1
|
Nayeem N, Sauma S, Ahad A, Rameau R, Kebadze S, Bazett M, Park BJ, Casaccia P, Prabha S, Hubbard K, Contel M. Insights into Mechanisms and Promising Triple Negative Breast Cancer Therapeutic Potential for a Water-Soluble Ruthenium Compound. ACS Pharmacol Transl Sci 2024; 7:1364-1376. [PMID: 38751641 PMCID: PMC11092013 DOI: 10.1021/acsptsci.4c00020] [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: 01/17/2024] [Revised: 03/14/2024] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) represents a subtype of breast cancer that does not express the three major prognostic receptors of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), progesterone (PR), and estrogen (ER). This limits treatment options and results in a high rate of mortality. We have reported previously on the efficacy of a water-soluble, cationic organometallic compound (Ru-IM) in a TNBC mouse xenograft model with impressive tumor reduction and targeted tumor drug accumulation. Ru-IM inhibits cancer hallmarks such as migration, angiogenesis, and invasion in TNBC cells by a mechanism that generates apoptotic cell death. Ru-IM displays little interaction with DNA and appears to act by a P53-independent pathway. We report here on the mitochondrial alterations caused by Ru-IM treatment and detail the inhibitory properties of Ru-IM in the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway in MDA-MB-231 cells. Lastly, we describe the results of an efficacy study of the TNBC xenografted mouse model with Ru-IM and Olaparib monotherapy and combinatory treatments. We find 59% tumor shrinkage with Ru-IM and 65% with the combination. Histopathological analysis confirmed no test-article-related toxicity. Immunohistochemical analysis indicated an inhibition of the angiogenic marker CD31 and increased levels of apoptotic cleaved caspase 3 marker, along with a slight inhibition of p-mTOR. Taken together, the effects of Ru-IM in vitro show similar trends and translation in vivo. Our investigation underscores the therapeutic potential of Ru-IM in addressing the challenges posed by TNBC as evidenced by its robust efficacy in inhibiting key cancer hallmarks, substantial tumor reduction, and minimal systemic toxicity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nazia Nayeem
- Department
of Chemistry, Brooklyn College, The City
University of New York, Brooklyn, New York 11210, United States
- Brooklyn
College Cancer Center, Brooklyn College, The City University of New York, Brooklyn, New York 11210, United States
- Biology
PhD Program The Graduate Center, The City
University of New York, New York, New York 10016, United States
| | - Sami Sauma
- Biology
PhD Program The Graduate Center, The City
University of New York, New York, New York 10016, United States
- Neuroscience
Initiative, Advanced Science Research Center, New York, New York 10065, United States
- Department
of Biology, City College, The City University
of New York, New York, New York 10031, United States
| | - Afruja Ahad
- Department
of Chemistry, Brooklyn College, The City
University of New York, Brooklyn, New York 11210, United States
- Brooklyn
College Cancer Center, Brooklyn College, The City University of New York, Brooklyn, New York 11210, United States
- Biology
PhD Program The Graduate Center, The City
University of New York, New York, New York 10016, United States
- Radiology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York 10031, United States
| | - Rachele Rameau
- Biology
PhD Program The Graduate Center, The City
University of New York, New York, New York 10016, United States
- Department
of Biology, City College, The City University
of New York, New York, New York 10031, United States
| | - Sophia Kebadze
- Department
of Chemistry, Brooklyn College, The City
University of New York, Brooklyn, New York 11210, United States
- Brooklyn
College Cancer Center, Brooklyn College, The City University of New York, Brooklyn, New York 11210, United States
| | - Mark Bazett
- Bold
Therapeutics Inc., Vancouver, British Columbia V6C 1E1, Canada
| | - Brian J. Park
- Bold
Therapeutics Inc., Vancouver, British Columbia V6C 1E1, Canada
| | - Patrizia Casaccia
- Neuroscience
Initiative, Advanced Science Research Center, New York, New York 10065, United States
| | - Swayam Prabha
- Fels
Cancer Institute for Personalized Medicine and Department of Cancer
and Cellular Biology, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
- Cancer
Signaling and Tumor Microenvironment Program, Fox Chase Center, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19111, United States
| | - Karen Hubbard
- Biology
PhD Program The Graduate Center, The City
University of New York, New York, New York 10016, United States
- Department
of Biology, City College, The City University
of New York, New York, New York 10031, United States
| | - Maria Contel
- Department
of Chemistry, Brooklyn College, The City
University of New York, Brooklyn, New York 11210, United States
- Brooklyn
College Cancer Center, Brooklyn College, The City University of New York, Brooklyn, New York 11210, United States
- Biology
PhD Program The Graduate Center, The City
University of New York, New York, New York 10016, United States
- Chemistry
PhD Program, The Graduate Center, The City
University of New York, New York, New York 10016, United States
- Biochemistry
PhD Program, The Graduate Center, The City
University of New York, New York, New York 10016, United States
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Ariaans G, Tiersma JF, Evers B, Gerding A, Waaijer SJH, Koster RA, Touw DJ, Bakker BM, Reijngoud DJ, de Jong S, Jalving M. Everolimus decreases [U- 13C]glucose utilization by pyruvate carboxylase in breast cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. Biomed Pharmacother 2024; 173:116362. [PMID: 38432130 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2024.116362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2023] [Revised: 02/25/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Reprogrammed metabolism is a hallmark of cancer, but notoriously difficult to target due to metabolic plasticity, especially in response to single metabolic interventions. Combining mTOR inhibitor everolimus and mitochondrial complex 1 inhibitor metformin results in metabolic synergy in in vitro models of triple-negative breast cancer. Here, we investigated whether the effect of this drug combination on tumor size is reflected in changes in tumor metabolism using [U-13C]glucose labeling in an MDA-MB-231 triple negative breast cancer xenograft model. The in vitro effects of everolimus and metformin treatment on oxidative phosphorylation and glycolysis reflected changes in 13C-labeling of metabolites in MDA-MB-231 cells. Treatment of MDA-MB-231 xenografts in SCID/Beige mice with everolimus resulted in slower tumor growth and reduced tumor size and tumor viability by 35%. Metformin treatment moderately inhibited tumor growth but did not enhance everolimus-induced effects. High serum levels of everolimus were reached, whereas levels of metformin were relatively low. Everolimus decreased TCA cycle metabolite labeling and inhibited pyruvate carboxylase activity. Metformin only caused a mild reduction in glycolytic metabolite labeling and did not affect pyruvate carboxylase activity or TCA cycle metabolite labeling. In conclusion, treatment with everolimus, but not metformin, decreased tumor size and viability. Furthermore, the efficacy of everolimus was reflected in reduced 13C-labeling of TCA cycle intermediates and reduced pyruvate carboxylase activity. By using in-depth analysis of drug-induced changes in glucose metabolism in combination with measurement of drug levels in tumor and plasma, effects of metabolically targeted drugs can be explained, and novel targets can be identified.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gerke Ariaans
- Department of Medical Oncology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Jiske F Tiersma
- Department of Medical Oncology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Bernardus Evers
- Department of Pediatrics, Center for Liver, Digestive and Metabolic Diseases, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Albert Gerding
- Department of Pediatrics, Center for Liver, Digestive and Metabolic Diseases, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Stijn J H Waaijer
- Department of Medical Oncology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Remco A Koster
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Laboratory for Clinical and Forensic Toxicology and Drugs Analysis, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Daan J Touw
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Laboratory for Clinical and Forensic Toxicology and Drugs Analysis, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Barbara M Bakker
- Department of Pediatrics, Center for Liver, Digestive and Metabolic Diseases, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Dirk-Jan Reijngoud
- Department of Pediatrics, Center for Liver, Digestive and Metabolic Diseases, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Steven de Jong
- Department of Medical Oncology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.
| | - Mathilde Jalving
- Department of Medical Oncology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Bullock KK, Shattuck-Brandt R, Scalise C, Luo W, Chen SC, Saleh N, Gonzalez-Ericsson PI, Garcia G, Sanders ME, Ayers GD, Yan C, Richmond A. Endogenous pAKT activity is associated with response to AKT inhibition alone and in combination with immune checkpoint inhibition in murine models of TNBC. Cancer Lett 2024; 586:216681. [PMID: 38311054 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2024.216681] [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: 11/06/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/06/2024]
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a heterogeneous and challenging-to-treat breast cancer subtype. The clinical introduction of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) for TNBC has had mixed results, and very few patients achieved a durable response. The PI3K/AKT pathway is frequently mutated in breast cancer. Given the important roles of the PI3K pathway in immune and tumor cell signaling, there is an interest in using inhibitors of this pathway to increase the response to ICI. This study sought to determine if AKT inhibition could enhance the response to ICI in murine TNBC models. We further sought to understand underlying mechanisms of response or non-response to AKT inhibition in combination with ICI. Using four murine TNBC-like cell lines and corresponding orthotopic mouse tumor models, we found that hyperactivity of the PI3K pathway, as evidenced by levels of phospho-AKT rather than PI3K pathway mutational status, was associated with response to AKT inhibition alone and in combination with ICI. Additional mutations in other growth regulatory pathways could override the response of PI3K pathway mutant tumors to AKT inhibition. Furthermore, we observed that AKT inhibition enhanced the response to ICI in an already sensitive model. However, AKT inhibition failed to convert ICI-resistant tumors, to responsive tumors. These findings suggest that analysis of both the mutational status and phospho-AKT protein levels may be beneficial in predicting which TNBC tumors will respond to AKT inhibition in combination with ICI.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kennady K Bullock
- Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Department of Veteran Affairs, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Rebecca Shattuck-Brandt
- Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Department of Veteran Affairs, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Carly Scalise
- Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Department of Veteran Affairs, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Weifeng Luo
- Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Department of Veteran Affairs, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Sheau-Chiann Chen
- Department of Biostatistics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Nabil Saleh
- Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Department of Veteran Affairs, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Paula I Gonzalez-Ericsson
- Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Guadalupe Garcia
- Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Melinda E Sanders
- Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Gregory D Ayers
- Department of Biostatistics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Chi Yan
- Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Department of Veteran Affairs, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA.
| | - Ann Richmond
- Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Department of Veteran Affairs, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA; Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Geng W, Cao M, Dong K, An J, Gao H. SHOC2 mediates the drug-resistance of triple-negative breast cancer cells to everolimus. Cancer Biol Ther 2023; 24:2206362. [PMID: 37170083 PMCID: PMC10177683 DOI: 10.1080/15384047.2023.2206362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Revised: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Aberrant activation of the mTOR pathway is a characteristic alteration in triple-negative breast cancer, but the mTOR pathway inhibitor everolimus is not effective for the triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients. Presently, we showed that the activation of ERK pathway was an important mechanism of resistance to everolimus in TNBC cells in this study. SHOC2, a key protein mediating the Ras-Raf-ERK pathway, could act as a scaffolding protein to facilitate the activation of the pathway by mediating the interaction of key components of the pathway. Our results showed that everolimus activated the Raf-ERK pathway by promoting the interaction between SHOC2 and c-Raf and that knockdown of SHOC2 significantly inhibited the Raf-ERK pathway induced by everolimus. We further demonstrated that SHOC2 expression levels were closely related to the sensitivity of TNBC cells to everolimus and that interference with SHOC2 expression in combination with everolimus had significant effects on the cell cycle progression and apoptosis in vitro experiments. Western blotting analysis showed that cell cycle regulators and apoptosis-related proteins were significantly altered by the combination treatment. Xenograft model also demonstrated that knockdown of SHOC2 significantly increased the sensitivity of tumor to everolimus in nude mice. In conclusion, our study showed that SHOC2 is a key factor in regulating the sensitivity of TNBC cells to everolimus and that combined therapy may be a more effective therapeutic approach for TNBC patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wenwen Geng
- Department of Breast Surgery, Qilu Hospital (Qingdao), Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
- Oncology Laboratory, Qilu Hospital (Qingdao), Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Meiling Cao
- Department of Rheumatology, Qilu Hospital (Qingdao), Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Ke Dong
- Department of Breast Surgery, Qilu Hospital (Qingdao), Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Junhua An
- Department of Breast Surgery, Qilu Hospital (Qingdao), Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Haidong Gao
- Department of Breast Surgery, Qilu Hospital (Qingdao), Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
- Oncology Laboratory, Qilu Hospital (Qingdao), Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
- CONTACT Haidong Gao Department of Breast Surgery, Qilu Hospital (Qingdao), Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Hefei Road No.758, Qingdao266000, China
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Kumari L, Mishra L, Patel P, Sharma N, Gupta GD, Kurmi BD. Emerging targeted therapeutic strategies for the treatment of triple-negative breast cancer. J Drug Target 2023; 31:889-907. [PMID: 37539789 DOI: 10.1080/1061186x.2023.2245579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 07/30/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023]
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), a subtype of breast cancer that lacks expression of oestrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2), has clinical features including a high degree of invasiveness, an elevated risk of metastasis, tendency to relapse, and poor prognosis. It constitutes around 10-15% of all breast cancer, and having heredity of BRCA1 mutated breast cancer could be a reason for the occurrence of TNBC in women. Overexpression of cellular and molecular targets, i.e. CD44 receptor, EGFR receptor, Folate receptor, Transferrin receptor, VEGF receptor, and Androgen receptor, have emerged as promising targets for treating TNBC. Signalling pathways such as Notch signalling and PI3K/AKT/mTOR also play a significant role in carrying out and managing crucial pro-survival and pro-growth cellular processes that can be utilised for targeted therapy against triple-negative breast cancer. This review sheds light on various targeting strategies, including cellular and molecular targets, signalling pathways, poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors, antibody-drug conjugates, and immune checkpoint inhibitors PARP, immunotherapy, ADCs have all found a place in the current TNBC therapeutic paradigm. The role of photothermal therapy (PTT) and photodynamic therapy (PDT) has also been explored briefly.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lakshmi Kumari
- Department of Pharmaceutics, ISF College Pharmacy, Moga, Punjab, India
| | - Lopamudra Mishra
- Department of Pharmaceutics, ISF College Pharmacy, Moga, Punjab, India
| | - Preeti Patel
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, ISF College Pharmacy, Moga, Punjab, India
| | - Nitin Sharma
- Department of Pharmaceutics, ISF College Pharmacy, Moga, Punjab, India
| | | | - Balak Das Kurmi
- Department of Pharmaceutics, ISF College Pharmacy, Moga, Punjab, India
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Mai N, Abuhadra N, Jhaveri K. Molecularly Targeted Therapies for Triple Negative Breast Cancer: History, Advances, and Future Directions. Clin Breast Cancer 2023; 23:784-799. [PMID: 37336650 DOI: 10.1016/j.clbc.2023.05.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2023] [Revised: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/21/2023]
Abstract
Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) remains the subtype with poorest prognosis. Despite the subtype's heterogeneity, there is still a paucity in effective targeted therapeutics that offer both good efficacy and tolerability, and chemotherapy remains the backbone of modern TNBC therapy. In the past few years, immunotherapy as well as novel therapeutic modalities like antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) have shown clinical benefit and have been FDA approved in various clinical stages of unselected TNBC. However, there has not been similar advancement in molecularly targeted therapies, especially when compared to advancements seen in hormone receptor (HR)-positive or HER2-positive breast cancer. PARP inhibitors have been approved for BRCA-mutated TNBC, but responses are short-lived, and resistance remains a barrier for current treatment. PI3K pathway inhibitors approved in HR+ breast cancer has not worked for TNBC and continue to have significant dose-limiting adverse effects. EGFR inhibition has been thoroughly explored in TNBC, but all trials so far have shown minimal efficacy. Nevertheless, despite these setbacks, current research in targeted therapy for TNBC holds great promise in overcoming the barriers of the past and developing novel therapeutic approaches for the future. In this review, we describe molecular targets both identified and validated in the treatment of TNBC, discuss the historical efforts towards development of targeted agents and current areas of improvement, and address promising advances that have the potential to improve outcomes in this heterogenous and aggressive breast cancer subtype. Immunotherapy, ADCs, and AR targeting will be discussed in separate reviews of this edition.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Mai
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - Nour Abuhadra
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - Komal Jhaveri
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Xu J, Yu C, Zeng X, Tang W, Xu S, Tang L, Huang Y, Sun Z, Yu T. Visualization of breast cancer-related protein synthesis from the perspective of bibliometric analysis. Eur J Med Res 2023; 28:461. [PMID: 37885035 PMCID: PMC10605986 DOI: 10.1186/s40001-023-01364-4] [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: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer, as a daunting global health threat, has driven an exponential growth in related research activity in recent decades. An area of research of paramount importance is protein synthesis, and the analysis of specific proteins inextricably linked to breast cancer. In this article, we undertake a bibliometric analysis of the literature on breast cancer and protein synthesis, aiming to provide crucial insights into this esoteric realm of investigation. Our approach was to scour the Web of Science database, between 2003 and 2022, for articles containing the keywords "breast cancer" and "protein synthesis" in their title, abstract, or keywords. We deployed bibliometric analysis software, exploring a range of measures such as publication output, citation counts, co-citation analysis, and keyword analysis. Our search yielded 2998 articles that met our inclusion criteria. The number of publications in this area has steadily increased, with a significant rise observed after 2003. Most of the articles were published in oncology or biology-related journals, with the most publications in Journal of Biological Chemistry, Cancer Research, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, and Oncogene. Keyword analysis revealed that "breast cancer," "expression," "cancer," "protein," and "translation" were the most commonly researched topics. In conclusion, our bibliometric analysis of breast cancer and related protein synthesis literature underscores the burgeoning interest in this research. The focus of the research is primarily on the relationship between protein expression in breast cancer and the development and treatment of tumors. These studies have been instrumental in the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. Sustained research in this area will yield essential insights into the biology of breast cancer and the genesis of cutting-edge therapies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jiawei Xu
- Department of Breast Surgery, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanchang University, Jiangxi Cancer Hospital, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang Medical College, Jiangxi Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, 330029, China
| | - Chengdong Yu
- Department of Breast Surgery, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanchang University, Jiangxi Cancer Hospital, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang Medical College, Jiangxi Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, 330029, China
| | - Xiaoqiang Zeng
- Department of Breast Surgery, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanchang University, Jiangxi Cancer Hospital, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang Medical College, Jiangxi Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, 330029, China
| | - Weifeng Tang
- Fuzhou Medical College of Nanchang University, Fuzhou, 344000, China
| | - Siyi Xu
- Department of Breast Surgery, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanchang University, Jiangxi Cancer Hospital, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang Medical College, Jiangxi Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, 330029, China
| | - Lei Tang
- Department of Breast Surgery, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanchang University, Jiangxi Cancer Hospital, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang Medical College, Jiangxi Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, 330029, China
| | - Yanxiao Huang
- Department of Breast Surgery, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanchang University, Jiangxi Cancer Hospital, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang Medical College, Jiangxi Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, 330029, China
| | - Zhengkui Sun
- Department of Breast Surgery, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanchang University, Jiangxi Cancer Hospital, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang Medical College, Jiangxi Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, 330029, China.
