistry "Giacomo Ciamician", Alma Mater Studiorum-University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Lambertini
- Department of Biomedical and Specialty Surgical Sciences, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Antonio Pannuti
- University of Hawaii Cancer Center, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - Daniel S Peiffer
- Oncology Research Institute, Loyola University Chicago: Health Sciences Division, Maywood, Illinois, USA; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Loyola University Chicago: Health Sciences Division, Maywood, Illinois, USA
| | - Cristina Balla
- Cardiovascular Center, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Paola Rizzo
- Maria Cecilia Hospital, GVM Care & Research, Cotignola, RA, Italy; Department of Morphology, Surgery and Experimental Medicine, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy; Laboratory for Technologies of Advanced Therapies (LTTA), University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.
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27
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McClements L, Annett S, Yakkundi A, O’Rourke M, Valentine A, Moustafa N, Alqudah A, Simões BM, Furlong F, Short A, McIntosh SA, McCarthy HO, Clarke RB, Robson T. FKBPL and its peptide derivatives inhibit endocrine therapy resistant cancer stem cells and breast cancer metastasis by downregulating DLL4 and Notch4. BMC Cancer 2019; 19:351. [PMID: 30975104 PMCID: PMC6460676 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-019-5500-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2018] [Accepted: 03/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Optimising breast cancer treatment remains a challenge. Resistance to therapy is a major problem in both ER- and ER+ breast cancer. Tumour recurrence after chemotherapy and/or targeted therapy leads to more aggressive tumours with enhanced metastatic ability. Self-renewing cancer stem cells (CSCs) have been implicated in treatment resistance, recurrence and the development of metastatic disease. METHODS In this study, we utilised in vitro, in vivo and ex vivo breast cancer models using ER+ MCF-7 and ER- MDA-MB-231 cells, as well as solid and metastatic breast cancer patient samples, to interrogate the effects of FKBPL and its peptide therapeutics on metastasis, endocrine therapy resistant CSCs and DLL4 and Notch4 expression. The effects of FKBPL overexpression or peptide treatment were assessed using a t-test or one-way ANOVA with Dunnett's multiple comparison test. RESULTS We demonstrated that FKBPL overexpression or treatment with FKBPL-based therapeutics (AD-01, pre-clinical peptide /ALM201, clinical peptide) inhibit i) CSCs in both ER+ and ER- breast cancer, ii) cancer metastasis in a triple negative breast cancer metastasis model and iii) endocrine therapy resistant CSCs in ER+ breast cancer, via modulation of the DLL4 and Notch4 protein and/or mRNA expression. AD-01 was effective at reducing triple negative MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell migration (n ≥ 3, p < 0.05) and invasion (n ≥ 3, p < 0.001) and this was translated in vivo where AD-01 inhibited breast cancer metastasis in MDA-MB-231-lucD3H1 in vivo model (p < 0.05). In ER+ MCF-7 cells and primary breast tumour samples, we demonstrated that ALM201 inhibits endocrine therapy resistant mammospheres, representative of CSC content (n ≥ 3, p < 0.05). Whilst an in vivo limiting dilution assay, using SCID mice, demonstrated that ALM201 alone or in combination with tamoxifen was very effective at delaying tumour recurrence by 12 (p < 0.05) or 21 days (p < 0.001), respectively, by reducing the number of CSCs. The potential mechanism of action, in addition to CD44, involves downregulation of DLL4 and Notch4. CONCLUSION This study demonstrates, for the first time, the pre-clinical activity of novel systemic anti-cancer therapeutic peptides, ALM201 and AD-01, in the metastatic setting, and highlights their impact on endocrine therapy resistant CSCs; both areas of unmet clinical need.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lana McClements
- Centre for Experimental Medicine, School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, UK
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, UK
- The School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Stephanie Annett
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, UK
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Therapeutics, Irish Centre for Vascular Biology, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, RCSI, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Anita Yakkundi
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, UK
| | - Martin O’Rourke
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, UK
- Charles River Labs, 8-9 Spire Green Centre, Essex, Harlow, CM19 5TR UK
| | - Andrea Valentine
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, UK
- Charles River Labs, 8-9 Spire Green Centre, Essex, Harlow, CM19 5TR UK
| | | | - Abdelrahim Alqudah
- Centre for Experimental Medicine, School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, UK
- School of Pharmacy, Hashemite University, Amman, Jordan
| | - Bruno M. Simões
- Manchester Breast Centre, Division of Cancer Sciences, University of Manchester, Oglesby Cancer Research Building, Manchester, UK
| | - Fiona Furlong
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, UK
| | - Amy Short
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, UK
| | - Stuart A. McIntosh
- Centre for Cancer Research and Cell Biology, Queen’s University Belfast and Breast Surgery Department, Belfast City Hospital, Belfast, UK
| | | | - Robert B. Clarke
- Manchester Breast Centre, Division of Cancer Sciences, University of Manchester, Oglesby Cancer Research Building, Manchester, UK
| | - Tracy Robson
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, UK
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Therapeutics, Irish Centre for Vascular Biology, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, RCSI, Dublin, Ireland
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28
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Ren J, Wang B, Li J. Integrating proteomic and phosphoproteomic data for pathway analysis in breast cancer. BMC SYSTEMS BIOLOGY 2018; 12:130. [PMID: 30577793 PMCID: PMC6302460 DOI: 10.1186/s12918-018-0646-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Background As protein is the basic unit of cell function and biological pathway, shotgun proteomics, the large-scale analysis of proteins, is contributing greatly to our understanding of disease mechanisms. Proteomics study could detect the changes of both protein expression and modification. With the releases of large-scale cancer proteome studies, how to integrate acquired proteomic and phosphoproteomic data in more comprehensive pathway analysis becomes implemented, but remains challenging. Integrative pathway analysis at proteome level provides a systematic insight into the signaling network adaptations in the development of cancer. Results Here we integrated proteomic and phosphoproteomic data to perform pathway prioritization in breast cancer. We manually collected and curated breast cancer well-known related pathways from the literature as target pathways (TPs) or positive control in method evaluation. Three different strategies including Hypergeometric test based over-representation analysis, Kolmogorov-Smirnov (K-S) test based gene set analysis and topology-based pathway analysis, were applied and evaluated in integrating protein expression and phosphorylation. In comparison, we also assessed the ranking performance of the strategy using information of protein expression or protein phosphorylation individually. Target pathways were ranked more top with the data integration than using the information from proteomic or phosphoproteomic data individually. In the comparisons of pathway analysis strategies, topology-based method outperformed than the others. The subtypes of breast cancer, which consist of Luminal A, Luminal B, Basal and HER2-enriched, vary greatly in prognosis and require distinct treatment. Therefore we applied topology-based pathway analysis with integrating protein expression and phosphorylation profiles on four subtypes of breast cancer. The results showed that TPs were enriched in all subtypes but their ranks were significantly different among the subtypes. For instance, p53 pathway ranked top in the Basal-like breast cancer subtype, but not in HER2-enriched type. The rank of Focal adhesion pathway was more top in HER2- subtypes than in HER2+ subtypes. The results were consistent with some previous researches. Conclusions The results demonstrate that the network topology-based method is more powerful by integrating proteomic and phosphoproteomic in pathway analysis of proteomics study. This integrative strategy can also be used to rank the specific pathways for the disease subtypes. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12918-018-0646-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Ren
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biostatistics, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Bo Wang
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biostatistics, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Jing Li
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biostatistics, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China.