| | - Tenghua Yu
- Department of Breast Surgery, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanchang University, Jiangxi Cancer Hospital, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang Medical College, Jiangxi Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, 330029, China.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Singh A, Georgy JT, Joel A, Thumaty DB, John AO, Ramnath N, George TK, Sharma P, Patole S, Rebekah G, Sigamani E, Manipadam MT, Cherian AJ, Abraham DT, Paul MJ, Balakrishnan R, Sebastian P, Backianathan S, Chacko RT. Dose-Dense Docetaxel-Cyclophosphamide and Epirubicin-Cisplatin(ddDCEP): Analysis of an Alternative Platinum-Containing Regimen in 116 Patients with Early Triple Negative Breast Cancer. Cancer Invest 2023; 41:789-802. [PMID: 37909664 DOI: 10.1080/07357907.2023.2278048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/28/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023]
Abstract
We assessed the efficacy, tolerability, and cost-effectiveness of a novel neoadjuvant regimen comprising docetaxel-cyclophosphamide alternating with epirubicin-cisplatin (ddDCEP) administered biweekly for 16 weeks in 116 patients with early triple-negative breast cancer. This regimen achieved a high pathological complete response (ypT0/TisN0) rate of 55.2% and favorable survival outcomes (30-month event-free survival, 91.2%; overall survival, 97%). Febrile neutropenia was observed in 4.3% of patients, and 98% completed at least six of eight cycles. ddDCEP was more cost-effective than contemporary carboplatin-based regimens. This novel approach offers an economically viable and effective alternative to current chemoimmunotherapy regimens, and merits further investigation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ashish Singh
- Department of Medical Oncology, Christian Medical College, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Josh Thomas Georgy
- Department of Medical Oncology, Christian Medical College, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Anjana Joel
- Department of Medical Oncology, Christian Medical College, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Divya Bala Thumaty
- Department of Medical Oncology, Christian Medical College, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Ajoy Oommen John
- Department of Medical Oncology, Christian Medical College, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Nithya Ramnath
- Division of Medical Oncology, Veterans Affairs Ann Arbor Healthcare System, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Tarun K George
- Department of General Medicine, Christian Medical College, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Parth Sharma
- Department of Medical Oncology, Christian Medical College, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Shalom Patole
- Department of Epidemiology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Grace Rebekah
- Department of Biostatistics, Christian Medical College, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India
| | | | | | - Anish Jacob Cherian
- Department of Endocrine Surgery, Christian Medical College, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Deepak Thomas Abraham
- Department of Endocrine Surgery, Christian Medical College, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India
| | | | - Rajesh Balakrishnan
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Christian Medical College, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Patricia Sebastian
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Christian Medical College, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India
| | | | - Raju Titus Chacko
- Department of Medical Oncology, Christian Medical College, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Shi L, Zhang Y, Wu J, Li J, Zhu J, Xu Y, Li N, Li Q, Zhang W. A case report and literature review on a rare subtype of triple-negative breast cancer in children. BMC Pediatr 2023; 23:494. [PMID: 37773118 PMCID: PMC10540381 DOI: 10.1186/s12887-023-04286-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/30/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a type of breast tumor with a poor prognosis because it lacks or expresses low levels of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2). TNBC is more common in middle-aged and older women, and cases of TNBC in children are rarely reported. This is the only case of childhood SBC in our hospital in more than 70 years, and the disease is extremely rare internationally. We analyzed and studied the disease and TNBC from both clinical and pathological aspects and found that SBC is very different from TNBC. CASE PRESENTATION We report a case of secretory breast cancer (SBC), a subtype of TNBC, in an 8-year-old girl from our institution. The child presented with a single mass in the left breast only, with no skin rupture and no enlargement of the surrounding lymph nodes. The child underwent two surgeries and was followed up for one year with a good prognosis. CONCLUSIONS SBC is highly prevalent among the multiple pathological types of pediatric breast cancer. Almost all pediatric SBC patients are characterized by the ETV6-NTRK3 fusion gene, which has a good prognosis and a 10-year survival rate of more than 90% when compared with other TNBC subtypes. According to the patient, we performed local mass resection and a postoperative pathological diagnosis of SBC (a subtype of BL-TNBC). The TNBC case had a good prognosis and differed from basal TNBC in several aspects, including clinical presentation, treatment, and prognosis. It is necessary to exclude SBC from BL-type TNBC, enhance understanding of the disease, and individualize the treatment plan, so as to avoid medical errors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lexiang Shi
- Xi'an International Medical Center Hospital, Xi'an, China
| | - Yinan Zhang
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Huzhou Maternity & Child Health Care Hospital, No. 2 East Street, Wuxing DistrictZhejiang Province, Huzhou City, China
| | - Jingcheng Wu
- Mudanjiang Medical University, Mudanjiang, China
| | - Jinping Li
- Mudanjiang Medical University, Mudanjiang, China
| | - Junzhao Zhu
- Xi'an International Medical Center Hospital, Xi'an, China
| | - Youbo Xu
- Xi'an International Medical Center Hospital, Xi'an, China
| | - Nie Li
- Xi'an International Medical Center Hospital, Xi'an, China
| | - Qin Li
- Xi'an International Medical Center Hospital, Xi'an, China
| | - Wanli Zhang
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Huzhou Maternity & Child Health Care Hospital, No. 2 East Street, Wuxing DistrictZhejiang Province, Huzhou City, China.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Bhardwaj PV, Wang Y, Brunk E, Spanheimer PM, Abdou YG. Advances in the Management of Early-Stage Triple-Negative Breast Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:12478. [PMID: 37569851 PMCID: PMC10419523 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241512478] [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: 07/03/2023] [Revised: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a subtype of breast cancer with both inter- and intratumor heterogeneity, thought to result in a more aggressive course and worse outcomes. Neoadjuvant therapy (NAT) has become the preferred treatment modality of early-stage TNBC as it allows for the downstaging of tumors in the breast and axilla, monitoring early treatment response, and most importantly, provides important prognostic information that is essential to determining post-surgical therapies to improve outcomes. It focuses on combinations of systemic drugs to optimize pathologic complete response (pCR). Excellent response to NAT has allowed surgical de-escalation in ideal candidates. Further, treatment algorithms guide the systemic management of patients based on their pCR status following surgery. The expanding knowledge of molecular pathways, genomic sequencing, and the immunological profile of TNBC has led to the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors and targeted agents, including PARP inhibitors, further revolutionizing the therapeutic landscape of this clinical entity. However, subgroups most likely to benefit from these novel approaches in TNBC remain elusive and are being extensively studied. In this review, we describe current practices and promising therapeutic options on the horizon for TNBC, surgical advances, and future trends in molecular determinants of response to therapy in early-stage TNBC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Prarthna V. Bhardwaj
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School—Baystate, Springfield, MA 01199, USA
| | - Yue Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Curriculum in Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Elizabeth Brunk
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Integrative Program for Biological and Genomic Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, UNC Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Computational Medicine Program, UNC Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Philip M. Spanheimer
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, UNC Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Department of Surgery, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Yara G. Abdou
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, UNC Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Division of Oncology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
El Hejjioui B, Lamrabet S, Amrani Joutei S, Senhaji N, Bouhafa T, Malhouf MA, Bennis S, Bouguenouch L. New Biomarkers and Treatment Advances in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer. Diagnostics (Basel) 2023; 13:diagnostics13111949. [PMID: 37296801 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics13111949] [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: 12/31/2022] [Revised: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a specific subtype of breast cancer lacking hormone receptor expression and HER2 gene amplification. TNBC represents a heterogeneous subtype of breast cancer, characterized by poor prognosis, high invasiveness, high metastatic potential, and a tendency to relapse. In this review, the specific molecular subtypes and pathological aspects of triple-negative breast cancer are illustrated, with particular attention to the biomarker characteristics of TNBC, namely: regulators of cell proliferation and migration and angiogenesis, apoptosis-regulating proteins, regulators of DNA damage response, immune checkpoints, and epigenetic modifications. This paper also focuses on omics approaches to exploring TNBC, such as genomics to identify cancer-specific mutations, epigenomics to identify altered epigenetic landscapes in cancer cells, and transcriptomics to explore differential mRNA and protein expression. Moreover, updated neoadjuvant treatments for TNBC are also mentioned, underlining the role of immunotherapy and novel and targeted agents in the treatment of TNBC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brahim El Hejjioui
- Biomedical and Translational Research Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University, Fez 30050, Morocco
- Department of Medical Genetics and Oncogenetics, HASSAN II University Hospital, Fez 30050, Morocco
| | - Salma Lamrabet
- Biomedical and Translational Research Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University, Fez 30050, Morocco
| | - Sarah Amrani Joutei
- Department of Radiotherapy, HASSAN II University Hospital, Fez 30050, Morocco
| | - Nadia Senhaji
- Faculty of Sciences, Moulay Ismail University, Meknès 50000, Morocco
| | - Touria Bouhafa
- Department of Radiotherapy, HASSAN II University Hospital, Fez 30050, Morocco
| | | | - Sanae Bennis
- Biomedical and Translational Research Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University, Fez 30050, Morocco
| | - Laila Bouguenouch
- Department of Medical Genetics and Oncogenetics, HASSAN II University Hospital, Fez 30050, Morocco
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Zhang W, Li E, Wang L, Lehmann BD, Chen XS. Transcriptome Meta-Analysis of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Response to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:2194. [PMID: 37190123 PMCID: PMC10137141 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15082194] [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: 03/04/2023] [Revised: 04/01/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a heterogeneous disease with varying responses to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). The identification of biomarkers to predict NAC response and inform personalized treatment strategies is essential. In this study, we conducted large-scale gene expression meta-analyses to identify genes associated with NAC response and survival outcomes. The results showed that immune, cell cycle/mitotic, and RNA splicing-related pathways were significantly associated with favorable clinical outcomes. Furthermore, we integrated and divided the gene association results from NAC response and survival outcomes into four quadrants, which provided more insights into potential NAC response mechanisms and biomarker discovery.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wei Zhang
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Emma Li
- California Academy of Mathematics and Science, 1000 E Victoria St, Carson, CA 90747, USA
| | - Lily Wang
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Brian D. Lehmann
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
- Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - X. Steven Chen
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Liu H, Su H, Wang F, Dang Y, Ren Y, Yin S, Lu H, Zhang H, Wu J, Xu Z, Zheng M, Gao J, Cao Y, Xu J, Chen L, Wu X, Ma M, Xu L, Wang F, Chen J, Su C, Wu C, Xie H, Gu J, Xi JJ, Ge B, Fei Y, Chen C. Pharmacological boosting of cGAS activation sensitizes chemotherapy by enhancing antitumor immunity. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112275. [PMID: 36943864 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Revised: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Enhancing chemosensitivity is one of the largest unmet medical needs in cancer therapy. Cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS) connects genome instability caused by platinum-based chemotherapeutics to type I interferon (IFN) response. Here, by using a high-throughput small-molecule microarray-based screening of cGAS interacting compounds, we identify brivanib, known as a dual inhibitor of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor and fibroblast growth factor receptor, as a cGAS modulator. Brivanib markedly enhances cGAS-mediated type I IFN response in tumor cells treated with platinum. Mechanistically, brivanib directly targets cGAS and enhances its DNA binding affinity. Importantly, brivanib synergizes with cisplatin in tumor control by boosting CD8+ T cell response in a tumor-intrinsic cGAS-dependent manner, which is further validated by a patient-derived tumor-like cell clusters model. Taken together, our findings identify cGAS as an unprecedented target of brivanib and provide a rationale for the combination of brivanib with platinum-based chemotherapeutics in cancer treatment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Haipeng Liu
- Clinical and Translational Research Center, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200433, China; Central Laboratory, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200433, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Tuberculosis, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200433, China; Shanghai HUASHEN Institute of Microbes and Infections, Shanghai 200052, China.
| | - Hang Su
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Fei Wang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Tuberculosis, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Yifang Dang
- Clinical and Translational Research Center, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200433, China; Central Laboratory, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200433, China; Shanghai HUASHEN Institute of Microbes and Infections, Shanghai 200052, China
| | - Yijiu Ren
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Shenyi Yin
- College of Future Technology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Huinan Lu
- GeneX Health Co. Ltd., Beijing 100195, China
| | - Hang Zhang
- Department of Optical Science and Engineering, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Ultra-Precision Optical Manufacturing, Key Laboratory of Micro and Nano Photonic Structures (Ministry of Education), Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Jun Wu
- Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, and the Institute of Biomedical Sciences, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Zhu Xu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Mengge Zheng
- Clinical and Translational Research Center, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200433, China; Central Laboratory, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Jiani Gao
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Yajuan Cao
- Clinical and Translational Research Center, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200433, China; Central Laboratory, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Junfang Xu
- Clinical and Translational Research Center, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200433, China; Central Laboratory, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Li Chen
- Clinical and Translational Research Center, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200433, China; Central Laboratory, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Xiangyang Wu
- Clinical and Translational Research Center, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200433, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Tuberculosis, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Mingtong Ma
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Tuberculosis, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Long Xu
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Fang Wang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Jianxia Chen
- Clinical and Translational Research Center, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200433, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Tuberculosis, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Chunxia Su
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Chunyan Wu
- Department of Pathology, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Huikang Xie
- Department of Pathology, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Jijie Gu
- WuXi Biologics (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., Shanghai City 201401, China
| | - Jianzhong Jeff Xi
- College of Future Technology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Baoxue Ge
- Clinical and Translational Research Center, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200433, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Tuberculosis, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200433, China.
| | - Yiyan Fei
- Department of Optical Science and Engineering, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Ultra-Precision Optical Manufacturing, Key Laboratory of Micro and Nano Photonic Structures (Ministry of Education), Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China.
| | - Chang Chen
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200433, China.
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Tsang JY, Tse GM. Update on triple-negative breast cancers - highlighting subtyping update and treatment implication. Histopathology 2023; 82:17-35. [PMID: 36468263 DOI: 10.1111/his.14784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Revised: 08/14/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) remains a major challenge in breast cancer management. Continuing research in the past years aimed at understanding the biology of this tumour and developing more effective therapeutic options. It is now clear that TNBC is vastly heterogeneous with diverse histological, molecular, immunological profiles and clinical differences. Current evidence suggested the existence of at least four predominant subtypes based on expression profiling across studies. These subtypes exhibited specific genomic alterations and tumour microenvironment. Subtype-specific therapeutic strategies were identified. Recognising these subtypes allows not only an improved prognostication but also a better treatment decision. Herein, we provide an overview of the recent findings on TNBC heterogeneity at different levels and corresponding subtyping. The characteristic of subtypes and the implication of these subtypings in therapeutic approaches are also discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Julia Y Tsang
- Department of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
| | - Gary M Tse
- Department of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Taurelli Salimbeni B, Corvaja C, Valenza C, Zagami P, Curigliano G. The triple negative breast cancer drugs graveyard: a review of failed clinical trials 2017-2022. Expert Opin Investig Drugs 2022; 31:1203-1226. [PMID: 36413823 DOI: 10.1080/13543784.2022.2151433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) accounts for 15-20% of breast cancers (BC) and has the worst prognosis. It is characterized by the absence of both hormone receptor (HR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). TNBC has more limited therapeutic options compared to other subtypes, meaning that there is still a long way to go to discover target treatments. AREAS COVERED Our review aims to summarize phase II/III clinical trials enrolling patients with TNBC that have been published between 2017 and 2022 but failed to reach their primary endpoint. We here try to emphasize the limitations and weaknesses noted in negative studies and to point out unexpected results which might be useful to enhance the therapeutic approach to TNBC disease. EXPERT OPINION A deeper understanding of the mechanisms behind TNBC heterogeneity allowed to enhance the knowledge of new prognostic and predictive biomarkers of response. However, it is also through several failed clinical trials that we were able to define new therapeutic approaches which improved TNBC patients' clinical outcomes. Nowadays, we still need to overcome several difficulties to fully recognize different intracellular and extracellular pathways that crosstalk in TNBC and the mechanisms of resistance to identify novel tailored-patients' therapies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Beatrice Taurelli Salimbeni
- Division of New Drugs and Early Drug Development for Innovative Therapies, European Institute of Oncology, Irccs, Milan, Italy.,Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Oncology Unit, "la Sapienza" University of Rome, Azienda Ospedaliera Sant'Andrea, Rome, Italy
| | - Carla Corvaja
- Division of New Drugs and Early Drug Development for Innovative Therapies, European Institute of Oncology, Irccs, Milan, Italy.,Department of Medicine, University of Udine, Udine, Italy
| | - Carmine Valenza
- Division of New Drugs and Early Drug Development for Innovative Therapies, European Institute of Oncology, Irccs, Milan, Italy.,Department of Oncology and Haematology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Paola Zagami
- Division of New Drugs and Early Drug Development for Innovative Therapies, European Institute of Oncology, Irccs, Milan, Italy.,Department of Oncology and Haematology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.,Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Giuseppe Curigliano
- Division of New Drugs and Early Drug Development for Innovative Therapies, European Institute of Oncology, Irccs, Milan, Italy.,Department of Oncology and Haematology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Racial Disparity in Quadruple Negative Breast Cancer: Aggressive Biology and Potential Therapeutic Targeting and Prevention. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14184484. [PMID: 36139643 PMCID: PMC9497140 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14184484] [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: 06/30/2022] [Revised: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Quadruple negative breast cancer (QNBC), a subgroup of triple negative BC, has emerged as a highly aggressive BC subtype that disproportionately afflicts and impacts Black/African-American (AA) women. In this article, we review molecular distinctions in Black/AA and White/European-American (EA) QNBC biology as well as address potential non-genetic risk factors that could be underlying this racially disparate burden. We aim to provide deeper insight and provide a framework for novel discovery of actionable therapeutic targets and identify lifestyle changes to improve outcomes for Black/AA QNBC patients. Abstract Black/African-American (AA) women, relative to their White/European-American (EA) counterparts, experience disproportionately high breast cancer mortality. Central to this survival disparity, Black/AA women have an unequal burden of aggressive breast cancer subtypes, such as triple-negative breast cancer (ER/PR-, HER2-wild type; TNBC). While TNBC has been well characterized, recent studies have identified a highly aggressive androgen receptor (AR)-negative subtype of TNBC, quadruple-negative breast cancer (ER/PR-, HER2-wildtype, AR-; QNBC). Similar to TNBC, QNBC disproportionately impacts Black/AA women and likely plays an important role in the breast cancer survival disparities experienced by Black/AA women. Here, we discuss the racial disparities of QNBC and molecular signaling pathways that may contribute to the aggressive biology of QNBC in Black/AA women. Our immediate goal is to spotlight potential prevention and therapeutic targets for Black/AA QNBC; ultimately our goal is to provide greater insight into reducing the breast cancer survival burden experienced by Black/AA women.
Collapse
|
17
|
Yu Y, Zhang J, Lin Y, Kang S, Lv X, Song C. Efficacy and safety of neoadjuvant therapy for triple-negative breast cancer: a Bayesian network meta-analysis. Expert Rev Anticancer Ther 2022; 22:1141-1151. [DOI: 10.1080/14737140.2022.2125381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yushuai Yu
- Department of Breast Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, 350001, China
| | - Jie Zhang
- Department of Breast Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, 350001, China
- Department of General Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, 350001, China
- Breast Cancer Institute, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350001, Fujian Province, China
| | - Yuxiang Lin
- Department of Breast Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, 350001, China
- Department of General Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, 350001, China
- Breast Cancer Institute, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350001, Fujian Province, China
| | - Shaohong Kang
- Department of Breast Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, 350001, China
| | - Xinyin Lv
- Department of Breast Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, 350001, China
| | - Chuangui Song
- Department of Breast Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, 350001, China
- Department of General Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, 350001, China
- Breast Cancer Institute, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350001, Fujian Province, China
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Ribeiro R, Carvalho MJ, Goncalves J, Moreira JN. Immunotherapy in triple-negative breast cancer: Insights into tumor immune landscape and therapeutic opportunities. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 9:903065. [PMID: 36060249 PMCID: PMC9437219 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.903065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a clinically aggressive subtype of breast cancer that represents 15-20% of breast tumors and is more prevalent in young pre-menopausal women. It is the subtype of breast cancers with the highest metastatic potential and recurrence at the first 5 years after diagnosis. In addition, mortality increases when a complete pathological response is not achieved. As TNBC cells lack estrogen, progesterone, and HER2 receptors, patients do not respond well to hormone and anti-HER2 therapies, and conventional chemotherapy remains the standard treatment. Despite efforts to develop targeted therapies, this disease continues to have a high unmet medical need, and there is an urgent demand for customized diagnosis and therapeutics. As immunotherapy is changing the paradigm of anticancer treatment, it arises as an alternative treatment for TNBC patients. TNBC is classified as an immunogenic subtype of breast cancer due to its high levels of tumor mutational burden and presence of immune cell infiltrates. This review addresses the implications of these characteristics for the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of the disease. Herein, the role of immune gene signatures and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes as biomarkers in TNBC is reviewed, identifying their application in patient diagnosis and stratification, as well as predictors of efficacy. The expression of PD-L1 expression is already considered to be predictive of response to checkpoint inhibitor therapy, but the challenges regarding its value as biomarker are described. Moreover, the rationales for different formats of immunotherapy against TNBC currently under clinical research are discussed, and major clinical trials are highlighted. Immune checkpoint inhibitors have demonstrated clinical benefit, particularly in early-stage tumors and when administered in combination with chemotherapy, with several regimens approved by the regulatory authorities. The success of antibody-drug conjugates and research on other emerging approaches, such as vaccines and cell therapies, will also be addressed. These advances give hope on the development of personalized, more effective, and safe treatments, which will improve the survival and quality of life of patients with TNBC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rita Ribeiro
- CNC—Center for Neurosciences and Cell Biology, Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), University of Coimbra, Faculty of Medicine (Polo 1), Coimbra, Portugal
- iMed.ULisboa—Research Institute for Medicines, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
- Univ Coimbra—University of Coimbra, CIBB, Faculty of Pharmacy, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Maria João Carvalho
- Univ Coimbra—University of Coimbra, CIBB, Faculty of Pharmacy, Coimbra, Portugal
- CHUC—Coimbra Hospital and University Centre, Department of Gynaecology, Coimbra, Portugal
- Univ Coimbra—University Clinic of Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- iCBR—Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Research Area of Environment Genetics and Oncobiology (CIMAGO), Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- CACC—Clinical Academic Center of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - João Goncalves
- iMed.ULisboa—Research Institute for Medicines, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - João Nuno Moreira
- CNC—Center for Neurosciences and Cell Biology, Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), University of Coimbra, Faculty of Medicine (Polo 1), Coimbra, Portugal
- Univ Coimbra—University of Coimbra, CIBB, Faculty of Pharmacy, Coimbra, Portugal
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Zhu K, Wu Y, He P, Fan Y, Zhong X, Zheng H, Luo T. PI3K/AKT/mTOR-Targeted Therapy for Breast Cancer. Cells 2022; 11:2508. [PMID: 36010585 PMCID: PMC9406657 DOI: 10.3390/cells11162508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2022] [Revised: 08/06/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), protein kinase B (PKB/AKT) and mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) (PAM) pathways play important roles in breast tumorigenesis and confer worse prognosis in breast cancer patients. The inhibitors targeting three key nodes of these pathways, PI3K, AKT and mTOR, are continuously developed. For breast cancer patients to truly benefit from PAM pathway inhibitors, it is necessary to clarify the frequency and mechanism of abnormal alterations in the PAM pathway in different breast cancer subtypes, and further explore reliable biomarkers to identify the appropriate population for precision therapy. Some PI3K and mTOR inhibitors have been approved by regulatory authorities for the treatment of specific breast cancer patient populations, and many new-generation PI3K/mTOR inhibitors and AKT isoform inhibitors have also been shown to have good prospects for cancer therapy. This review summarizes the changes in the PAM signaling pathway in different subtypes of breast cancer, and the latest research progress about the biomarkers and clinical application of PAM-targeted inhibitors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kunrui Zhu
- Breast Disease Center, Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610000, China
- Multi-Omics Laboratory of Breast Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, National Collaborative, Innovation Center for Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610000, China
| | - Yanqi Wu
- Breast Disease Center, Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610000, China
| | - Ping He
- Breast Disease Center, Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610000, China
- Multi-Omics Laboratory of Breast Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, National Collaborative, Innovation Center for Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610000, China
| | - Yu Fan
- Multi-Omics Laboratory of Breast Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, National Collaborative, Innovation Center for Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610000, China
| | - Xiaorong Zhong
- Breast Disease Center, Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610000, China
- Multi-Omics Laboratory of Breast Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, National Collaborative, Innovation Center for Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610000, China
| | - Hong Zheng
- Breast Disease Center, Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610000, China
- Multi-Omics Laboratory of Breast Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, National Collaborative, Innovation Center for Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610000, China
| | - Ting Luo
- Breast Disease Center, Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610000, China
- Multi-Omics Laboratory of Breast Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, National Collaborative, Innovation Center for Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610000, China
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Emergence of Nanotechnology as a Powerful Cavalry against Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC). Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2022; 15:ph15050542. [PMID: 35631368 PMCID: PMC9143332 DOI: 10.3390/ph15050542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Revised: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is considered one of the un-manageable types of breast cancer, involving devoid of estrogen, progesterone, and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER 2) receptors. Due to their ability of recurrence and metastasis, the management of TNBC remains a mainstay challenge, despite the advancements in cancer therapies. Conventional chemotherapy remains the only treatment regimen against TNBC and suffers several limitations such as low bioavailability, systemic toxicity, less targetability, and multi-drug resistance. Although various targeted therapies have been introduced to manage the hardship of TNBC, they still experience certain limitations associated with the survival benefits. The current research thus aimed at developing and improving the strategies for effective therapy against TNBC. Such strategies involved the emergence of nanoparticles. Nanoparticles are designated as nanocavalries, loaded with various agents (drugs, genes, etc.) to battle the progression and metastasis of TNBC along with overcoming the limitations experienced by conventional chemotherapy and targeted therapy. This article documents the treatment regimens of TNBC along with their efficacy towards different subtypes of TNBC, and the various nanotechnologies employed to increase the therapeutic outcome of FDA-approved drug regimens.