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29
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Mollen EWJ, Ient J, Tjan-Heijnen VCG, Boersma LJ, Miele L, Smidt ML, Vooijs MAGG. Moving Breast Cancer Therapy up a Notch. Front Oncol 2018; 8:518. [PMID: 30515368 PMCID: PMC6256059 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2018.00518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2018] [Accepted: 10/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer is the second most common malignancy, worldwide. Treatment decisions are based on tumor stage, histological subtype, and receptor expression and include combinations of surgery, radiotherapy, and systemic treatment. These, together with earlier diagnosis, have resulted in increased survival. However, initial treatment efficacy cannot be guaranteed upfront, and these treatments may come with (long-term) serious adverse effects, negatively affecting a patient's quality of life. Gene expression-based tests can accurately estimate the risk of recurrence in early stage breast cancers. Disease recurrence correlates with treatment resistance, creating a major need to resensitize tumors to treatment. Notch signaling is frequently deregulated in cancer and is involved in treatment resistance. Preclinical research has already identified many combinatory therapeutic options where Notch involvement enhances the effectiveness of radiotherapy, chemotherapy or targeted therapies for breast cancer. However, the benefit of targeting Notch has remained clinically inconclusive. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge on targeting the Notch pathway to enhance current treatments for breast cancer and to combat treatment resistance. Furthermore, we propose mechanisms to further exploit Notch-based therapeutics in the treatment of breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik W J Mollen
- Department of Radiotherapy, GROW School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands.,Department of Radiation Oncology (MAASTRO), Maastricht University Medical Centre+, Maastricht, Netherlands.,Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Maastricht University Medical Centre+, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Jonathan Ient
- Department of Radiotherapy, GROW School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Vivianne C G Tjan-Heijnen
- Department of Radiotherapy, GROW School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands.,Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Maastricht University Medical Centre+, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Liesbeth J Boersma
- Department of Radiotherapy, GROW School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands.,Department of Radiation Oncology (MAASTRO), Maastricht University Medical Centre+, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Lucio Miele
- Department of Genetics, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, United States.,Stanley S. Scott Cancer Center, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, United States
| | - Marjolein L Smidt
- Department of Radiotherapy, GROW School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands.,Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Maastricht University Medical Centre+, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Marc A G G Vooijs
- Department of Radiotherapy, GROW School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands.,Department of Radiation Oncology (MAASTRO), Maastricht University Medical Centre+, Maastricht, Netherlands
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30
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Dittmer J. Breast cancer stem cells: Features, key drivers and treatment options. Semin Cancer Biol 2018; 53:59-74. [PMID: 30059727 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2018.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 113] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2018] [Revised: 07/10/2018] [Accepted: 07/18/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The current view is that breast cancer is a stem cell disease characterized by the existence of cancer cells with stem-like features and tumor-initiating potential. These cells are made responsible for tumor dissemination and metastasis. Common therapies by chemotherapeutic drugs fail to eradicate these cells and rather increase the pool of cancer stem cells in tumors, an effect that may increase the likelyhood of recurrence. Fifteen years after the first evidence for a small stem-like subpopulation playing a major role in breast cancer initiation has been published a large body of knowledge has been accumulated regarding the signaling cascades and proteins involved in maintaining stemness in breast cancer. Differences in the stem cell pool size and in mechanisms regulating stemness in the different breast cancer subtypes have emerged. Overall, this knowledge offers new approaches to intervene with breast cancer stem cell activity. New options are particularly needed for the treatment of triple-negative breast cancer subtype, which is particularly rich in cancer stem cells and is also the subtype for which specific therapies are still not available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jürgen Dittmer
- Clinic for Gynecology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Germany.
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31
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Crosstalk between Notch, HIF-1α and GPER in Breast Cancer EMT. Int J Mol Sci 2018; 19:ijms19072011. [PMID: 29996493 PMCID: PMC6073901 DOI: 10.3390/ijms19072011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2018] [Revised: 07/04/2018] [Accepted: 07/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The Notch signaling pathway acts in both physiological and pathological conditions, including embryonic development and tumorigenesis. In cancer progression, diverse mechanisms are involved in Notch-mediated biological responses, including angiogenesis and epithelial-mesenchymal-transition (EMT). During EMT, the activation of cellular programs facilitated by transcriptional repressors results in epithelial cells losing their differentiated features, like cell–cell adhesion and apical–basal polarity, whereas they gain motility. As it concerns cancer epithelial cells, EMT may be consequent to the evolution of genetic/epigenetic instability, or triggered by factors that can act within the tumor microenvironment. Following a description of the Notch signaling pathway and its major regulatory nodes, we focus on studies that have given insights into the functional interaction between Notch signaling and either hypoxia or estrogen in breast cancer cells, with a particular focus on EMT. Furthermore, we describe the role of hypoxia signaling in breast cancer cells and discuss recent evidence regarding a functional interaction between HIF-1α and GPER in both breast cancer cells and cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs). On the basis of these studies, we propose that a functional network between HIF-1α, GPER and Notch may integrate tumor microenvironmental cues to induce robust EMT in cancer cells. Further investigations are required in order to better understand how hypoxia and estrogen signaling may converge on Notch-mediated EMT within the context of the stroma and tumor cells interaction. However, the data discussed here may anticipate the potential benefits of further pharmacological strategies targeting breast cancer progression.
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32
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The Notch Pathway in Breast Cancer Progression. ScientificWorldJournal 2018; 2018:2415489. [PMID: 30111989 PMCID: PMC6077551 DOI: 10.1155/2018/2415489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2017] [Revised: 05/10/2018] [Accepted: 06/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective Notch signaling pathway is a vital parameter of the mammalian vascular system. In this review, the authors summarize the current knowledge about the impact of the Notch signaling pathway in breast cancer progression and the therapeutic role of Notch's inhibition. Methods The available literature in MEDLINE, PubMed, and Scopus, regarding the role of the Notch pathway in breast cancer progression was searched for related articles from about 1973 to 2017 including terms such as “Notch,” “Breast Cancer,” and “Angiogenesis.” Results. Notch signaling controls the differentiation of breast epithelial cells during normal development. Studies confirm that the Notch pathway has a major participation in breast cancer progression through overexpression and/or abnormal genetic type expression of the notch receptors and ligands that determine angiogenesis. The cross-talk of Notch and estrogens, the effect of Notch in breast cancer stem cells formation, and the dependable Notch overexpression during breast tumorigenesis have been studied enough and undoubtedly linked to breast cancer development. The already applied therapeutic inhibition of Notch for breast cancer can drastically change the course of the disease. Conclusion Current data prove that Notch pathway has a major participation and multiple roles during breast tumor progression. Inhibition of Notch receptors and ligands provides innovative therapeutic results and could become the therapy of choice in the next few years, even though further research is needed to reach safe conclusions.
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33
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Brown DM, Lee HC, Liu S, Quick CM, Fernandes LM, Simmen FA, Tsai SJ, Simmen RCM. Notch-1 Signaling Activation and Progesterone Receptor Expression in Ectopic Lesions of Women With Endometriosis. J Endocr Soc 2018; 2:765-778. [PMID: 30151432 PMCID: PMC6106104 DOI: 10.1210/js.2018-00007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2018] [Accepted: 05/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Context Progesterone (P) resistance is a hallmark of endometriosis, but the underlying mechanism(s) for loss of P sensitivity leading to lesion establishment remains poorly understood. Objective To evaluate the association between Notch-1 signaling activation and P resistance in the progression of endometriosis. Design Case control study; archived formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues. Setting University hospitals (United States, Taiwan). Patients Women with endometriosis; human endometrial stromal cell line (HESC). Intervention Eutopic endometria (EU) and ectopic lesions (ECs) were collected from surgically diagnosed patients. Archived tissue sections of EU and ECs were identified. HESCs were treated with N-[N-(3,5-difluorophenacetyl)-l-alanyl]-S-phenylglycine t-butyl ester (DAPT) and valproic acid (VPA) to, respectively, suppress and induce Notch-1 activation. Outcome Measures Tissues were analyzed for Notch Intra-Cellular Domain 1 (NICD1) and progesterone receptor (PGR) protein expression by immunohistochemistry and for transcript levels of NICD1 target genes HES1, PGR, and PGR-B by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. DAPT- or VPA-treated HESCs with and without P cotreatment were evaluated for cell numbers and for PGR, HES1, and PGR target gene DKK1 transcript levels. Results Nuclear-localized stromal NICD1 protein levels were inversely associated with those of total PGR in EU and ECs. Stromal ECs displayed higher HES1 and lower total PGR and PGR-B transcript levels than EU. In HESCs, DAPT reduction of NICD1 decreased cell numbers and increased PGR transcript and nuclear PGR protein levels and, with P cotreatment, maintained P sensitivity. Conversely, VPA induction of NICD1 decreased PGR transcript levels and, with P cotreatment, abrogated P-induced DKK1 and maintained HES1 transcript levels. Conclusions Aberrant Notch-1 activation is associated with decreased PGR that contributes to P resistance in endometriosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dustin M Brown
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas
| | - Hsiu-Chi Lee
- Department of Physiology, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Shi Liu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas
| | - Charles M Quick
- Department of Pathology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas
| | - Lorenzo M Fernandes
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas
| | - Frank A Simmen
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas
| | - Shaw-Jenq Tsai
- Department of Physiology, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Rosalia C M Simmen
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas
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34
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Chalakur-Ramireddy NKR, Pakala SB. Combined drug therapeutic strategies for the effective treatment of Triple Negative Breast Cancer. Biosci Rep 2018; 38:BSR20171357. [PMID: 29298879 PMCID: PMC5789156 DOI: 10.1042/bsr20171357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2017] [Revised: 12/12/2017] [Accepted: 01/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
TNBC (Triple Negative Breast Cancer) is a subtype of breast cancer with an aggressive phenotype which shows high metastatic capability and poor prognosis. Owing to its intrinsic properties like heterogeneity, lack of hormonal receptors and aggressive phenotype leave chemotherapy as a mainstay for the treatment of TNBC. Various studies have demonstrated that chemotherapy alone or therapeutic drugs targeting TNBC pathways, epigenetic mechanisms and immunotherapy alone have not shown significant improvement in TNBC patients. On the other hand, a combination of therapeutic drugs or addition of chemotherapy with therapeutic drugs has shown substantial improvement in results and proven to be an effective strategy for TNBC treatment. This review sheds light on effective combinational drug strategies and current clinical trial status of various combinatorial drugs for the treatment of TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Suresh B Pakala
- Biology Division, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, India
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35
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Chen J, Xu J, Li Y, Zhang J, Chen H, Lu J, Wang Z, Zhao X, Xu K, Li Y, Li X, Zhang Y. Competing endogenous RNA network analysis identifies critical genes among the different breast cancer subtypes. Oncotarget 2018; 8:10171-10184. [PMID: 28052038 PMCID: PMC5354650 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.14361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2016] [Accepted: 12/15/2016] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Although competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) have been implicated in many solid tumors, their roles in breast cancer subtypes are not well understood. We therefore generated a ceRNA network for each subtype based on the significance of both, positive co-expression and the shared miRNAs, in the corresponding subtype miRNA dys-regulatory network, which was constructed based on negative regulations between differentially expressed miRNAs and targets. All four subtype ceRNA networks exhibited scale-free architecture and showed that the common ceRNAs were at the core of the networks. Furthermore, the common ceRNA hubs had greater connectivity than the subtype-specific hubs. Functional analysis of the common subtype ceRNA hubs highlighted factors involved in proliferation, MAPK signaling pathways and tube morphogenesis. Subtype-specific ceRNA hubs highlighted unique subtype-specific pathways, like the estrogen response and inflammatory pathways in the luminal subtypes or the factors involved in the coagulation process that participates in the basal-like subtype. Ultimately, we identified 29 critical subtype-specific ceRNA hubs that characterized the different breast cancer subtypes. Our study thus provides new insight into the common and specific subtype ceRNA interactions that define the different categories of breast cancer and enhances our understanding of the pathology underlying the different breast cancer subtypes, which can have prognostic and therapeutic implications in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Chen
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Juan Xu
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Yongsheng Li
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Jinwen Zhang
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Hong Chen
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Jianping Lu
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Zishan Wang
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Xueying Zhao
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Kang Xu
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Yixue Li
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Xia Li
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Yan Zhang
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
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36
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Ricciardelli C, Lokman NA, Pyragius CE, Ween MP, Macpherson AM, Ruszkiewicz A, Hoffmann P, Oehler MK. Keratin 5 overexpression is associated with serous ovarian cancer recurrence and chemotherapy resistance. Oncotarget 2017; 8:17819-17832. [PMID: 28147318 PMCID: PMC5392289 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.14867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2015] [Accepted: 01/16/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