Collapse
|
21
|
Ko H, Lee M, Cha E, Sul J, Park J, Lee J. Eribulin Mesylate Improves Cisplatin-Induced Cytotoxicity of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer by Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinase 1/2 Activation. MEDICINA (KAUNAS, LITHUANIA) 2022; 58:medicina58040547. [PMID: 35454385 PMCID: PMC9025504 DOI: 10.3390/medicina58040547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Revised: 04/09/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Background and Objectives; Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is associated with poor patient prognosis because of its multiple molecular features. Thus, more effective treatment for TNBC is urgently needed. This study determined the possible involvement of ERK1/2 activation in cisplatin-induced cytotoxicity in TNBC by providing additional eribulin treatment. Materials and Methods; We investigated cell viability and apoptosis caused by eribulin, cisplatin, or co-treatment in HCC38, MDA-MB-231, and SKBR3 human breast cancer cells. Results; Cisplatin significantly lowered cell viability and caused high apoptotic cell death in all breast cancer cell lines. The viability of TNBC cells was significantly lower in the group co-treated with cisplatin and eribulin than in the cisplatin-only treatment group. Additional eribulin treatment significantly enhanced PARP cleavage and caspase-3 activity in cisplatin-treated TNBC cells. Moreover, cisplatin treatment activated ERK1/2 in all breast cancer cell lines. The cisplatin and eribulin combination synergistically activated ERK1/2 in TNBC cells compared with the cisplatin-only treatment. Administration of the ERK1/2 inhibitor PD98059 increased the viability of TNBC cells treated with cisplatin plus eribulin. Conclusions; Eribulin could synergize the cytotoxic and apoptotic activities of cisplatin and increase ERK1/2 activation, thus enhancing anti-cancer effects against TNBC cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hyemi Ko
- Department of Surgery, Chungnam National University Hospital, Jung-gu, Daejeon 35015, Korea; (H.K.); (J.S.); (J.P.)
- Biomedical Research Institute, Chungnam National University Hospital, Jung-gu, Daejeon 35015, Korea; (M.L.); (E.C.)
| | - Myungsun Lee
- Biomedical Research Institute, Chungnam National University Hospital, Jung-gu, Daejeon 35015, Korea; (M.L.); (E.C.)
| | - Eunyoung Cha
- Biomedical Research Institute, Chungnam National University Hospital, Jung-gu, Daejeon 35015, Korea; (M.L.); (E.C.)
| | - Jiyoung Sul
- Department of Surgery, Chungnam National University Hospital, Jung-gu, Daejeon 35015, Korea; (H.K.); (J.S.); (J.P.)
- Department of Surgery and Research Institute for Medicinal Sciences, Chungnam National University College of Medicine, Jung-gu, Daejeon 35015, Korea
| | - Junbeom Park
- Department of Surgery, Chungnam National University Hospital, Jung-gu, Daejeon 35015, Korea; (H.K.); (J.S.); (J.P.)
- Biomedical Research Institute, Chungnam National University Hospital, Jung-gu, Daejeon 35015, Korea; (M.L.); (E.C.)
| | - Jinsun Lee
- Department of Surgery, Chungnam National University Hospital, Jung-gu, Daejeon 35015, Korea; (H.K.); (J.S.); (J.P.)
- Department of Surgery and Research Institute for Medicinal Sciences, Chungnam National University College of Medicine, Jung-gu, Daejeon 35015, Korea
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +82-010-2047-0808
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Ertekin Ö, Monavari M, Krüger R, Fuentes-Chandía M, Parma B, Letort G, Tripal P, Boccaccini AR, Bosserhoff AK, Ceppi P, Kappelmann-Fenzl M, Leal-Egaña A. 3D hydrogel-based microcapsules as an in vitro model to study tumorigenicity, cell migration and drug resistance. Acta Biomater 2022; 142:208-220. [PMID: 35167953 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2022.02.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Revised: 02/06/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
In this work, we analyzed the reliability of alginate-gelatin microcapsules as artificial tumor model. These tumor-like scaffolds are characterized by their composition and stiffness (∼25 kPa), and their capability to restrict -but not hinder- cell migration, proliferation and release from confinement. Hydrogel-based microcapsules were initially utilized to detect differences in mechano-sensitivity between MCF7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells, and the endothelial cell line EA.hy926. Additionally, we used RNA-seq and transcriptomic methods to determine how the culture strategy (i.e. 2D v/s 3D) may pre-set the expression of genes involved in multidrug resistance, being then validated by performing cytotoxicological tests and assays of cell morphology. Our results show that both breast cancer cells can generate elongated multicellular spheroids inside the microcapsules, prior being released (mimicking intravasation stages), a behavior which was not observed in endothelial cells. Further, we demonstrate that cells isolated from 3D scaffolds show resistance to cisplatin, a process which seems to be strongly influenced by mechanical stress, instead of hypoxia. We finally discuss the role played by aneuploidy in malignancy and resistance to anticancer drugs, based on the increased number of polynucleated cells found within these microcapsules. Overall, our outcomes demonstrate that alginate-gelatin microcapsules represent a simple, yet very accurate tumor-like model, enabling us to mimic the most relevant malignant hints described in vivo, suggesting that confinement and mechanical stress need to be considered when studying pathogenicity and drug resistance of cancer cells in vitro. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: In this work, we analyzed the reliability of alginate-gelatin microcapsules as an artificial tumor model. These scaffolds are characterized by their composition, elastic properties, and their ability to restrict cell migration, proliferation, and release from confinement. Our results demonstrate four novel outcomes: (i) studying cell migration and proliferation in 3D enabled discrimination between malignant and non-pathogenic cells, (ii) studying the cell morphology of cancer aggregates entrapped in alginate-gelatin microcapsules enabled determination of malignancy degree in vitro, (iii) determination that confinement and mechanical stress, instead of hypoxia, are required to generate clones resistant to anticancer drugs (i.e. cisplatin), and (iv) evidence that resistance to anticancer drugs could be due to the presence of polynucleated cells localized inside polymer-based artificial tumors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Özlem Ertekin
- Institute of Biomaterials, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Cauerstraße 6, Erlangen 91058, Germany; Diagno Biotechnology, Marmara Technopark, Gebze, Kocaeli, Turkey
| | - Mahshid Monavari
- Institute of Biomaterials, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Cauerstraße 6, Erlangen 91058, Germany; Department of Pharmaceutical Biomaterials and Medical Biomaterials Research Centre, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1417614411, Iran
| | - René Krüger
- Department of Nephrology and Hypertension, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, and University Clinics Erlangen, Erlangen 91054, Germany
| | - Miguel Fuentes-Chandía
- Institute of Biomaterials, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Cauerstraße 6, Erlangen 91058, Germany; Department of Biology, Skeletal Research Center, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Beatrice Parma
- Interdisciplinary Center for Clinical Research (IZKF), Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg Glueckstrasse 6, Erlangen 91054, Germany
| | - Gaelle Letort
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology, Collège de France UMR7241/U1050, 11, Place Marcelin Berthelot, Paris 75231 CEDEX 05, France
| | - Philipp Tripal
- Optical Imaging Centre Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Cauerstraße 3, Erlangen 91058, Germany
| | - Aldo R Boccaccini
- Institute of Biomaterials, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Cauerstraße 6, Erlangen 91058, Germany
| | - Anja K Bosserhoff
- Institute of Biochemistry, Emil-Fischer-Zentrum, Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Fahrstraße 17, Erlangen 91054, Germany
| | - Paolo Ceppi
- Interdisciplinary Center for Clinical Research (IZKF), Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg Glueckstrasse 6, Erlangen 91054, Germany; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, Odense DK-5230, Denmark
| | - Melanie Kappelmann-Fenzl
- Institute of Biochemistry, Emil-Fischer-Zentrum, Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Fahrstraße 17, Erlangen 91054, Germany; Faculty of Applied Informatics, University of Applied Science Deggendorf, Deggendorf 94469, Germany
| | - Aldo Leal-Egaña
- Institute of Biomaterials, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Cauerstraße 6, Erlangen 91058, Germany; Institute for Molecular Systems Engineering, University of Heidelberg. INF 253, Heidelberg 69120, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Tocilizumab overcomes chemotherapy resistance in mesenchymal stem-like breast cancer by negating autocrine IL-1A induction of IL-6. NPJ Breast Cancer 2022; 8:30. [PMID: 35260569 PMCID: PMC8904846 DOI: 10.1038/s41523-021-00371-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients with mesenchymal stem-like (MSL) subtype have responded poorly to chemotherapy whereas patients with basal-like 1 (BL1) subtype achieved the best clinical response. In order to gain insight into pathways that may contribute to the divergent sensitivity to chemotherapy, we compared the inflammatory profile of the two TNBC subtypes treated with docetaxel. Cellular signaling analysis determined that docetaxel activated MAPK pathway in MSL TNBCs but not BL1 TNBCs. The subsequent MAPK pathway activation in MSL TNBCs led to an IL-1A mediated cascade of autocrine inflammatory mediators including IL-6. Utilizing the humanized IL-6R antibody, tocilizumab, our in vitro and in vivo data show that MSL TNBCs treated with tocilizumab together with chemotherapy results in delayed tumor progression compared to MSL TNBCs treated with docetaxel alone. Our study highlights a molecular subset of TNBC that may be responsive to tocilizumab therapy for potential translational impact.
Collapse
|
24
|
Li J, Xu X, Peng X. NDC80 Enhances Cisplatin-resistance in Triple-negative Breast Cancer. Arch Med Res 2022; 53:378-387. [PMID: 35346500 DOI: 10.1016/j.arcmed.2022.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Revised: 12/28/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUNDS Chemotherapy is a standard systemic treatment option for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Cisplatin has been used to treat TNBC, but frequently leads to cisplatin resistance in patients. The aim of our study was to investigate cisplatin-resistant mechanism in TNBC. MATERIALS AND METHODS To identify the potential genes and pathways relative to cisplatin resistance, GSE103115 data were analyzed by the Limma package and Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA). TNBC data from TCGA, GSE76250 and GSE115275 datasets were used to calculate NDC80 expression. Immunohistochemistry detected NDC80 protein expression in TNBC tissues from patients before and after cisplatin treatment. After expose to cisplatin treatment, the viability and proliferation of TNBC cells were measured by CCK-8 and colony formation assays, respectively. RESULTS NDC80 was regarded as a cisplatin-resistant gene because after cisplatin treatment NDC80 was downregulated in cisplatin-sensitive cells but was upregulated in cisplatin-resistant cells. NDC80 was over-expressed in TNBC tissues compared to normal tissues. Furthermore, NDC80 expression in TNBC patients was increased after cisplatin treatment. Cisplatin-sensitive TNBC patients showed lower NDC80 expression than cisplatin-resistant patients. Additionally, NDC80 expression was correlated with clinical stages, tumor size and chemotherapy of TNBC patients. Moreover, NDC80 overexpression promoted the viability and proliferation of TNBC cells and enhanced the cells resistance to cisplatin. The potential pathways relative to cisplatin resistance were obtained, such as p53 signaling pathway and Oxidative phosphorylation. CONCLUSION These findings provide new insights for understanding the mechanism of cisplatin resistance in TNBC, and NDC80 may be a potential therapeutic target for TNBC treatment.
Collapse
|
25
|
Li Y, Chen Y, Zhao R, Ji Y, Li J, Zhang Y, Lu H. Development and validation of a nomogram based on pretreatment dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI for the prediction of pathologic response after neoadjuvant chemotherapy for triple-negative breast cancer. Eur Radiol 2022; 32:1676-1687. [PMID: 34767068 DOI: 10.1007/s00330-021-08291-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2021] [Revised: 07/23/2021] [Accepted: 08/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To develop a nomogram based on pretreatment dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) to predict pathologic complete response (pCR) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). METHODS A total of 108 female patients with TNBC treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgery between January 2017 and October 2020 were enrolled. The patients were randomly divided into the primary cohort (n = 87) and validation cohort (n = 21) at a ratio of 4:1. The pretreatment DCE-MRI and clinicopathological features were reviewed and recorded. Univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to determine the independent predictors of pCR in the primary cohort. A nomogram was developed based on the predictors, and the predictive performance of the nomogram was evaluated by the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC). The validation cohort was used to test the predictive model. RESULTS Tumor volume measured on DCE-MRI, time to peak (TTP), and androgen receptor (AR) status were identified as independent predictors of pCR. The AUCs of the nomogram were 0.84 (95% CI: 0.75-0.93) and 0.79 (95% CI: 0.59-0.99) in the primary cohort and validation cohort, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Pretreatment DCE-MRI could predict pCR after NAC in patients with TNBC. The nomogram can be used to predict the probability of pCR and may help individualize treatment. KEY POINTS • Pretreatment DCE-MRI findings can predict pathologic complete response (pCR) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with triple-negative breast cancer. • A nomogram based on the independent predictors of tumor volume measured on DCE-MRI, time to peak, and androgen receptor status could help personalized cancer treatment in TNBC patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yanbo Li
- Department of Breast Imaging, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, People's Republic of China
| | - Yongzi Chen
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, People's Republic of China
- Laboratory of Tumor Cell Biology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, People's Republic of China
| | - Rui Zhao
- Department of Breast Imaging, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, People's Republic of China
| | - Yu Ji
- Department of Breast Imaging, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, People's Republic of China
| | - Junnan Li
- Department of Breast Imaging, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, People's Republic of China
| | - Ying Zhang
- Department of Breast Imaging, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, People's Republic of China
| | - Hong Lu
- Department of Breast Imaging, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, People's Republic of China.
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, People's Republic of China.