This study investigated the clinical significance of keratin 5 and 6 expression in serous ovarian cancer progression and chemotherapy resistance. KRT5 and KRT6 (KRT6A, KRT6B & KRT6C) gene expression was assessed in publically available serous ovarian cancer data sets, ovarian cancer cell lines and primary serous ovarian cancer cells. Monoclonal antibodies which detect both K5/6 or only K5 were used to assess protein expression in ovarian cancer cell lines and a cohort of high grade serous ovarian carcinomas at surgery (n = 117) and after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (n = 21). Survival analyses showed that high KRT5 mRNA in stage III/IV serous ovarian cancers was significantly associated with reduced progression-free (HR 1.38, P < 0.0001) and overall survival (HR 1.28, P = 0.013) whilst high KRT6 mRNA was only associated with reduced progression-free survival (HR 1.2, P = 0.031). Both high K5/6 (≥ 10%, HR 1.78 95% CI; 1.03−2.65, P = 0.017) and high K5 (≥ 10%, HR 1.90, 95% CI; 1.12−3.19, P = 0.017) were associated with an increased risk of disease recurrence. KRT5 but not KRT6C mRNA expression was increased in chemotherapy resistant primary serous ovarian cancer cells compared to chemotherapy sensitive cells. The proportion of serous ovarian carcinomas with high K5/6 or high K5 immunostaining was significantly increased following neoadjuvant chemotherapy. K5 can be used to predict serous ovarian cancer prognosis and identify cancer cells that are resistant to chemotherapy. Developing strategies to target K5 may therefore improve serous ovarian cancer survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmela Ricciardelli
- Discipline of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, School of Medicine, Robinson Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, 5000, South Australia, Australia
| | - Noor A Lokman
- Discipline of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, School of Medicine, Robinson Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, 5000, South Australia, Australia
| | - Carmen E Pyragius
- Discipline of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, School of Medicine, Robinson Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, 5000, South Australia, Australia
| | - Miranda P Ween
- Lung Research Laboratory, Hanson Institute, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.,Department of Thoracic Medicine, Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, 5000, South Australia, Australia
| | - Anne M Macpherson
- Discipline of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, School of Medicine, Robinson Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, 5000, South Australia, Australia
| | - Andrew Ruszkiewicz
- Centre of Cancer Biology, University of South Australia and Department of Anatomical Pathology, SA Pathology, Adelaide, 5000, South Australia, Australia
| | - Peter Hoffmann
- Adelaide Proteomics Centre, School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, 5005, South Australia, Australia
| | - Martin K Oehler
- Discipline of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, School of Medicine, Robinson Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, 5000, South Australia, Australia.,Department of Gynaecological Oncology, Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, 5000, South Australia, Australia
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37
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Sansone P, Berishaj M, Rajasekhar VK, Ceccarelli C, Chang Q, Strillacci A, Savini C, Shapiro L, Bowman RL, Mastroleo C, De Carolis S, Daly L, Benito-Martin A, Perna F, Fabbri N, Healey JH, Spisni E, Cricca M, Lyden D, Bonafé M, Bromberg J. Evolution of Cancer Stem-like Cells in Endocrine-Resistant Metastatic Breast Cancers Is Mediated by Stromal Microvesicles. Cancer Res 2017; 77:1927-1941. [PMID: 28202520 PMCID: PMC5392366 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-16-2129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2016] [Revised: 01/12/2017] [Accepted: 01/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The hypothesis that microvesicle-mediated miRNA transfer converts noncancer stem cells into cancer stem cells (CSC) leading to therapy resistance remains poorly investigated. Here we provide direct evidence supporting this hypothesis, by demonstrating how microvesicles derived from cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF) transfer miR-221 to promote hormonal therapy resistance (HTR) in models of luminal breast cancer. We determined that CAF-derived microvesicles horizontally transferred miR-221 to tumor cells and, in combination with hormone therapy, activated an ERlo/Notchhi feed-forward loop responsible for the generation of CD133hi CSCs. Importantly, microvesicles from patients with HTR metastatic disease expressed high levels of miR-221. We further determined that the IL6-pStat3 pathway promoted the biogenesis of onco-miR-221hi CAF microvesicles and established stromal CSC niches in experimental and patient-derived breast cancer models. Coinjection of patient-derived CAFs from bone metastases led to de novo HTR tumors, which was reversed with IL6R blockade. Finally, we generated patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models from patient-derived HTR bone metastases and analyzed tumor cells, stroma, and microvesicles. Murine and human CAFs were enriched in HTR tumors expressing high levels of CD133hi cells. Depletion of murine CAFs from PDX restored sensitivity to HT, with a concurrent reduction of CD133hi CSCs. Conversely, in models of CD133neg, HT-sensitive cancer cells, both murine and human CAFs promoted de novo HT resistance via the generation of CD133hi CSCs that expressed low levels of estrogen receptor alpha. Overall, our results illuminate how microvesicle-mediated horizontal transfer of genetic material from host stromal cells to cancer cells triggers the evolution of therapy-resistant metastases, with potentially broad implications for their control. Cancer Res; 77(8); 1927-41. ©2017 AACR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pasquale Sansone
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Marjan Berishaj
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | | | - Claudio Ceccarelli
- Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, AlmaMater Studiorum, Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Qing Chang
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Antonio Strillacci
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Claudia Savini
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
- Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, AlmaMater Studiorum, Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- Center for Applied Biomedical Research Laboratory, Policlinico Universitario S. Orsola-Malpighi AlmaMater Studiorum, Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Lauren Shapiro
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Kaiser Permanente, Oakland, California
| | - Robert L Bowman
- Cancer Biology and Genetics Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Chiara Mastroleo
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Sabrina De Carolis
- Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, AlmaMater Studiorum, Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- Center for Applied Biomedical Research Laboratory, Policlinico Universitario S. Orsola-Malpighi AlmaMater Studiorum, Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Laura Daly
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Alberto Benito-Martin
- Department of Pediatrics, Cell and Developmental Biology, Children's Cancer and Blood Foundation Laboratories, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York
| | - Fabiana Perna
- Molecular Pharmacology and Chemistry Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Nicola Fabbri
- Orthopedics Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - John H Healey
- Orthopedics Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Enzo Spisni
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Monica Cricca
- Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, AlmaMater Studiorum, Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - David Lyden
- Department of Pediatrics, Cell and Developmental Biology, Children's Cancer and Blood Foundation Laboratories, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York
- Drukier Institute for Children's Health, Meyer Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York
- Department of Pediatrics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Massimiliano Bonafé
- Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, AlmaMater Studiorum, Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Kaiser Permanente, Oakland, California
| | - Jacqueline Bromberg
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York.