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Voutsadakis IA. Biomarkers of everolimus efficacy in breast cancer therapy. J Oncol Pharm Pract 2022; 28:945-959. [PMID: 35018844 DOI: 10.1177/10781552211073673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Everolimus is an inhibitor of serine/ threonine kinase mTOR. The drug is approved for the treatment of metastatic ER positive, HER2 negative breast cancers and benefits a subset of patients with these breast cancers in combination with hormonal therapies. Despite extensive efforts, no additional predictive biomarkers to guide therapeutic decisions for everolimus have been introduced in clinical practice. DATA SOURCES This paper discusses predictive biomarkers for everolimus efficacy in breast cancer. A search of the medline and web of science databases was performed using the words "everolimus" and "biomarkers". References of retrieved articles were manually scanned for additional relevant articles. DATA SUMMARY Everolimus benefits a subset of patients with metastatic ER positive, HER2 negative breast cancers in combination with hormonal therapies. Despite extensive efforts no additional predictive biomarkers to guide therapeutic decisions for everolimus therapy have been confirmed for use in clinical practice. However, promising biomarker leads for everolimus efficacy in breast cancer have been suggested and include expression of proteins in the mTOR pathway in ER positive, HER2 negative breast cancers. In HER2 positive cancers PIK3CA mutations, and PTEN expression loss are prognostic. Other clinical predictive biomarkers with more limited data include characteristics derived from whole genome sequencing, subsets of circulating leukocytes and changes in Standardized Uptake Values (SUV) of Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scans. CONCLUSIONS Putative predictive biomarkers for everolimus efficacy in breast cancer patients, both genomic and clinical, deserve further study and could lead to a better selection of responsive patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ioannis A Voutsadakis
- Algoma District Cancer Program, 10066Sault Area Hospital, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada, and Section of Internal Medicine, Division of Clinical Sciences, Northern Ontario School of Medicine, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Zhu Y, Hu Y, Tang C, Guan X, Zhang W. Platinum-based systematic therapy in triple-negative breast cancer. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2022; 1877:188678. [PMID: 35026309 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2022.188678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2021] [Revised: 01/06/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Due to the lack of definitive hormone receptors, triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients receive little clinical benefit from endocrine or molecular targeted therapies, leading to a highly aggressive disease with a high recurrence rate and poor prognosis. In the past decades, chemotherapy has been the mainstay of treatment for TNBC, with taxane/anthracyclines as the representative regimen. However, increasing irreversible cardiotoxicity of anthracyclines and drug-resistance had to be noticed. Gradually, platinum-based chemotherapy has become a topic of interest for researchers. Based on the accumulating studies on platinum-containing regimens for TNBC patients, we will summarize the progress of relevant clinical trials focusing on platinum monotherapy (e.g., cisplatin, carboplatin and oxaliplatin) or in combination with other therapeutic modalities (e.g., other chemotherapeutic agents, molecular targeted therapies and immunotherapy). To further evaluate patient response to platinum and screen for the optimal population to benefit from platinum, we will also analyze current potential biomarkers, such as breast cancer susceptibility genes (BRCA1/2), homologous recombination repair deficiency (HRD), tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), TP53 family and other emerging indicators (e.g., intrinsic subtype, cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CDK2) expression, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9)).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yinxing Zhu
- Department of Oncology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yixuan Hu
- Department of Oncology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Cuiju Tang
- Department of Oncology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
| | - Xiaoxiang Guan
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China; Jiangsu Key Lab of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention and Treatment, Collaborative Innovation Center for Personalized Cancer Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
| | - Wenwen Zhang
- Department of Oncology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Chi C, Liu J, Fan L, Zhu Y, Wang Y, Sha J, Huang Y, Dong B, Pan J, Xue W. Efficacy of neoadjuvant docetaxel + cisplatin chemo-hormonal therapy versus docetaxel chemo-hormonal therapy in patients with locally advanced prostate cancer with germline DNA damage repair gene alterations. Ther Adv Med Oncol 2022; 14:17588359221128356. [PMID: 36199621 PMCID: PMC9527989 DOI: 10.1177/17588359221128356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose: To assess the efficacy and safety of neoadjuvant docetaxel + cisplatin chemotherapy with androgen deprivation therapy for the treatment of locally advanced prostate cancer (PCa) in patients harboring germline DNA damage repair genes (gDDR) defects. Methods: We conducted a prospective observational study in patients with locally advanced PCa confirmed with gDDR defects through next-generation sequencing. All patients received either docetaxel + cisplatin (platinum-group) or docetaxel chemo-hormonal therapy (docetaxel group) followed by radical prostatectomy with extended lymphadenectomy. The primary end point was biochemical progression-free survival (bPFS) and secondary end points include postoperative pathological response and safety assessment during the study period. Results: A total of 36 patients were included in the study, among whom 14 and 22 patients received docetaxel + cisplatin and docetaxel treatment, respectively. Down-staging of Tumor (T), Nodes (N), and Metastasis (M) stages was observed in 11 (78.57%) and 9 (40.9%) patients ( p = 0.041), respectively, in the docetaxel + cisplatin group and docetaxel group. The median bPFS was 7.76 months (95% CI 0.770–14.748) and not reached in the docetaxel group and docetaxel + cisplatin group, respectively. bPFS was significantly longer in the docetaxel + cisplatin group ( p = 0.039) with a hazard ratio of 0.386 (95% CI 0.151–0.987, p < 0.05). Furthermore, one patient discontinued docetaxel + cisplatin after second cycle due to severe liver insufficiency which was confirmed as viral hepatitis A and no significant perioperative complications was observed in either group. Conclusion: This study suggests that cisplatin may increase docetaxel anticancer activity with tolerable safety profile in patients with locally advanced PCa carrying gDDR defects in the neoadjuvant setting, a hypothesis which will require prospective, randomized confirmation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chenfei Chi
- Department of Urology, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiazhou Liu
- Department of Urology, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Liancheng Fan
- Department of Urology, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yinjie Zhu
- Department of Urology, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yanqing Wang
- Department of Urology, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jianjun Sha
- Department of Urology, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yiran Huang
- Department of Urology, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Baijun Dong
- Department of Urology, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, No. 160 Pujian Rd Pudong New Area, Shanghai, 200127, China
| | - Jiahua Pan
- Department of Urology, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, No. 160 Pujian Rd Pudong New Area, Shanghai, 200127, China
| | - Wei Xue
- Department of Urology, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, No. 160 Pujian Rd Pudong New Area, Shanghai, 200127, China
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Ban W, Guan J, Huang H, He Z, Sun M, Liu F, Sun J. Emerging systemic delivery strategies of oncolytic viruses: A key step toward cancer immunotherapy. NANO RESEARCH 2022; 15:4137-4153. [PMID: 35194488 PMCID: PMC8852960 DOI: 10.1007/s12274-021-4031-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Revised: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 11/28/2021] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Oncolytic virotherapy (OVT) is a novel type of immunotherapy that induces anti-tumor responses through selective self-replication within cancer cells and oncolytic virus (OV)-mediated immunostimulation. Notably, talimogene laherparepvec (T-Vec) developed by the Amgen company in 2015, is the first FDA-approved OV product to be administered via intratumoral injection and has been the most successful OVT treatment. However, the systemic administration of OVs still faces huge challenges, including in vivo pre-existing neutralizing antibodies and poor targeting delivery efficacy. Recently, state-of-the-art progress has been made in the development of systemic delivery of OVs, which demonstrates a promising step toward broadening the scope of cancer immunotherapy and improving the clinical efficacy of OV delivery. Herein, this review describes the general characteristics of OVs, focusing on the action mechanisms of OVs as well as the advantages and disadvantages of OVT. The emerging multiple systemic administration approaches of OVs are summarized in the past five years. In addition, the combination treatments between OVT and traditional therapies (chemotherapy, thermotherapy, immunotherapy, and radiotherapy, etc.) are highlighted. Last but not least, the future prospects and challenges of OVT are also discussed, with the aim of facilitating medical researchers to extensively apply the OVT in the cancer therapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Weiyue Ban
- Wuya College of Innovation, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, 110016 China
| | - Jianhuan Guan
- Wuya College of Innovation, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, 110016 China
| | - Hanwei Huang
- Department of Surgical Oncology and General Surgery, The First Hospital of China Medical University; Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment of Gastrointestinal Tumors, China Medical University, Ministry of Education, Shenyang, 110016 China
| | - Zhonggui He
- Wuya College of Innovation, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, 110016 China
| | - Mengchi Sun
- Wuya College of Innovation, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, 110016 China
| | - Funan Liu
- Department of Surgical Oncology and General Surgery, The First Hospital of China Medical University; Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment of Gastrointestinal Tumors, China Medical University, Ministry of Education, Shenyang, 110016 China
| | - Jin Sun
- Wuya College of Innovation, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, 110016 China
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Vidra R, Nemes A, Vidrean A, Pintea S, Tintari S, Deac A, Ciuleanu T. Pathological complete response following cisplatin or carboplatin-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy for triple-negative breast cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Exp Ther Med 2021; 23:91. [PMID: 34934456 PMCID: PMC8652390 DOI: 10.3892/etm.2021.11014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2021] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The addition of platinum compounds to standard neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is highly controversial. Platinum agents, such as cisplatin and carboplatin, are DNA-damaging agents which exhibit activity in breast cancer, particularly in the TNBC subgroup. In order to assess the efficacy of each most representative platinum agent (cisplatin and carboplatin) in patients with TNBC treated with NACT, the present study performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of all available published studies on TNBC. A search of PubMed was performed to identify studies that investigated platinum-based NACT in patients with TNBC. The primary endpoints were the pooled rate of the pathological complete response (pCR) between cisplatin vs. carboplatin-based NACT. A total of 24 studies were selected (17 studies for carboplatin and 6 studies for cisplatin and 1 study with both carboplatin and cisplatin, with 20 prospective studies) for the analysis of 1,711 patients with TNBC. Overall, the pooled rate of pCR in patients treated with platinum-based NACT was 48%. No significant differences were observed between the rates of pCR obtained under carboplatin vs cisplatin treatment. The carboplatin pCR rate was 0.470 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.401-0.539], while the cisplatin pCR rate was 0.473 (95% CI, 0.379-0.568). The comparison between these two categories revealed no significant differences (P=0.959). In the whole, the present study demonstrates that neoadjuvant platinum-based chemotherapy improves the pCR rate in patients with TNBC, regardless of the platinum agent used. Carboplatin may thus represent a viable option due to its more favorable toxicity profile.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Radu Vidra
- Department of Oncology, 'Iuliu Hatieganu' University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania.,Department of Oncology, 'Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta' Oncology Institute, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania.,Department of Oncology, 'Prof. Dr. Octavian Fodor' Regional Institute of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, 400162 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Adina Nemes
- Department of Oncology, 'Iuliu Hatieganu' University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania.,Department of Oncology, 'Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta' Oncology Institute, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Andreea Vidrean
- Department of Oncology, 'Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta' Oncology Institute, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Sebastian Pintea
- Department of Psychology, 'Babeș-Bolyai' University, 400084 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Snejeana Tintari
- Department of Oncology, 'Prof. Dr. Octavian Fodor' Regional Institute of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, 400162 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Andrada Deac
- Department of Oncology, 'Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta' Oncology Institute, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Tudor Ciuleanu
- Department of Oncology, 'Iuliu Hatieganu' University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania.,Department of Oncology, 'Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta' Oncology Institute, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Conforti F, Pala L, Sala I, Oriecuia C, De Pas T, Specchia C, Graffeo R, Pagan E, Queirolo P, Pennacchioli E, Colleoni M, Viale G, Bagnardi V, Gelber RD. Evaluation of pathological complete response as surrogate endpoint in neoadjuvant randomised clinical trials of early stage breast cancer: systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ 2021; 375:e066381. [PMID: 34933868 PMCID: PMC8689398 DOI: 10.1136/bmj-2021-066381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To evaluate pathological complete response as a surrogate endpoint for disease-free survival and overall survival in regulatory neoadjuvant trials of early stage breast cancer. DESIGN Systematic review and meta-analysis. DATA SOURCES Medline, Embase, and Scopus to 1 December 2020. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR STUDY SELECTION Randomised clinical trials that tested neoadjuvant chemotherapy given alone or combined with other treatments, including anti-human epidermal growth factor 2 (anti-HER2) drugs, targeted treatments, antivascular agents, bisphosphonates, and immune checkpoint inhibitors. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS Trial level associations between the surrogate endpoint pathological complete response and disease-free survival and overall survival. METHODS A weighted regression analysis was performed on log transformed treatment effect estimates (hazard ratio for disease-free survival and overall survival and relative risk for pathological complete response), and the coefficient of determination (R2) was used to quantify the association. The secondary objective was to explore heterogeneity of results in preplanned subgroups analysis, stratifying trials according treatment type in the experimental arm, definition used for pathological complete response (breast and lymph nodes v breast only), and biological features of the disease (HER2 positive or triple negative breast cancer). The surrogate threshold effect was also evaluated, indicating the minimum value of the relative risk for pathological complete response necessary to confidently predict a non-null effect on hazard ratio for disease-free survival or overall survival. RESULTS 54 randomised clinical trials comprising a total of 32 611 patients were included in the analysis. A weak association was observed between the log(relative risk) for pathological complete response and log(hazard ratio) for both disease-free survival (R2=0.14, 95% confidence interval 0.00 to 0.29) and overall survival (R2 =0.08, 0.00 to 0.22). Similar results were found across all subgroups evaluated, independently of the definition used for pathological complete response, treatment type in the experimental arm, and biological features of the disease. The surrogate threshold effect was 5.19 for disease-free survival but was not estimable for overall survival. Consistent results were confirmed in three sensitivity analyses: excluding small trials (<200 patients enrolled), excluding trials with short median follow-up (<24 months), and replacing the relative risk for pathological complete response with the absolute difference of pathological complete response rates between treatment arms. CONCLUSION A lack of surrogacy of pathological complete response was identified at trial level for both disease-free survival and overall survival. The findings suggest that pathological complete response should not be used as primary endpoint in regulatory neoadjuvant trials of early stage breast cancer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fabio Conforti
- Division of Melanoma, Sarcomas and Rare Tumors, IEO, European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Laura Pala
- Division of Melanoma, Sarcomas and Rare Tumors, IEO, European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Isabella Sala
- Department of Statistics and Quantitative Methods, University of Milan-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Chiara Oriecuia
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Tommaso De Pas
- Division of Melanoma, Sarcomas and Rare Tumors, IEO, European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Claudia Specchia
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Rossella Graffeo
- Breast Unit of Southern Switzerland, Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland, Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Eleonora Pagan
- Department of Statistics and Quantitative Methods, University of Milan-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Paola Queirolo
- Division of Melanoma, Sarcomas and Rare Tumors, IEO, European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Pennacchioli
- Division of Melanoma, Sarcomas and Rare Tumors, IEO, European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Marco Colleoni
- Division of Medical Senology, IEO, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Viale
- Department of Pathology, IEO, European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, Milan, Italy
- University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Bagnardi
- Department of Statistics and Quantitative Methods, University of Milan-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Richard D Gelber
- Medical School, Harvard T H Chan School of Public Health, and Frontier Science and Technology Research Foundation, Boston, MA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Ray T, Ryusaki T, Ray PS. Therapeutically Targeting Cancers That Overexpress FOXC1: A Transcriptional Driver of Cell Plasticity, Partial EMT, and Cancer Metastasis. Front Oncol 2021; 11:721959. [PMID: 34540690 PMCID: PMC8446626 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.721959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Accepted: 07/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Metastasis accounts for more than 90% of cancer related mortality, thus the most pressing need in the field of oncology today is the ability to accurately predict future onset of metastatic disease, ideally at the time of initial diagnosis. As opposed to current practice, what would be desirable is that prognostic, biomarker-based detection of metastatic propensity and heightened risk of cancer recurrence be performed long before overt metastasis has set in. Without such timely information it will be impossible to formulate a rational therapeutic treatment plan to favorably alter the trajectory of disease progression. In order to help inform rational selection of targeted therapeutics, any recurrence/metastasis risk prediction strategy must occur with the paired identification of novel prognostic biomarkers and their underlying molecular regulatory mechanisms that help drive cancer recurrence/metastasis (i.e. recurrence biomarkers). Traditional clinical factors alone (such as TNM staging criteria) are no longer adequately prognostic for this purpose in the current molecular era. FOXC1 is a pivotal transcription factor that has been functionally implicated to drive cancer metastasis and has been demonstrated to be an independent predictor of heightened metastatic risk, at the time of initial diagnosis. In this review, we present our viewpoints on the master regulatory role that FOXC1 plays in mediating cancer stem cell traits that include cellular plasticity, partial EMT, treatment resistance, cancer invasion and cancer migration during cancer progression and metastasis. We also highlight potential therapeutic strategies to target cancers that are, or have evolved to become, “transcriptionally addicted” to FOXC1. The potential role of FOXC1 expression status in predicting the efficacy of these identified therapeutic approaches merits evaluation in clinical trials.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tania Ray
- R&D Division, Onconostic Technologies (OT), Inc., Champaign, IL, United States
| | | | - Partha S Ray
- R&D Division, Onconostic Technologies (OT), Inc., Champaign, IL, United States
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Burguin A, Diorio C, Durocher F. Breast Cancer Treatments: Updates and New Challenges. J Pers Med 2021; 11:808. [PMID: 34442452 PMCID: PMC8399130 DOI: 10.3390/jpm11080808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Revised: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer (BC) is the most frequent cancer diagnosed in women worldwide. This heterogeneous disease can be classified into four molecular subtypes (luminal A, luminal B, HER2 and triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC)) according to the expression of the estrogen receptor (ER) and the progesterone receptor (PR), and the overexpression of the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). Current BC treatments target these receptors (endocrine and anti-HER2 therapies) as a personalized treatment. Along with chemotherapy and radiotherapy, these therapies can have severe adverse effects and patients can develop resistance to these agents. Moreover, TNBC do not have standardized treatments. Hence, a deeper understanding of the development of new treatments that are more specific and effective in treating each BC subgroup is key. New approaches have recently emerged such as immunotherapy, conjugated antibodies, and targeting other metabolic pathways. This review summarizes current BC treatments and explores the new treatment strategies from a personalized therapy perspective and the resulting challenges.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anna Burguin
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC G1T 1C2, Canada;
- Cancer Research Center, CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Quebec City, QC G1V 4G2, Canada;
| | - Caroline Diorio
- Cancer Research Center, CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Quebec City, QC G1V 4G2, Canada;
- Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC G1T 1C2, Canada
| | - Francine Durocher
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC G1T 1C2, Canada;
- Cancer Research Center, CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Quebec City, QC G1V 4G2, Canada;
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Wu Q, Siddharth S, Sharma D. Triple Negative Breast Cancer: A Mountain Yet to Be Scaled Despite the Triumphs. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:3697. [PMID: 34359598 PMCID: PMC8345029 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13153697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2021] [Revised: 07/13/2021] [Accepted: 07/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Metastatic progression and tumor recurrence pertaining to TNBC are certainly the leading cause of breast cancer-related mortality; however, the mechanisms underlying TNBC chemoresistance, metastasis, and tumor relapse remain somewhat ambiguous. TNBCs show 77% of the overall 4-year survival rate compared to other breast cancer subtypes (82.7 to 92.5%). TNBC is the most aggressive subtype of breast cancer, with chemotherapy being the major approved treatment strategy. Activation of ABC transporters and DNA damage response genes alongside an enrichment of cancer stem cells and metabolic reprogramming upon chemotherapy contribute to the selection of chemoresistant cells, majorly responsible for the failure of anti-chemotherapeutic regime. These selected chemoresistant cells further lead to distant metastasis and tumor relapse. The present review discusses the approved standard of care and targetable molecular mechanisms in chemoresistance and provides a comprehensive update regarding the recent advances in TNBC management.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Sumit Siddharth
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA;
| | - Dipali Sharma
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA;
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Lusho S, Durando X, Mouret-Reynier MA, Kossai M, Lacrampe N, Molnar I, Penault-Llorca F, Radosevic-Robin N, Abrial C. Platelet-to-Lymphocyte Ratio Is Associated With Favorable Response to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Triple Negative Breast Cancer: A Study on 120 Patients. Front Oncol 2021; 11:678315. [PMID: 34367964 PMCID: PMC8331686 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.678315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is highly heterogeneous, but still most of the patients are treated by the anthracycline/taxane-based neoadjuvant therapy (NACT). Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) are a strong predictive and prognostic biomarker in TNBC, however are not always available. Peripheral blood counts, which reflect the systemic inflammatory/immune status, are easier to obtain than TILs. We investigated whether baseline white cell or platelet counts, as well as, Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR) or Platelet-to-Lymphocyte Ratio (PLR) could replace baseline TILs as predictive or prognostic biomarkers in a series of TNBC treated by standard NACT. Patients and Methods One hundred twenty patients uniformly treated by FEC/taxane NACT in a tertiary cancer care center were retrospectively analyzed. The presence of pathological complete response (pCR: ypT0/Tis, ypN0) or the presence of pCR and/small residual disease (ypT0/Tis/T1ab, ypN0) were considered as good responses in data analysis. Baseline/pre-NACT blood count, NLR, PLR and TILs were evaluated as predictors of response, distant recurrence rate and distant recurrence-free survival (DRFS). Results TILs ≥30% and ≥1.5% were best predictors of pCR and distant recurrence risk, respectively (p = 0.007, p = 0.012). However, in this cohort, pCR status was not significantly associated with recurrence. Only the ensemble of patients with pCR and small residual disease had lower recurrence risk and longer survival DRFS (p = 0.042, p = 0.024, respectively) than the rest of the cohort (larger residual disease). The only parameter which could predict the pCR/small residual disease status was PLR: patients with values lower than 133.25 had significantly higher chance of reaching that status after NACT (p = 0.045). However, no direct correlation could be established between baseline PLR and metastatic recurrence. No correlation either was found between TIL and individual blood counts, or between TILs and NLR or PLR. Conclusion In this cohort, TILs retained their pCR predictive value; however PLR was a better predictor of the ensemble of responses which had good outcome in terms of less distant recurrences or longer DRFS (pCR or small residual disease). Thus, baseline PLR is worth further, prospective investigation together with baseline TILs, as it might indicate a good TNBC response to NACT when TILs are unavailable.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sejdi Lusho
- Clermont Auvergne University, INSERM U1240 "Molecular Imaging and Theranostic Strategies", Centre Jean Perrin, Clermont-Ferrand, France.,Delegation for Clinical Research and Innovation, Centre Jean Perrin, Clermont-Ferrand, France.,Centre for Clinical Investigation, INSERM U501, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Xavier Durando
- Clermont Auvergne University, INSERM U1240 "Molecular Imaging and Theranostic Strategies", Centre Jean Perrin, Clermont-Ferrand, France.,Delegation for Clinical Research and Innovation, Centre Jean Perrin, Clermont-Ferrand, France.,Centre for Clinical Investigation, INSERM U501, Clermont-Ferrand, France.,Department of Medical Oncology, Centre Jean Perrin, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Marie-Ange Mouret-Reynier
- Clermont Auvergne University, INSERM U1240 "Molecular Imaging and Theranostic Strategies", Centre Jean Perrin, Clermont-Ferrand, France.,Delegation for Clinical Research and Innovation, Centre Jean Perrin, Clermont-Ferrand, France.,Centre for Clinical Investigation, INSERM U501, Clermont-Ferrand, France.,Department of Medical Oncology, Centre Jean Perrin, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Myriam Kossai
- Clermont Auvergne University, INSERM U1240 "Molecular Imaging and Theranostic Strategies", Centre Jean Perrin, Clermont-Ferrand, France.,Department of Pathology, Centre Jean Perrin, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Nathalie Lacrampe
- Clermont Auvergne University, INSERM U1240 "Molecular Imaging and Theranostic Strategies", Centre Jean Perrin, Clermont-Ferrand, France.,Department of Pathology, Centre Jean Perrin, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Ioana Molnar
- Clermont Auvergne University, INSERM U1240 "Molecular Imaging and Theranostic Strategies", Centre Jean Perrin, Clermont-Ferrand, France.,Delegation for Clinical Research and Innovation, Centre Jean Perrin, Clermont-Ferrand, France.,Centre for Clinical Investigation, INSERM U501, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Frederique Penault-Llorca
- Clermont Auvergne University, INSERM U1240 "Molecular Imaging and Theranostic Strategies", Centre Jean Perrin, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Nina Radosevic-Robin
- Clermont Auvergne University, INSERM U1240 "Molecular Imaging and Theranostic Strategies", Centre Jean Perrin, Clermont-Ferrand, France.,Department of Pathology, Centre Jean Perrin, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Catherine Abrial
- Clermont Auvergne University, INSERM U1240 "Molecular Imaging and Theranostic Strategies", Centre Jean Perrin, Clermont-Ferrand, France.,Delegation for Clinical Research and Innovation, Centre Jean Perrin, Clermont-Ferrand, France.,Centre for Clinical Investigation, INSERM U501, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Goldshmit Y, Perelroizen R, Yakovchuk A, Banyas E, Mayo L, David S, Benbenishty A, Blinder P, Shalom M, Ruban A. Blood glutamate scavengers increase pro-apoptotic signaling and reduce metastatic melanoma growth in-vivo. Sci Rep 2021; 11:14644. [PMID: 34282238 PMCID: PMC8290021 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-94183-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Inhibition of extracellular glutamate (Glu) release decreases proliferation and invasion, induces apoptosis, and inhibits melanoma metastatic abilities. Previous studies have shown that Blood-glutamate scavenging (BGS), a novel treatment approach, has been found to be beneficial in attenuating glioblastoma progression by reducing brain Glu levels. Therefore, in this study we evaluated the ability of BGS treatment to inhibit brain metastatic melanoma progression in-vivo. RET melanoma cells were implanted in C56BL/6J mice to induce brain melanoma tumors followed by treatment with BGS or vehicle administered for fourteen days. Bioluminescent imaging was conducted to evaluate tumor growth, and plasma/CSF Glu levels were monitored throughout. Immunofluorescence staining of Ki67 and 53BP1 was used to analyze tumor cell proliferation and DNA double-strand breaks. In addition, we analyzed CD8, CD68, CD206, p-STAT1 and iNOS expression to evaluate alterations in tumor micro-environment and anti-tumor immune response due to treatment. Our results show that BGS treatment reduces CSF Glu concentration and consequently melanoma growth in-vivo by decreasing tumor cell proliferation and increasing pro-apoptotic signaling in C56BL/6J mice. Furthermore, BGS treatment supported CD8+ cell recruitment and CD68+ macrophage invasion. These findings suggest that BGS can be of potential therapeutic relevance in the treatment of metastatic melanoma.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yona Goldshmit
- Steyer School of Health Professions, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, P.O. Box 39040, 6997801, Tel Aviv, Israel.,Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute, Monash Biotechnology, 15 Innovation Walk, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Rita Perelroizen
- Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, 6997801, Tel Aviv, Israel.,Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, 6997801, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Alex Yakovchuk
- Steyer School of Health Professions, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, P.O. Box 39040, 6997801, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Evgeni Banyas
- Steyer School of Health Professions, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, P.O. Box 39040, 6997801, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Lior Mayo
- Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, 6997801, Tel Aviv, Israel.,Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, 6997801, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Sari David
- Steyer School of Health Professions, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, P.O. Box 39040, 6997801, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Amit Benbenishty
- Department of Biological Regulation, Weizmann Institute of Science, 7610001, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Pablo Blinder
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, 6997801, Tel Aviv, Israel.,Neurobiology Department, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, 6997801, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Moshe Shalom
- Steyer School of Health Professions, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, P.O. Box 39040, 6997801, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Angela Ruban
- Steyer School of Health Professions, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, P.O. Box 39040, 6997801, Tel Aviv, Israel. .,Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, 6997801, Tel Aviv, Israel.
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Investigational Drug Treatments for Triple-Negative Breast Cancer. J Pers Med 2021; 11:jpm11070652. [PMID: 34357119 PMCID: PMC8303312 DOI: 10.3390/jpm11070652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2021] [Revised: 06/25/2021] [Accepted: 07/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive subtype of breast cancer (BC) and accounts for 10–20% of cases. Due to the lack of expression of several receptors, hormone therapy is largely ineffective for treatment purposes. Nevertheless, TNBC often responds very well to chemotherapy, which constitutes the most often recommended treatment. New beneficial targeted therapies are important to be investigated in order to achieve enhanced outcomes in patients with TNBC. This review will focus on recent therapeutic innovations for TNBC, focusing on various inhibitors such as phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway inhibitors, poly-ADP-ribosyl polymerase (PARP) inhibitors, aurora kinase inhibitors, histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACIs), and immune checkpoint inhibitors.
Collapse
|
38
|
Pathogenesis and Potential Therapeutic Targets for Triple-Negative Breast Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13122978. [PMID: 34198652 PMCID: PMC8232221 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13122978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2021] [Revised: 06/10/2021] [Accepted: 06/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a heterogeneous tumor characterized by early recurrence, high invasion, and poor prognosis. Currently, its treatment includes chemotherapy, which shows a suboptimal efficacy. However, with the increasing studies on TNBC subtypes and tumor molecular biology, great progress has been made in targeted therapy for TNBC. The new developments in the treatment of breast cancer include targeted therapy, which has the advantages of accurate positioning, high efficiency, and low toxicity, as compared to surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. Given its importance as cancer treatment, we review the latest research on the subtypes of TNBC and relevant targeted therapies.
Collapse
|
39
|
Yan C, Yang J, Saleh N, Chen SC, Ayers GD, Abramson VG, Mayer IA, Richmond A. Inhibition of the PI3K/mTOR Pathway in Breast Cancer to Enhance Response to Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Breast Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:5207. [PMID: 34069042 PMCID: PMC8156389 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22105207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2021] [Revised: 05/10/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Inhibition of the PI3K/mTOR pathway suppresses breast cancer (BC) growth, enhances anti-tumor immune responses, and works synergistically with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI). The objective here was to identify a subclass of PI3K inhibitors that, when combined with paclitaxel, is effective in enhancing response to ICI. METHODS C57BL/6 mice were orthotopically implanted with syngeneic luminal/triple-negative-like PyMT cells exhibiting high endogenous PI3K activity. Tumor growth in response to treatment with anti-PD-1 + anti-CTLA-4 (ICI), paclitaxel (PTX), and either the PI3Kα-specific inhibitor alpelisib, the pan-PI3K inhibitor copanlisib, or the broad spectrum PI3K/mTOR inhibitor gedatolisib was evaluated in reference to monotherapy or combinations of these therapies. Effects of these therapeutics on intratumoral immune populations were determined by multicolor FACS. RESULTS Treatment with alpelisib + PTX inhibited PyMT tumor growth and increased tumor-infiltrating granulocytes but did not significantly affect the number of tumor-infiltrating CD8+ T cells and did not synergize with ICI. Copanlisib + PTX + ICI significantly inhibited PyMT growth and increased activation of intratumoral CD8+ T cells as compared to ICI alone, yet did not inhibit tumor growth more than ICI alone. In contrast, gedatolisib + ICI resulted in significantly greater inhibition of tumor growth compared to ICI alone and induced durable dendritic-cell, CD8+ T-cell, and NK-cell responses. Adding PTX to this regimen yielded complete regression in 60% of tumors. CONCLUSION PI3K/mTOR inhibition plus PTX heightens response to ICI and may provide a viable therapeutic approach for treatment of metastatic BC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chi Yan
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Nashville, TN 37212, USA; (C.Y.); (J.Y.); (N.S.)
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37240, USA
| | - Jinming Yang
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Nashville, TN 37212, USA; (C.Y.); (J.Y.); (N.S.)
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37240, USA
| | - Nabil Saleh
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Nashville, TN 37212, USA; (C.Y.); (J.Y.); (N.S.)
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37240, USA
| | - Sheau-Chiann Chen
- Department of Biostatistics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; (S.-C.C.); (G.D.A.)
| | - Gregory D. Ayers
- Department of Biostatistics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; (S.-C.C.); (G.D.A.)
| | - Vandana G. Abramson
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; (V.G.A.); (I.A.M.)
| | - Ingrid A. Mayer
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; (V.G.A.); (I.A.M.)
| | - Ann Richmond
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Nashville, TN 37212, USA; (C.Y.); (J.Y.); (N.S.)