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York
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38
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Ariazi EA, Taylor JC, Black MA, Nicolas E, Slifker MJ, Azzam DJ, Boyd J. A New Role for ERα: Silencing via DNA Methylation of Basal, Stem Cell, and EMT Genes. Mol Cancer Res 2016; 15:152-164. [PMID: 28108626 DOI: 10.1158/1541-7786.mcr-16-0283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2016] [Revised: 10/10/2016] [Accepted: 10/18/2016] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Resistance to hormonal therapies is a major clinical problem in the treatment of estrogen receptor α-positive (ERα+) breast cancers. Epigenetic marks, namely DNA methylation of cytosine at specific CpG sites (5mCpG), are frequently associated with ERα+ status in human breast cancers. Therefore, ERα may regulate gene expression in part via DNA methylation. This hypothesis was evaluated using a panel of breast cancer cell line models of antiestrogen resistance. Microarray gene expression profiling was used to identify genes normally silenced in ERα+ cells but derepressed upon exposure to the demethylating agent decitabine, derepressed upon long-term loss of ERα expression, and resuppressed by gain of ERα activity/expression. ERα-dependent DNA methylation targets (n = 39) were enriched for ERα-binding sites, basal-up/luminal-down markers, cancer stem cell, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and inflammatory and tumor suppressor genes. Kaplan-Meier survival curve and Cox proportional hazards regression analyses indicated that these targets predicted poor distant metastasis-free survival among a large cohort of breast cancer patients. The basal breast cancer subtype markers LCN2 and IFI27 showed the greatest inverse relationship with ERα expression/activity and contain ERα-binding sites. Thus, genes that are methylated in an ERα-dependent manner may serve as predictive biomarkers in breast cancer. IMPLICATIONS ERα directs DNA methylation-mediated silencing of specific genes that have biomarker potential in breast cancer subtypes. Mol Cancer Res; 15(2); 152-64. ©2016 AACR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric A Ariazi
- Fox Chase Cancer Center, Temple University Health System, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
| | - John C Taylor
- Fox Chase Cancer Center, Temple University Health System, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Michael A Black
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Emmanuelle Nicolas
- Fox Chase Cancer Center, Temple University Health System, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Michael J Slifker
- Fox Chase Cancer Center, Temple University Health System, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Diana J Azzam
- Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University, Miami, Florida
| | - Jeff Boyd
- Fox Chase Cancer Center, Temple University Health System, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
- Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University, Miami, Florida
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39
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He DX, Gu F, Gao F, Hao JJ, Gong D, Gu XT, Mao AQ, Jin J, Fu L, Ma X. Genome-wide profiles of methylation, microRNAs, and gene expression in chemoresistant breast cancer. Sci Rep 2016; 6:24706. [PMID: 27094684 PMCID: PMC4837395 DOI: 10.1038/srep24706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2015] [Accepted: 03/30/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer chemoresistance is regulated by complex genetic and epigenetic networks. In this study, the features of gene expression, methylation, and microRNA (miRNA) expression were investigated with high-throughput sequencing in human breast cancer MCF-7 cells resistant to adriamycin (MCF-7/ADM) and paclitaxel (MCF-7/PTX). We found that: ① both of the chemoresistant cell lines had similar, massive changes in gene expression, methylation, and miRNA expression versus chemosensitive controls. ② Pairwise integration of the data highlighted sets of genes that were regulated by either methylation or miRNAs, and sets of miRNAs whose expression was controlled by DNA methylation in chemoresistant cells. ③ By combining the three sets of high-throughput data, we obtained a list of genes whose expression was regulated by both methylation and miRNAs in chemoresistant cells; ④ Expression of these genes was then validated in clinical breast cancer samples to generate a 17-gene signature that showed good predictive and prognostic power in triple-negative breast cancer patients receiving anthracycline-taxane-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy. In conclusion, our results have generated a new workflow for the integrated analysis of the effects of miRNAs and methylation on gene expression during the development of chemoresistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong-Xu He
- National Engineering Laboratory for Cereal Fermentation Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Feng Gu
- Department of Breast Cancer Pathology and Research Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer Research, Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300060, PR China
| | - Fei Gao
- Agricultural Genomes Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518120, China
| | - Jun-jun Hao
- State Key Lab of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650223, China
| | - Desheng Gong
- Agricultural Genomes Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518120, China
| | - Xiao-Ting Gu
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Ai-Qin Mao
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Jian Jin
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Li Fu
- Department of Breast Cancer Pathology and Research Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer Research, Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300060, PR China
| | - Xin Ma
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
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40
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Cantrell MA, Ebelt ND, Pfefferle AD, Perou CM, Van Den Berg CL. c-Jun N-terminal kinase 2 prevents luminal cell commitment in normal mammary glands and tumors by inhibiting p53/Notch1 and breast cancer gene 1 expression. Oncotarget 2016; 6:11863-81. [PMID: 25970777 PMCID: PMC4494910 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.3787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2015] [Accepted: 04/13/2015] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease with several subtypes carrying unique prognoses. Patients with differentiated luminal tumors experience better outcomes, while effective treatments are unavailable for poorly differentiated tumors, including the basal-like subtype. Mechanisms governing mammary tumor subtype generation could prove critical to developing better treatments. C-Jun N-terminal kinase 2 (JNK2) is important in mammary tumorigenesis and tumor progression. Using a variety of mouse models, human breast cancer cell lines and tumor expression data, studies herein support that JNK2 inhibits cell differentiation in normal and cancer-derived mammary cells. JNK2 prevents precocious pubertal mammary development and inhibits Notch-dependent expansion of luminal cell populations. Likewise, JNK2 suppresses luminal populations in a p53-competent Polyoma Middle T-antigen tumor model where jnk2 knockout causes p53-dependent upregulation of Notch1 transcription. In a p53 knockout model, JNK2 restricts luminal populations independently of Notch1, by suppressing Brca1 expression and promoting epithelial to mesenchymal transition. JNK2 also inhibits estrogen receptor (ER) expression and confers resistance to fulvestrant, an ER inhibitor, while stimulating tumor progression. These data suggest that therapies inhibiting JNK2 in breast cancer may promote tumor differentiation, improve endocrine therapy response, and inhibit metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael A Cantrell
- Institute of Cellular & Molecular Biology, College of Pharmacy, University of Texas at Austin, Dell Pediatric Research Institute, Austin, TX 78723, USA
| | - Nancy D Ebelt
- Institute of Cellular & Molecular Biology, College of Pharmacy, University of Texas at Austin, Dell Pediatric Research Institute, Austin, TX 78723, USA
| | - Adam D Pfefferle
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.,Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Charles M Perou
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.,Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.,Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Carla Lynn Van Den Berg
- Institute of Cellular & Molecular Biology, College of Pharmacy, University of Texas at Austin, Dell Pediatric Research Institute, Austin, TX 78723, USA.,Division of Pharmacology &Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, University of Texas at Austin, Dell Pediatric Research Institute, Austin, TX 78723, USA
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41
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A Role for Notch Signalling in Breast Cancer and Endocrine Resistance. Stem Cells Int 2016; 2016:2498764. [PMID: 26880941 PMCID: PMC4736972 DOI: 10.1155/2016/2498764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2015] [Accepted: 12/20/2015] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the past decade, there has been growing interest in the Notch signalling pathway within the breast cancer field. This interest stemmed initially from the observation that Notch signalling is aberrantly activated in breast cancer and its effects on various cellular processes including proliferation, apoptosis, and cancer stem cell activity. However more recently, elevated Notch signalling has been correlated with therapy resistance in oestrogen receptor-positive breast cancer. As a result, inhibiting Notch signalling with therapeutic agents is being explored as a promising treatment option for breast cancer patients.