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37240, USA
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Jeon YW, Kim OH, Shin JS, Hong HE, Kim CH, Kim SJ. Potentiation of the Anticancer Effects by Combining Docetaxel with Ku-0063794 Against Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cells. Cancer Res Treat 2021; 54:157-173. [PMID: 33831291 PMCID: PMC8756118 DOI: 10.4143/crt.2020.1063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2020] [Accepted: 04/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose mTORC1 and mTORC2 inhibition by Ku-0063794 could confer profound anticancer effects against cancer cells because it eliminates feedback activation of Akt. Herein, we aimed to determine anticancer effects of docetaxel and Ku-0063794, individually or in combination, against breast cancer cells, especially triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells. Materials and Methods MCF-7 breast cancer and MDA-MB-231 TNBC cell lines for in vitro studies and mouse xenograft model for in vivo studies were used to investigate the effect of docetaxel, Ku-0063794, or their combination. Results In the in vitro experiments, combination therapy synergistically reduced cell viability and induced higher apoptotic cell death in breast cancer cells than the individual monotherapies (p < 0.05). Western blot analysis and flow cytometric analysis showed that the combination therapy induced higher apoptotic cell death than the individual monotherapies (p < 0.05). In the in vivo experiment, docetaxel and Ku-0063794 combination therapy reduced the growth of MDA-MB-231 cells xenografted in the nude mice better than in the individual monotherapies (p < 0.05). Immunohistochemistry showed that the combination therapy induced the highest expression of cleaved caspase-3 and the lowest expression of Bcl-xL in the MDA-MB-231 cells xenografted in the nude mice (p < 0.05). Western blot analysis and immunofluorescence, incorporating both in vitro and in vivo experiments, consistently validated that unlike individual monotherapies, docetaxel and Ku-0063794 combination therapy significantly inhibited epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and autophagy (p < 0.05). Conclusion These data suggest that docetaxel and Ku-0063794 combination therapy has higher anticancer activities over individual monotherapies against MDA-MB-231 TNBC cells through a greater inhibition of autophagy and EMT.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ye-Won Jeon
- Department of Surgery, St. Vincent's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Suwon, Korea.,Catholic Central Laboratory of Surgery, Institute of Biomedical Industry, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea
| | - Ok-Hee Kim
- Department of Surgery, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea.,Catholic Central Laboratory of Surgery, Institute of Biomedical Industry, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea
| | - Jin Sun Shin
- Department of Surgery, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea.,Catholic Central Laboratory of Surgery, Institute of Biomedical Industry, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea
| | - Ha Eun Hong
- Department of Surgery, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea.,Catholic Central Laboratory of Surgery, Institute of Biomedical Industry, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea
| | - Cho Hee Kim
- Department of Surgery, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea.,Catholic Central Laboratory of Surgery, Institute of Biomedical Industry, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea
| | - Say-June Kim
- Department of Surgery, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea.,Catholic Central Laboratory of Surgery, Institute of Biomedical Industry, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Sinha S, Sharma S, Sharma A, Vora J, Shrivastava N. Sulforaphane-cisplatin combination inhibits the stemness and metastatic potential of TNBCs via down regulation of sirtuins-mediated EMT signaling axis. PHYTOMEDICINE : INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHYTOTHERAPY AND PHYTOPHARMACOLOGY 2021; 84:153492. [PMID: 33640782 DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2021.153492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Revised: 01/07/2021] [Accepted: 01/29/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sulforaphane (SFN) is a naturally occurring organosulfur compound found in cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, brussels sprouts and cabbage. SFN is known for its multiple therapeutic properties, such as HDAC inhibitory, chemo preventive and anti-cancer effects. Cisplatin (CIS) has limited effect against metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Additionally, CIS impose severe side effects to normal cells, and later TNBC cells develops resistance. Studies suggest that the overexpression of sirtuins (SIRTs) promotes CIS resistance and metastasis by activating epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) pathway in TNBC. PURPOSE In view of the above information, we investigated the therapeutic efficacy of SFN, in combination with CIS against TNBC metastasis and CIS resistance. METHODS The anti-cancerous effect of SFN-CIS combination on human TNBC cell lines was demonstrated by utilizing MTT assay and, apoptosis and cell cycle assay followed by FACS analysis. The synergistic effect of SFN-CIS combination on the experimental metastasis was demonstrated by utilizing migration, invasion, chemotaxis, mammosphere and colony formation assay on human TNBC MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-468 cells. The role of SIRTs-mediated EMT signaling axis in the metastasis and chemoresistance was investigated by western blotting technique as well as sirtuin activity tests. This was further validated by using Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) analysis. RESULTS We found that SFN-CIS combination synergistically inhibits cellular growth of MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-468 cells. More importantly, SFN was found to protect normal kidney cells from CIS-induced toxicity. Further, SFN-CIS combination was found to synergistically inhibit metastatic-events via significantly altering EMT markers which was further associated with the suppression of SIRTs functions in TNBC cells. ChIP analysis validated that SFN-CIS combination suppresses EMT mechanism through altered chromatin modifications at E-cadherin promoter resulting in its re-expression. CONCLUSION The results of the current study suggests that CIS when supplemented with SFN, inhibits metastasis and stemness potential of TNBC cells by down regulating SIRTs-mediated EMT cascade. Overall this study affirms that, this novel combination could be a promising strategy against SIRT-mediated TNBC metastasis and CIS-resistance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sonam Sinha
- Department of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry, B. V. Patel Pharmaceutical Education and Research Development (PERD) Centre, Ahmedabad 380054, Gujarat, India; Registered Ph.D. student at Department of Life science, School of Science, Gujarat University, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
| | - Sonal Sharma
- Department of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry, B. V. Patel Pharmaceutical Education and Research Development (PERD) Centre, Ahmedabad 380054, Gujarat, India; Registered Ph.D. student at Department of Life science, School of Science, Gujarat University, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
| | - Abhilasha Sharma
- Department of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry, B. V. Patel Pharmaceutical Education and Research Development (PERD) Centre, Ahmedabad 380054, Gujarat, India; Registered Ph.D. student at Department of Life science, School of Science, Gujarat University, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
| | - Jaykant Vora
- Department of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry, B. V. Patel Pharmaceutical Education and Research Development (PERD) Centre, Ahmedabad 380054, Gujarat, India; Registered Ph.D. student at Department of Life science, School of Science, Gujarat University, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
| | - Neeta Shrivastava
- Department of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry, B. V. Patel Pharmaceutical Education and Research Development (PERD) Centre, Ahmedabad 380054, Gujarat, India.
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Characterizing advanced breast cancer heterogeneity and treatment resistance through serial biopsies and comprehensive analytics. NPJ Precis Oncol 2021; 5:28. [PMID: 33772089 PMCID: PMC7997873 DOI: 10.1038/s41698-021-00165-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2020] [Accepted: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Molecular heterogeneity in metastatic breast cancer presents multiple clinical challenges in accurately characterizing and treating the disease. Current diagnostic approaches offer limited ability to assess heterogeneity that exists among multiple metastatic lesions throughout the treatment course. We developed a precision oncology platform that combines serial biopsies, multi-omic analysis, longitudinal patient monitoring, and molecular tumor boards, with the goal of improving cancer management through enhanced understanding of the entire cancer ecosystem within each patient. We describe this integrative approach using comprehensive analytics generated from serial-biopsied lesions in a metastatic breast cancer patient. The serial biopsies identified remarkable heterogeneity among metastatic lesions that presented clinically as discordance in receptor status and genomic alterations with mixed treatment response. Based on our study, we highlight clinical scenarios, such as rapid progression or mixed response, that indicate consideration for repeat biopsies to evaluate intermetastatic heterogeneity (IMH), with the objective of refining targeted therapy. We present a framework for understanding the clinical significance of heterogeneity in breast cancer between metastatic lesions utilizing multi-omic analyses of serial biopsies and its implication for effective personalized treatment.
Collapse
|
43
|
Rashid NS, Grible JM, Clevenger CV, Harrell JC. Breast cancer liver metastasis: current and future treatment approaches. Clin Exp Metastasis 2021; 38:263-277. [PMID: 33675501 DOI: 10.1007/s10585-021-10080-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 02/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Nearly all fatalities arising from breast tumors are attributable to distant metastases. Breast cancer liver metastasis (BCLM) is associated with poor prognoses, with the median survival time being 2 to 3 years. Tumor intrinsic subtype directs preferential metastasis to specific organs, with HER2-enriched tumors demonstrating the highest rates of metastasis to the liver, though all subtypes can grow in the liver. There is no singular established standard-of-care for BCLM; therapeutic selection is driven by histologic and molecular hallmarks of the primary tumor or biopsied metastasis samples. Given the poor prognosis of patients with hepatic spread, pre-clinical studies are necessary to identify and evaluate promising new treatment strategies. It is critical that these laboratory studies accurately recapitulate the BCLM disease process, standard progression, and histological attributes. In this review, we summarize the histologic and molecular characteristics of BCLM, evaluate the efficacy of existing surgical and medical treatment strategies, and discuss future approaches to preclinical study of BCLM.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Narmeen S Rashid
- Department of Pathology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, 23298, USA
| | - Jacqueline M Grible
- Department of Pathology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, 23298, USA
| | - Charles V Clevenger
- Department of Pathology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, 23298, USA.,Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, 23298, USA
| | - J Chuck Harrell
- Department of Pathology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, 23298, USA. .,Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, 23298, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Ntzifa A, Strati A, Koliou GA, Zagouri F, Pectasides D, Pentheroudakis G, Christodoulou C, Gogas H, Magkou C, Petraki C, Kosmidis P, Aravantinos G, Kotoula V, Fountzilas G, Lianidou E. Androgen Receptor and PIM1 Expression in Tumor Tissue of Patients With Triple-negative Breast Cancer. Cancer Genomics Proteomics 2021; 18:147-156. [PMID: 33608311 DOI: 10.21873/cgp.20249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Revised: 01/11/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIM Effective targeted therapies for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) are limited. In a subset of TNBC, androgen receptor (AR) plays an important role, while the human proviral integration site for Moloney murine leukemia virus-1 (PIM1) overexpression is also implicated. PIM1 kinases phosphorylate AR, thus regulating its transcriptional activity, regardless of the presence or not of androgens. We evaluated the expression of AR and PIM1 and their prognostic significance in TNBC. MATERIALS AND METHODS AR and PIM1 transcripts were quantified by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tumor from 141 patients with TNBC. RESULTS AR was expressed in 38.3%, PIM1 in 10.6%, while co-expression of AR and PIM1 was detected in 7/141 cases (5.0%). No prognostic significance of AR or PIM1 was reached for overall or disease-free survival. CONCLUSION Co-expression of AR and PIM1 exists in only in a small percentage of patients with TNBC. The implications of this finding in the therapeutic management of patients with TNBC should be investigated in larger patient cohorts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aliki Ntzifa
- Analysis of Circulating Tumor Cells Laboratory, Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Areti Strati
- Analysis of Circulating Tumor Cells Laboratory, Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | | | - Flora Zagouri
- Department of Clinical Therapeutics, Alexandra Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens School of Medicine, Athens, Greece
| | - Dimitrios Pectasides
- Oncology Section, Second Department of Internal Medicine, Hippokration Hospital, Athens, Greece
| | - George Pentheroudakis
- Department of Medical Oncology, Medical School, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece.,Society for Study of Clonal Heterogeneity of Neoplasia (EMEKEN), Ioannina, Greece
| | | | - Helen Gogas
- First Department of Medicine, Laiko General Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens School of Medicine, Athens, Greece
| | | | | | - Paris Kosmidis
- Second Department of Medical Oncology, Hygeia Hospital, Athens, Greece
| | - Gerasimos Aravantinos
- Second Department of Medical Oncology, Agii Anargiri Cancer Hospital, Athens, Greece
| | - Vassiliki Kotoula
- Department of Pathology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Thessaloniki, Greece.,Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Hellenic Foundation for Cancer Research/Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - George Fountzilas
- Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Hellenic Foundation for Cancer Research/Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.,Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.,German Oncology Center, Limassol, Cyprus
| | - Evi Lianidou
- Analysis of Circulating Tumor Cells Laboratory, Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Athens, Athens, Greece;
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Weiner-Gorzel K, Murphy M. Mitochondrial dynamics, a new therapeutic target for Triple Negative Breast Cancer. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2021; 1875:188518. [PMID: 33545296 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2021.188518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2020] [Revised: 01/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive tumour with patients survival rarely exceeding five years. TNBC tumours are larger in size, more chemoresistant, highly proliferative and usually more enriched in stem and immune cells comparing to other breast cancer subtypes. Functionally, these changes are dependent on a high-quality mitochondrial pool. Mitochondrial health is constantly assessed and appropriately improved by mitochondrial dynamics (cycles of mitochondrial fusion and division). Recent advances in understanding of mitochondrial dynamics in TNBC has demonstrated its critical importance in tumour growth and metastasis. This review explores current knowledge of mitochondrial dynamics in TNBC and discusses targeting this pathway clinically to improve outcomes for patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- K Weiner-Gorzel
- Conway Institute, UCD School of Medicine, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland; Department of General Medicine, St. Vincent University Hospital, Elm Park, Dublin, Ireland.
| | - M Murphy
- Conway Institute, UCD School of Medicine, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Anand K, Patel T, Niravath P, Rodriguez A, Darcourt J, Belcheva A, Boone T, Ensor J, Chang J. Targeting mTOR and DNA repair pathways in residual triple negative breast cancer post neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Sci Rep 2021; 11:82. [PMID: 33420229 PMCID: PMC7794349 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-80081-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2020] [Accepted: 12/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients who do not achieve pathologic complete response post neoadjuvant chemotherapy have a poor prognosis. Alteration in PI3K/mTOR plus DNA repair pathways are some of the major mechanisms of chemotherapy resistance. We designed an open-label phase II clinical trial to evaluate if the combination of everolimus (mTOR inhibitor) plus cisplatin (interferes with DNA function) will improve the rate of pathologic response, as assessed by residual cancer burden (RCB). Twenty-four Stage II/III TNBC patients with residual cancer > 1 cm post neoadjuvant anthracycline and taxane-based chemotherapy were enrolled. Patients received everolimus daily orally at 10 mg for 12 weeks and cisplatin IV at 20 mg/m2 weekly for 4 cycles (21-day cycle), until definitive surgery. The primary endpoint was the rate of RCB-0-I at the surgery. The median age of the whole cohort was 50.1 years, with 66.7% non-Hispanic Caucasians. Of the 24 patients enrolled, 22 were included in the efficacy analysis. Twenty-one patients underwent definitive surgery while one patient developed distant metastasis. Five patients had RCB-I at surgery, a response rate of 23% (5/22). Patients with germline PALB2 mutation or somatic PI3KCA mutation had a pathologic response, achieving RCB-I at the surgery. Three patients had metaplastic histology achieving RCB-I at the surgery. Estimated OS at 1 year was 100% in the RCB-I group vs. 76.5% in others, which was not statistically significant due to the small sample size. Certain cohorts including PALB2 germline mutation carrier and somatic PI3KCA mutations warrant further investigation.Trial registration: Clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT01931163. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01931163 .