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42
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Harvey JB, Hong HHL, Bhusari S, Ton TV, Wang Y, Foley JF, Peddada SD, Hooth M, DeVito M, Nyska A, Pandiri AR, Hoenerhoff MJ. F344/NTac Rats Chronically Exposed to Bromodichloroacetic Acid Develop Mammary Adenocarcinomas With Mixed Luminal/Basal Phenotype and Tgfβ Dysregulation. Vet Pathol 2016; 53:170-81. [PMID: 25732176 PMCID: PMC7899196 DOI: 10.1177/0300985815571680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Breast cancer is the most common cancer and the second-leading cause of cancer mortality in women in the United States. A recent 2-year National Toxicology Program carcinogenicity study showed an increased incidence of proliferative mammary lesions (hyperplasia, fibroadenoma, adenocarcinoma) in F344/NTac rats exposed to bromodichloroacetic acid (BDCA), a disinfection by-product in finished drinking water with widespread human exposure. We hypothesized that the increase in mammary tumors observed in BDCA-exposed F344/NTac rats may be due to underlying molecular changes relevant for human breast cancer. The objective of the study was to compare (1) gene and protein expression and (2) mutation spectra of relevant human breast cancer genes between normal untreated mammary gland and mammary tumors from control and BDCA-exposed animals to identify molecular changes relevant for human cancer. Histologically, adenocarcinomas from control and BDCA-exposed animals were morphologically very similar, were estrogen/progesterone receptor positive, and displayed a mixed luminal/basal phenotype. Gene expression analysis showed a positive trend in the number of genes associated with human breast cancer, with proportionally more genes represented in the BDCA-treated tumor group. Additionally, a 5-gene signature representing possible Tgfβ pathway activation in BDCA-treated adenocarcinomas was observed, suggesting that this pathway may be involved in the increased incidence of mammary tumors in BDCA-exposed animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- J B Harvey
- Investigative Pathology Group, Division of the National Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - H-H L Hong
- Investigative Pathology Group, Division of the National Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - S Bhusari
- Investigative Pathology Group, Division of the National Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - T-V Ton
- Investigative Pathology Group, Division of the National Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Y Wang
- Investigative Pathology Group, Division of the National Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA Special Techniques Group, Cellular and Molecular Pathology Branch, Division of the National Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - J F Foley
- Investigative Pathology Group, Division of the National Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA Special Techniques Group, Cellular and Molecular Pathology Branch, Division of the National Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - S D Peddada
- Biostatistics Branch, Division of the National Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - M Hooth
- Program Operations Branch, Division of the National Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - M DeVito
- General Toxicology Group, Division of the National Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - A Nyska
- Integrated Laboratory Systems, Inc., Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - A R Pandiri
- Investigative Pathology Group, Division of the National Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA Experimental Pathology Laboratories, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - M J Hoenerhoff
- Investigative Pathology Group, Division of the National Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
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43
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Castro MAA, de Santiago I, Campbell TM, Vaughn C, Hickey TE, Ross E, Tilley WD, Markowetz F, Ponder BAJ, Meyer KB. Regulators of genetic risk of breast cancer identified by integrative network analysis. Nat Genet 2016; 48:12-21. [PMID: 26618344 PMCID: PMC4697365 DOI: 10.1038/ng.3458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 131] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2015] [Accepted: 11/06/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Genetic risk for breast cancer is conferred by a combination of multiple variants of small effect. To better understand how risk loci might combine, we examined whether risk-associated genes share regulatory mechanisms. We created a breast cancer gene regulatory network comprising transcription factors and groups of putative target genes (regulons) and asked whether specific regulons are enriched for genes associated with risk loci via expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs). We identified 36 overlapping regulons that were enriched for risk loci and formed a distinct cluster within the network, suggesting shared biology. The risk transcription factors driving these regulons are frequently mutated in cancer and lie in two opposing subgroups, which relate to estrogen receptor (ER)(+) luminal A or luminal B and ER(-) basal-like cancers and to different luminal epithelial cell populations in the adult mammary gland. Our network approach provides a foundation for determining the regulatory circuits governing breast cancer, to identify targets for intervention, and is transferable to other disease settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mauro A A Castro
- Bioinformatics and Systems Biology Laboratory, Federal University of Paraná (UFPR), Polytechnic Center, Curitiba, Brazil
| | - Ines de Santiago
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Li Ka Shing Centre, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Oncology, University of Cambridge, Hutchison/Medical Research Council (MRC) Research Centre, Cambridge, UK
| | - Thomas M Campbell
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Li Ka Shing Centre, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Oncology, University of Cambridge, Hutchison/Medical Research Council (MRC) Research Centre, Cambridge, UK
| | - Courtney Vaughn
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Li Ka Shing Centre, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Oncology, University of Cambridge, Hutchison/Medical Research Council (MRC) Research Centre, Cambridge, UK
| | - Theresa E Hickey
- Dame Roma Mitchell Cancer Research Laboratories, School of Medicine, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Edith Ross
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Li Ka Shing Centre, Cambridge, UK
| | - Wayne D Tilley
- Dame Roma Mitchell Cancer Research Laboratories, School of Medicine, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Florian Markowetz
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Li Ka Shing Centre, Cambridge, UK
| | - Bruce A J Ponder
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Li Ka Shing Centre, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Oncology, University of Cambridge, Hutchison/Medical Research Council (MRC) Research Centre, Cambridge, UK
| | - Kerstin B Meyer
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Li Ka Shing Centre, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Oncology, University of Cambridge, Hutchison/Medical Research Council (MRC) Research Centre, Cambridge, UK
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44
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Goodman CR, Sato T, Peck AR, Girondo MA, Yang N, Liu C, Yanac AF, Kovatich AJ, Hooke JA, Shriver CD, Mitchell EP, Hyslop T, Rui H. Steroid induction of therapy-resistant cytokeratin-5-positive cells in estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer through a BCL6-dependent mechanism. Oncogene 2015; 35:1373-85. [PMID: 26096934 PMCID: PMC4800289 DOI: 10.1038/onc.2015.193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2015] [Revised: 04/08/2015] [Accepted: 05/04/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Therapy resistance remains a major problem in estrogen receptor-α (ERα)-positive breast cancer. A subgroup of ERα-positive breast cancer is characterized by mosaic presence of a minor population of ERα-negative cancer cells expressing the basal cytokeratin-5 (CK5). These CK5-positive cells are therapy resistant and have increased tumor-initiating potential. Although a series of reports document induction of the CK5-positive cells by progestins, it is unknown if other 3-ketosteroids share this ability. We now report that glucocorticoids and mineralocorticoids effectively expand the CK5-positive cell population. CK5-positive cells induced by 3-ketosteroids lacked ERα and progesterone receptors, expressed stem cell marker, CD44, and displayed increased clonogenicity in soft agar and broad drug-resistance in vitro and in vivo. Upregulation of CK5-positive cells by 3-ketosteroids required induction of the transcriptional repressor BCL6 based on suppression of BCL6 by two independent BCL6 small hairpin RNAs or by prolactin. Prolactin also suppressed 3-ketosteroid induction of CK5+ cells in T47D xenografts in vivo. Survival analysis with recursive partitioning in node-negative ERα-positive breast cancer using quantitative CK5 and BCL6 mRNA or protein expression data identified patients at high or low risk for tumor recurrence in two independent patient cohorts. The data provide a mechanism by which common pathophysiological or pharmacologic elevations in glucocorticoids or other 3-ketosteroids may adversely affect patients with mixed ERα+/CK5+ breast cancer. The observations further suggest a cooperative diagnostic utility of CK5 and BCL6 expression levels and justify exploring efficacy of inhibitors of BCL6 and 3-ketosteroid receptors for a subset of ERα-positive breast cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- C R Goodman
- Department of Cancer Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - T Sato
- Department of Cancer Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - A R Peck
- Department of Cancer Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - M A Girondo
- Department of Cancer Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - N Yang
- Department of Cancer Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - C Liu
- Department of Cancer Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - A F Yanac
- Department of Cancer Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - A J Kovatich
- John P. Murtha Cancer Center, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - J A Hooke
- John P. Murtha Cancer Center, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - C D Shriver
- John P. Murtha Cancer Center, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - E P Mitchell
- Department of Medical Oncology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - T Hyslop
- Department of Biostatistics & Bioinformatics, Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - H Rui
- Department of Cancer Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Department of Medical Oncology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Department of Pathology, Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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45
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Finlay-Schultz J, Sartorius CA. Steroid hormones, steroid receptors, and breast cancer stem cells. J Mammary Gland Biol Neoplasia 2015; 20:39-50. [PMID: 26265122 PMCID: PMC4666507 DOI: 10.1007/s10911-015-9340-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2015] [Accepted: 07/31/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The ovarian hormones progesterone and estrogen play important roles in breast cancer etiology, proliferation, and treatment. Androgens may also contribute to breast cancer risk and progression. In recent years, significant advances have been made in defining the roles of these steroid hormones in stem cell homeostasis in the breast. Stem cells are potential origins of breast cancer and may dictate tumor phenotype. At least a portion of breast cancers are proposed to be driven by cancer stem cells (CSCs), cells that mimic the self-renewing and repopulating properties of normal stem cells, and can confer drug resistance. Progesterone has been identified as the critical hormone regulating normal murine mammary stem cell (MaSC) populations and normal human breast stem cells. Synthetic progestins increase human breast cancer risk; one theory speculates that this occurs through increased stem cells. Progesterone treatment also increases breast CSCs in established breast cancer cell lines. This is mediated in part through progesterone regulation of transcription factors, signal transduction pathways, and microRNAs. There is also emerging evidence that estrogens and androgens can regulate breast CSC numbers. The evolving concept that a breast CSC phenotype is dynamic and can be influenced by cell signaling and external cues emphasizes that steroid hormones could be crucial players in controlling CSC number and function. Here we review recent studies on steroid hormone regulation of breast CSCs, and discuss mechanisms by which this occurs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Finlay-Schultz
- Department of Pathology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, 12801 East 17th Avenue; MS 8104, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA.
| | - Carol A Sartorius
- Department of Pathology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, 12801 East 17th Avenue; MS 8104, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
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46
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Wei W, Lewis MT. Identifying and targeting tumor-initiating cells in the treatment of breast cancer. Endocr Relat Cancer 2015; 22:R135-55. [PMID: 25876646 PMCID: PMC4447610 DOI: 10.1530/erc-14-0447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/07/2015] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women (excluding skin cancer), and it is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Although conventional and targeted therapies have improved survival rates, there are still considerable challenges in treating breast cancer, including treatment resistance, disease recurrence, and metastasis. Treatment resistance can be either de novo - because of traits that tumor cells possess before treatment - or acquired - because of traits that tumor cells gain in response to treatment. A recently proposed mechanism of de novo resistance invokes the existence of a specialized subset of cancer cells defined as tumor-initiating cells (TICs), or cancer stem cells (CSCs). TICs have the capacity to self-renew and to generate new tumors that consist entirely of clonally derived cell types present in the parental tumor. There are data to suggest that TICs are resistant to many conventional cancer therapies and that they can survive treatment in spite of dramatic shrinkage of the tumor. Residual TICs can then eventually regrow, which results in disease relapse. It has also been hypothesized that TIC may be responsible for metastatic disease. If these hypotheses are correct, targeting TICs may be imperative for achieving a cure. In the present review, we discuss evidence for breast TICs and their apparent resistance to conventional chemotherapy and radiotherapy as well as to various targeted therapies. We also address the potential impact of breast TIC plasticity and metastatic potential on therapeutic strategies. Finally, we describe several genes and signaling pathways that appear to be important for TIC function and may represent promising therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Wei
- Baylor College of MedicineLester and Sue Smith Breast Center, Houston, Texas, USADepartments of Molecular and Cellular BiologyRadiologyBaylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, BCM600, Room N1210, Houston, Texas 77030, USA Baylor College of MedicineLester and Sue Smith Breast Center, Houston, Texas, USADepartments of Molecular and Cellular BiologyRadiologyBaylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, BCM600, Room N1210, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Michael T Lewis
- Baylor College of MedicineLester and Sue Smith Breast Center, Houston, Texas, USADepartments of Molecular and Cellular BiologyRadiologyBaylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, BCM600, Room N1210, Houston, Texas 77030, USA Baylor College of MedicineLester and Sue Smith Breast Center, Houston, Texas, USADepartments of Molecular and Cellular BiologyRadiologyBaylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, BCM600, Room N1210, Houston, Texas 77030, USA Baylor College of MedicineLester and Sue Smith Breast Center, Houston, Texas, USADepartments of Molecular and Cellular BiologyRadiologyBaylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, BCM600, Room N1210, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
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47
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Gromova I, Gromov P, Honma N, Kumar S, Rimm D, Talman MLM, Wielenga VT, Moreira JMA. High level PHGDH expression in breast is predominantly associated with keratin 5-positive cell lineage independently of malignancy. Mol Oncol 2015; 9:1636-54. [PMID: 26026368 DOI: 10.1016/j.molonc.2015.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2014] [Revised: 04/14/2015] [Accepted: 05/04/2015] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
We have previously reported the 2D PAGE-based proteomic profiling of a prospective cohort of 78 triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients, and the establishment of a cumulative TNBC protein database. Analysis of this database identified a number of proteins as being specifically overexpressed in TNBC samples. One such protein was D-3-phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase (Phgdh), a candidate oncogene. We analysed expression of Phgdh in normal and TNBC mammary tissue samples by 2D gel-based proteomics and immunohistochemistry (IHC), and show here that high-level expression of Phgdh in mammary epithelial cells is primarily associated with cell lineage, as we found that Phgdh expression was predominant in CK5-positive cells, normal as well as malignant, thus identifying an association of this protein with the basal phenotype. Quantitative IHC analysis of Phgdh expression in normal breast tissue showed high-level expression of Phgdh in normal CK5-positive mammary epithelial cells, indicating that expression of this protein was not associated with malignancy, but rather with cell lineage. However, proteomic profiling of Phgdh showed it to be expressed in two major protein forms, and that the ratio of expression between these variants was associated with malignancy. Overexpression of Phgdh in CK5-positive cell lineages, and differential protein isoform expression, was additionally found in other tissues and cancer types, suggesting that overexpression of Phgdh is generally associated with CK5 cells, and that oncogenic function may be determined by isoform expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irina Gromova