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kartik Anand
- Houston Methodist Cancer Center/Weill Cornell Medicine, OPC 24, 6445 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Tejal Patel
- Houston Methodist Cancer Center/Weill Cornell Medicine, OPC 24, 6445 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Polly Niravath
- Houston Methodist Cancer Center/Weill Cornell Medicine, OPC 24, 6445 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Angel Rodriguez
- Houston Methodist Cancer Center/Weill Cornell Medicine, OPC 24, 6445 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Jorge Darcourt
- Houston Methodist Cancer Center/Weill Cornell Medicine, OPC 24, 6445 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Anna Belcheva
- Houston Methodist Cancer Center/Weill Cornell Medicine, OPC 24, 6445 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Toniva Boone
- Houston Methodist Cancer Center/Weill Cornell Medicine, OPC 24, 6445 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Joe Ensor
- Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Jenny Chang
- Houston Methodist Cancer Center/Weill Cornell Medicine, OPC 24, 6445 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
- Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Han Y, Wang J, Xu B. Novel biomarkers and prediction model for the pathological complete response to neoadjuvant treatment of triple-negative breast cancer. J Cancer 2021; 12:936-945. [PMID: 33403050 PMCID: PMC7778555 DOI: 10.7150/jca.52439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2020] [Accepted: 11/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective: To develop and validate a prediction model for the pathological complete response (pCR) to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NCT) of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Methods: We systematically searched Gene Expression Omnibus, ArrayExpress, and PubMed for the gene expression profiles of operable TNBC accessible to NCT. Molecular heterogeneity was detected with hierarchical clustering method, and the biological profiles of differentially expressed genes were investigated by Gene Ontology, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analyses, and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA). Next, machine-learning algorithms including random-forest analysis and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) analysis were synchronously performed and, then, the intersected proportion of significant genes was undergone binary logistic regression to fulfill variables selection. The predictive response score (pRS) system was built as the product of the gene expression and coefficient obtained from the logistic analysis. Last, the cohorts were randomly divided in a 7:3 ratio into training cohort and validation cohort for the introduction of a robust model, and a nomogram was constructed with the independent predictors for pCR rate. Results: A total of 217 individuals from four cohort datasets (GSE32646, GSE25065, GSE25055, GSE21974) with complete clinicopathological information were included. Based on the microarray data, a six-gene panel (ATP4B, FBXO22, FCN2, RRP8, SMERK2, TET3) was identified. A robust nomogram, adopting pRS and clinical tumor size stage, was established and the performance was successively validated by calibration curves and receiver operating characteristic curves with the area under curve 0.704 and 0.756, respectively. Results of GSEA revealed that the biological processes including apoptosis, hypoxia, mTORC1 signaling and myogenesis, and oncogenic features of EGFR and RAF were in proactivity to attribute to an inferior response. Conclusions: This study provided a robust prediction model for pCR rate and revealed potential mechanisms of distinct response to NCT in TNBC, which were promising and warranted to further validate in the perspective.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yiqun Han
- Department of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College. No. 17, Panjiayuan Nanli, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100021, China
| | - Jiayu Wang
- Department of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College. No. 17, Panjiayuan Nanli, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100021, China
| | - Binghe Xu
- Department of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College. No. 17, Panjiayuan Nanli, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100021, China
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Olaparib monotherapy as primary treatment in unselected triple negative breast cancer. Ann Oncol 2020; 32:240-249. [PMID: 33242536 DOI: 10.1016/j.annonc.2020.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2020] [Revised: 10/01/2020] [Accepted: 11/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The antitumor efficacy of PARP inhibitors (PARPi) for breast cancer patients harboring germline BRCA1/2 (gBRCA1/2) mutations is well established. While PARPi monotherapy was ineffective in patients with metastatic triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) wild type for BRCA1/2, we hypothesized that PARPi may be effective in primary TNBCs without previous chemotherapy exposure. PATIENTS AND METHODS In the phase II PETREMAC trial, patients with primary TNBC >2 cm received olaparib for up to 10 weeks before chemotherapy. Tumor biopsies collected before and after olaparib underwent targeted DNA sequencing (360 genes) and BRCA1 methylation analyses. In addition, BRCAness (multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification), PAM50 gene expression, RAD51 foci, tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and PD-L1 analyses were performed on pretreatment samples. RESULTS The median pretreatment tumor diameter was 60 mm (range 25-112 mm). Eighteen out of 32 patients obtained an objective response (OR) to olaparib (56.3%). Somatic or germline mutations affecting homologous recombination (HR) were observed in 10/18 responders [OR 55.6%, 95% confidence interval (CI) 33.7-75.4] contrasting 1/14 non-responders (OR 7.1%; CI 1.3-31.5, P = 0.008). Among tumors without HR mutations, 6/8 responders versus 3/13 non-responders revealed BRCA1 hypermethylation (P = 0.03). Thus, 16/18 responders (88.9%, CI 67.2-96.9), in contrast to 4/14 non-responders (28.6%, CI 11.7-54.7, P = 0.0008), carried HR mutations and/or BRCA1 methylation. Excluding one gPALB2 and four gBRCA1/2 mutation carriers, 12/14 responders (85.7%, CI 60.1-96.0) versus 3/13 non-responders (23.1%, CI 8.2-50.3, P = 0.002) carried somatic HR mutations and/or BRCA1 methylation. In contrast to BRCAness signature or basal-like subtype, low RAD51 scores, high TIL or high PD-L1 expression all correlated to olaparib response. CONCLUSION Olaparib yielded a high clinical response rate in treatment-naïve TNBCs revealing HR deficiency, beyond germline HR mutations. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02624973.
Collapse
|
49
|
Rojas-Jiménez E, Mejía-Gómez JC, Díaz-Velásquez C, Quezada-Urban R, Martínez Gregorio H, Vallejo-Lecuona F, de la Cruz-Montoya A, Porras Reyes FI, Pérez-Sánchez VM, Maldonado-Martínez HA, Robles-Estrada M, Bargalló-Rocha E, Cabrera-Galeana P, Ramos-Ramírez M, Chirino YI, Alonso Herrera L, Terrazas LI, Oliver J, Frecha C, Perdomo S, Vaca-Paniagua F. Comprehensive Genomic Profile of Heterogeneous Long Follow-Up Triple-Negative Breast Cancer and Its Clinical Characteristics Shows DNA Repair Deficiency Has Better Prognostic. Genes (Basel) 2020; 11:E1367. [PMID: 33227964 PMCID: PMC7699204 DOI: 10.3390/genes11111367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2020] [Revised: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) presents a marked diversity at the molecular level, which promotes a clinical heterogeneity that further complicates treatment. We performed a detailed whole exome sequencing profile of 29 Mexican patients with long follow-up TNBC to identify genomic alterations associated with overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), and pathologic complete response (PCR), with the aim to define their role as molecular predictive factors of treatment response and prognosis. We detected 31 driver genes with pathogenic mutations in TP53 (53%), BRCA1/2 (27%), CDKN1B (9%), PIK3CA (9%), and PTEN (9%), and 16 operative mutational signatures. Moreover, tumors with mutations in BRCA1/2 showed a trend of sensitivity to platinum salts. We found an association between deficiency in DNA repair and surveillance genes and DFS. Across all analyzed tumors we consistently found a heterogeneous molecular complexity in terms of allelic composition and operative mutational processes, which hampered the definition of molecular traits with clinical utility. This work contributes to the elucidation of the global molecular alterations of TNBC by providing accurate genomic data that may help forthcoming studies to improve treatment and survival. This is the first study that integrates genomic alterations with a long follow-up of clinical variables in a Latin American population that is an underrepresented ethnicity in most of the genomic studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ernesto Rojas-Jiménez
- Laboratorio Nacional en Salud, Diagnóstico Molecular y Efecto Ambiental en Enfermedades Crónico-Degenerativas, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Tlalnepantla, Estado de México 54090, Mexico; (E.R.-J.); (C.D.-V.); (R.Q.-U.); (H.M.G.); (F.V.-L.); (L.I.T.)
- Unidad de Biomedicina, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, UNAM, Tlalnepantla, Estado de México 54090, Mexico; (A.d.l.C.-M.); (Y.I.C.)
| | - Javier César Mejía-Gómez
- Division of Breast Cancer, Department of Medical Oncology, Mt. Sinai Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1X5, Canada;
| | - Clara Díaz-Velásquez
- Laboratorio Nacional en Salud, Diagnóstico Molecular y Efecto Ambiental en Enfermedades Crónico-Degenerativas, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Tlalnepantla, Estado de México 54090, Mexico; (E.R.-J.); (C.D.-V.); (R.Q.-U.); (H.M.G.); (F.V.-L.); (L.I.T.)
| | - Rosalía Quezada-Urban
- Laboratorio Nacional en Salud, Diagnóstico Molecular y Efecto Ambiental en Enfermedades Crónico-Degenerativas, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Tlalnepantla, Estado de México 54090, Mexico; (E.R.-J.); (C.D.-V.); (R.Q.-U.); (H.M.G.); (F.V.-L.); (L.I.T.)
- Unidad de Biomedicina, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, UNAM, Tlalnepantla, Estado de México 54090, Mexico; (A.d.l.C.-M.); (Y.I.C.)
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
- Cancer Research Division, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
| | - Héctor Martínez Gregorio
- Laboratorio Nacional en Salud, Diagnóstico Molecular y Efecto Ambiental en Enfermedades Crónico-Degenerativas, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Tlalnepantla, Estado de México 54090, Mexico; (E.R.-J.); (C.D.-V.); (R.Q.-U.); (H.M.G.); (F.V.-L.); (L.I.T.)
- Unidad de Biomedicina, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, UNAM, Tlalnepantla, Estado de México 54090, Mexico; (A.d.l.C.-M.); (Y.I.C.)
| | - Fernando Vallejo-Lecuona
- Laboratorio Nacional en Salud, Diagnóstico Molecular y Efecto Ambiental en Enfermedades Crónico-Degenerativas, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Tlalnepantla, Estado de México 54090, Mexico; (E.R.-J.); (C.D.-V.); (R.Q.-U.); (H.M.G.); (F.V.-L.); (L.I.T.)
- Unidad de Biomedicina, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, UNAM, Tlalnepantla, Estado de México 54090, Mexico; (A.d.l.C.-M.); (Y.I.C.)
| | - Aldo de la Cruz-Montoya
- Unidad de Biomedicina, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, UNAM, Tlalnepantla, Estado de México 54090, Mexico; (A.d.l.C.-M.); (Y.I.C.)
| | - Fany Iris Porras Reyes
- Instituto Nacional de Cancerología, CDMX 14080, Mexico; (F.I.P.R.); (V.M.P.-S.); (H.A.M.-M.); (E.B.-R.); (P.C.-G.); (M.R.-R.); (L.A.H.)
| | - Víctor Manuel Pérez-Sánchez
- Instituto Nacional de Cancerología, CDMX 14080, Mexico; (F.I.P.R.); (V.M.P.-S.); (H.A.M.-M.); (E.B.-R.); (P.C.-G.); (M.R.-R.); (L.A.H.)
| | - Héctor Aquiles Maldonado-Martínez
- Instituto Nacional de Cancerología, CDMX 14080, Mexico; (F.I.P.R.); (V.M.P.-S.); (H.A.M.-M.); (E.B.-R.); (P.C.-G.); (M.R.-R.); (L.A.H.)
| | | | - Enrique Bargalló-Rocha
- Instituto Nacional de Cancerología, CDMX 14080, Mexico; (F.I.P.R.); (V.M.P.-S.); (H.A.M.-M.); (E.B.-R.); (P.C.-G.); (M.R.-R.); (L.A.H.)
| | - Paula Cabrera-Galeana
- Instituto Nacional de Cancerología, CDMX 14080, Mexico; (F.I.P.R.); (V.M.P.-S.); (H.A.M.-M.); (E.B.-R.); (P.C.-G.); (M.R.-R.); (L.A.H.)
| | - Maritza Ramos-Ramírez
- Instituto Nacional de Cancerología, CDMX 14080, Mexico; (F.I.P.R.); (V.M.P.-S.); (H.A.M.-M.); (E.B.-R.); (P.C.-G.); (M.R.-R.); (L.A.H.)
| | - Yolanda Irasema Chirino
- Unidad de Biomedicina, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, UNAM, Tlalnepantla, Estado de México 54090, Mexico; (A.d.l.C.-M.); (Y.I.C.)
| | - Luis Alonso Herrera
- Instituto Nacional de Cancerología, CDMX 14080, Mexico; (F.I.P.R.); (V.M.P.-S.); (H.A.M.-M.); (E.B.-R.); (P.C.-G.); (M.R.-R.); (L.A.H.)
- Instituto Nacional de Medicina Genómica, CDMX 14610, Mexico
- Unidad de Investigación Biomédica en Cáncer, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas-Instituto Nacional de Cancerología, CDMX 14080, Mexico
| | - Luis Ignacio Terrazas
- Laboratorio Nacional en Salud, Diagnóstico Molecular y Efecto Ambiental en Enfermedades Crónico-Degenerativas, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Tlalnepantla, Estado de México 54090, Mexico; (E.R.-J.); (C.D.-V.); (R.Q.-U.); (H.M.G.); (F.V.-L.); (L.I.T.)
- Unidad de Biomedicina, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, UNAM, Tlalnepantla, Estado de México 54090, Mexico; (A.d.l.C.-M.); (Y.I.C.)
| | - Javier Oliver
- Medical Oncology Service, Hospitales Universitarios Regional y Virgen de la Victoria, Institute of Biomedical Research in Malaga, CIMES, University of Málaga, 29010 Málaga, Spain;
| | - Cecilia Frecha
- Unidad de Producción Celular del Hospital Regional Universitario de Málaga—IBIMA—Málaga, 29010 Málaga, Spain;
| | - Sandra Perdomo
- Instituto de Nutrición, Genética y Metabolismo, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad El Bosque, Bogotá 110121, Colombia;
- International Agency for Research on Cancer, World Health Organization, 69008 Lyon, France
| | - Felipe Vaca-Paniagua
- Laboratorio Nacional en Salud, Diagnóstico Molecular y Efecto Ambiental en Enfermedades Crónico-Degenerativas, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Tlalnepantla, Estado de México 54090, Mexico; (E.R.-J.); (C.D.-V.); (R.Q.-U.); (H.M.G.); (F.V.-L.); (L.I.T.)
- Unidad de Biomedicina, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, UNAM, Tlalnepantla, Estado de México 54090, Mexico; (A.d.l.C.-M.); (Y.I.C.)
- Instituto Nacional de Cancerología, CDMX 14080, Mexico; (F.I.P.R.); (V.M.P.-S.); (H.A.M.-M.); (E.B.-R.); (P.C.-G.); (M.R.-R.); (L.A.H.)
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Bhattarai S, Saini G, Gogineni K, Aneja R. Quadruple-negative breast cancer: novel implications for a new disease. Breast Cancer Res 2020; 22:127. [PMID: 33213491 PMCID: PMC7678108 DOI: 10.1186/s13058-020-01369-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 11/08/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Based on the androgen receptor (AR) expression, triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) can be subdivided into AR-positive TNBC and AR-negative TNBC, also known as quadruple-negative breast cancer (QNBC). QNBC characterization and treatment is fraught with many challenges. In QNBC, there is a greater paucity of prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets than AR-positive TNBC. Although the prognostic role of AR in TNBC remains controversial, many studies revealed that a lack of AR expression confers a more aggressive disease course. Literature characterizing QNBC tumor biology and uncovering novel biomarkers for improved management of the disease remains scarce. In this comprehensive review, we summarize the current QNBC landscape and propose avenues for future research, suggesting potential biomarkers and therapeutic strategies that warrant investigation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shristi Bhattarai
- Department of Biology, Georgia State University, 100 Piedmont Ave, Atlanta, GA, 30303, USA
| | - Geetanjali Saini
- Department of Biology, Georgia State University, 100 Piedmont Ave, Atlanta, GA, 30303, USA
| | - Keerthi Gogineni
- Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Ritu Aneja
- Department of Biology, Georgia State University, 100 Piedmont Ave, Atlanta, GA, 30303, USA.
| |
Collapse
|