- Cancer Proteomics, Genome Integrity Unit, Danish Cancer Society Research Center, Copenhagen, Denmark; Danish Centre for Translational Breast Cancer Research (DCTB), Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Pavel Gromov
- Cancer Proteomics, Genome Integrity Unit, Danish Cancer Society Research Center, Copenhagen, Denmark; Danish Centre for Translational Breast Cancer Research (DCTB), Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Naoko Honma
- Research Team for Geriatric Pathology, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Sudha Kumar
- Department of Pathology, Yale University Medical School, New Haven, USA
| | - David Rimm
- Department of Pathology, Yale University Medical School, New Haven, USA
| | - Maj-Lis Møller Talman
- Department of Pathology, The Centre of Diagnostic Investigations, Copenhagen University Hospital, Denmark
| | - Vera Timmermans Wielenga
- Department of Pathology, The Centre of Diagnostic Investigations, Copenhagen University Hospital, Denmark
| | - José M A Moreira
- Danish Centre for Translational Breast Cancer Research (DCTB), Copenhagen, Denmark; Section for Molecular Disease Biology and Sino-Danish Breast Cancer Research Centre, Department of Veterinary Disease Biology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
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48
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Abstract
Oestrogen receptor-positive (ER(+)) breast cancer is a major cause of cancer death in women. Although aromatase inhibitors suppress the function of ER and reduce the risk of recurrence, therapeutic resistance is common and essentially inevitable in advanced disease. This Review considers both genomic and cell biological explanations as to why ER(+) breast cancer cells persist, progress and cause an incurable, lethal, systemic disease. The design and outcomes of clinical trials are considered with the perspective that resistance mechanisms are heterogeneous, and therefore biomarker and somatic mutation-based stratification and eligibility will be essential for improvements in patient outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia X Ma
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 South Euclid Avenue, St Louis, Missouri 63110, USA
| | - Tomás Reinert
- Department of Medical Oncology, Instituto Nacional de Câncer (INCA), Praça da Cruz Vermelha, 23, 20230-130, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Izabela Chmielewska
- Department of Pneumonology, Oncology and Allergology, Medical University of Lublin, Jaczewskiego 8 St., 20-954, Lublin, Poland
| | - Matthew J Ellis
- Lester and Sue Smith Breast Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston 77030, Texas, USA
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Murray JI, West NR, Murphy LC, Watson PH. Intratumoural inflammation and endocrine resistance in breast cancer. Endocr Relat Cancer 2015; 22:R51-67. [PMID: 25404688 DOI: 10.1530/erc-14-0096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
It is becoming clear that inflammation-associated mechanisms can affect progression of breast cancer and modulate responses to treatment. Estrogen receptor alpha (ERα (ESR1)) is the principal biomarker and therapeutic target for endocrine therapies in breast cancer. Over 70% of patients are ESR1-positive at diagnosis and are candidates for endocrine therapy. However, ESR1-positive tumours can become resistant to endocrine therapy. Multiple mechanisms of endocrine resistance have been proposed, including suppression of ESR1. This review discusses the relationship between intratumoural inflammation and endocrine resistance with a particular focus on inflammation-mediated suppression of ESR1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jill I Murray
- Deeley Research CentreBritish Columbia Cancer Agency, 2410 Lee Avenue, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada V8R 6V5Translational Gastroenterology UnitNuffield Department of Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, UKDepartment of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics and the Manitoba Institute of Cell BiologyUniversity of Manitoba and CancerCare Manitoba, 675 McDermot Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba, CanadaDepartment of Biochemistry and MicrobiologyUniversity of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, CanadaDepartment of Pathology and Laboratory MedicineUniversity of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Nathan R West
- Deeley Research CentreBritish Columbia Cancer Agency, 2410 Lee Avenue, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada V8R 6V5Translational Gastroenterology UnitNuffield Department of Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, UKDepartment of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics and the Manitoba Institute of Cell BiologyUniversity of Manitoba and CancerCare Manitoba, 675 McDermot Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba, CanadaDepartment of Biochemistry and MicrobiologyUniversity of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, CanadaDepartment of Pathology and Laboratory MedicineUniversity of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Leigh C Murphy
- Deeley Research CentreBritish Columbia Cancer Agency, 2410 Lee Avenue, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada V8R 6V5Translational Gastroenterology UnitNuffield Department of Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, UKDepartment of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics and the Manitoba Institute of Cell BiologyUniversity of Manitoba and CancerCare Manitoba, 675 McDermot Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba, CanadaDepartment of Biochemistry and MicrobiologyUniversity of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, CanadaDepartment of Pathology and Laboratory MedicineUniversity of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Peter H Watson
- Deeley Research CentreBritish Columbia Cancer Agency, 2410 Lee Avenue, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada V8R 6V5Translational Gastroenterology UnitNuffield Department of Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, UKDepartment of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics and the Manitoba Institute of Cell BiologyUniversity of Manitoba and CancerCare Manitoba, 675 McDermot Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba, CanadaDepartment of Biochemistry and MicrobiologyUniversity of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, CanadaDepartment of Pathology and Laboratory MedicineUniversity of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Deeley Research CentreBritish Columbia Cancer Agency, 2410 Lee Avenue, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada V8R 6V5Translational Gastroenterology UnitNuffield Department of Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, UKDepartment of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics and the Manitoba Institute of Cell BiologyUniversity of Manitoba and CancerCare Manitoba, 675 McDermot Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba, CanadaDepartment of Biochemistry and MicrobiologyUniversity of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, CanadaDepartment of Pathology and Laboratory MedicineUniversity of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Deeley Research CentreBritish Columbia Cancer Agency, 2410 Lee Avenue, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada V8R 6V5Translational Gastroenterology UnitNuffield Department of Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, UKDepartment of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics and the Manitoba Institute of Cell BiologyUniversity of Manitoba and CancerCare Manitoba, 675 McDermot Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba, CanadaDepartment of Biochemistry and MicrobiologyUniversity of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, CanadaDepartment of Pathology and Laboratory MedicineUniversity of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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Kamdje AHN, Etet PFS, Vecchio L, Tagne RS, Amvene JM, Muller JM, Krampera M, Lukong KE. New targeted therapies for breast cancer: A focus on tumor microenvironmental signals and chemoresistant breast cancers. World J Clin Cases 2014; 2:769-86. [PMID: 25516852 PMCID: PMC4266825 DOI: 10.12998/wjcc.v2.i12.769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2014] [Revised: 07/12/2014] [Accepted: 09/23/2014] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer is the most frequent female malignancy worldwide. Current strategies in breast cancer therapy, including classical chemotherapy, hormone therapy, and targeted therapies, are usually associated with chemoresistance and serious adverse effects. Advances in our understanding of changes affecting the interactome in advanced and chemoresistant breast tumors have provided novel therapeutic targets, including, cyclin dependent kinases, mammalian target of rapamycin, Notch, Wnt and Shh. Inhibitors of these molecules recently entered clinical trials in mono- and combination therapy in metastatic and chemo-resistant breast cancers. Anticancer epigenetic drugs, mainly histone deacetylase inhibitors and DNA methyltransferase inhibitors, also entered clinical trials. Because of the complexity and heterogeneity of breast cancer, the future in therapy lies in the application of individualized tailored regimens. Emerging therapeutic targets and the implications for personalized-based therapy development in breast cancer are herein discussed.
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