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Cataldo ML, De Placido P, Esposito D, Formisano L, Arpino G, Giuliano M, Bianco R, De Angelis C, Veneziani BM. The effect of the alpha-specific PI3K inhibitor alpelisib combined with anti-HER2 therapy in HER2+/PIK3CA mutant breast cancer. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1108242. [PMID: 37469415 PMCID: PMC10353540 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1108242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Background HER2 is amplified or overexpressed in around 20% of breast cancers (BC). HER2-targeted therapies have significantly improved the prognosis of patients with HER2+ BC, however, de novo and acquired resistance to anti-HER2 treatment is common. Activating mutations in the PIK3CA gene are reported in ∼30% of HER2+ BC and are associated with resistance to anti-HER2 therapies and a poor prognosis. Here, we investigated the in vitro and in vivo antitumor efficacy of the alpha-specific PI3K inhibitor alpelisib alone or in combination with anti-HER2 therapy using a panel of HER2+ BC cell lines. We also generated models of acquired resistance to alpelisib to investigate the mechanisms underlying resistance to alpha-specific PI3K inhibition. Materials and methods PIK3CA mutant (HCC1954, KPL4 and JMT1) and wild-type (BT474 and SKBR3) HER2+ BC cell lines were used. The HCC1954 and KPL4 cells were chronically exposed to increasing concentrations of alpelisib or to alpelisib + trastuzumab in order to generate derivatives with acquired resistance to alpelisib (AR) and to alpelisib + trastuzumab (ATR). The transcriptomic profiles of HCC1954, KPL4 and their AR and ATR derivatives were determined by RNA sequencing. Cell growth was assessed by MTT assay. Changes in the protein levels of key PI3K pathway components were assessed by Western blotting. Gene expression, cellular and patients' data from the Cancer Dependency Map (DepMap) and KMPlot datasets were interrogated. Results HER2+ BC cell lines harboring activating mutations in PIK3CA were less sensitive to single or dual anti-HER2 blockade compared to PIK3CA wild-type cells. Alpelisib treatment resulted in dose-dependent inhibition of the growth of cells with or without PIK3CA mutations and enhanced the antitumor efficacy of anti-HER2 therapies in vitro. In addition, alpelisib greatly delayed tumor growth of HCC1954 xenografts in vivo. Functional annotation of the significantly differentially expressed genes suggested the common activation of biological processes associated with oxidation reduction, cell proliferation, immune response and RNA synthesis in alpelisib-resistant models compared with native cells. Eight commonly upregulated genes (log2 fold-change >1, False Discovery Rate [FDR] <0.05) in models with acquired resistance to alpelisib or alpelisib + trastuzumab were identified. Among these, AKR1C1 was associated with alpelisib-resistance in vitro and with a poor prognosis in patients with HER2+ BC. Conclusions Our findings support the use of an alpha-selective PI3K inhibitor to overcome the therapeutic limitations associated with single or dual HER2 blockade in PIK3CA-mutant HER2+ breast cancer. Future studies are warranted to confirm the potential role of candidate genes/pathways in resistance to alpelisib.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Letizia Cataldo
- Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Pietro De Placido
- Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Daniela Esposito
- Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Luigi Formisano
- Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Grazia Arpino
- Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Mario Giuliano
- Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Roberto Bianco
- Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Carmine De Angelis
- Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Bianca Maria Veneziani
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
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Dong H, Hu J, Zou K, Ye M, Chen Y, Wu C, Chen X, Han M. Activation of LncRNA TINCR by H3K27 acetylation promotes Trastuzumab resistance and epithelial-mesenchymal transition by targeting MicroRNA-125b in breast Cancer. Mol Cancer 2019; 18:3. [PMID: 30621694 PMCID: PMC6323810 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-018-0931-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 158] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2018] [Accepted: 12/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Trastuzumab resistance followed by metastasis is a major obstacle for improving the clinical outcome of patients with advanced human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive (HER-2+) breast cancer. While long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) can modulate cell behavior, the contribution of these RNAs in trastuzumab resistance and metastasis of HER-2+ breast cancer is not well known. In this study, we sought to identify the regulatory role of lncRNA in trastuzumab resistance and accompanied Epithelial-mesenchymal Transition (EMT) process in advanced HER-2+ breast cancer. METHODS Trastuzumab-resistant SKBR-3-TR and BT474-TR cell lines were established by grafting SKBR-3 and BT474 cells into mouse models and subjected to trastuzumab treatment. LncRNA microarray followed by quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) was carried out to verify the differentially expressed lncRNAs. Western blotting, bioinformatics analysis, immunofluorescence assay and immunoprecipitation assays (ChIP and RIP) were performed to identify the involvement and functional interactions between H3K27 acetylation and terminal differentiation-induced non-coding RNA (TINCR) or between TINCR and its downstream genes including miR-125b, HER-2 and Snail-1. In addition, a series of in vitro and in vivo assays were performed to assess the functions of TINCR. RESULTS An increase in both, IC50 value of trastuzumab and EMT was observed in the established trastuzumab-resistant cell lines. The expression level of TINCR was significantly increased in trastuzumab-resistant cells when compared with sensitive cells. Knockdown of TINCR reversed the trastuzumab resistance and the acquired EMT in these cells. TINCR was detected in the cytoplasm of breast cancer cells and could sponge miR-125b, thereby releasing HER-2 and inducing trastuzumab resistance. In addition, Snail-1 was found to be the target gene of miR-125b and overexpression of Snail-1 could reverse the suppressed migration, invasion, and EMT caused by TINCR silencing. The upregulation of TINCR in breast cancer was attributed to the CREB-binding protein (CBP)-mediated H3K27 acetylation at the promoter region of TINCR. Clinically, HER-2+ breast cancer patients with high TINCR expression levels were associated with poor response to trastuzumab therapy and shorter survival time. CONCLUSION TINCR could promote trastuzumab resistance and the accompanied EMT process in breast cancer. Therefore, TINCR might be a potential indicator for prognosis and a therapeutic target to enhance the clinical efficacy of trastuzumab treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huaying Dong
- Department of General Surgery, Hainan General Hospital, Hainan Medical University, No.19 Xiu Hua Road, Xiuying District, Haikou City, 570311, Hainan Province, China.
| | - Jianguo Hu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400010, China
| | - Kejian Zou
- Department of General Surgery, Hainan General Hospital, Hainan Medical University, No.19 Xiu Hua Road, Xiuying District, Haikou City, 570311, Hainan Province, China
| | - Mulin Ye
- Department of General Surgery, Hainan General Hospital, Hainan Medical University, No.19 Xiu Hua Road, Xiuying District, Haikou City, 570311, Hainan Province, China
| | - Yuanwen Chen
- Department of General Surgery, Chongqing Renji Hospital, University of Chinese Academy of Science, Chongqing, 400062, China
| | - Chengyi Wu
- Department of General Surgery, The Frist Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China
| | - Xin Chen
- Department of General Surgery, The Frist Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China.
| | - Mingli Han
- Department of Breast Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, China.
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Epigenetic Silencing of THY1 Tracks the Acquisition of the Notch1–EGFR Signaling in a Xenograft Model of CD44+/CD24low/CD90+ Myoepithelial Cells. Mol Cancer Res 2018; 17:628-641. [DOI: 10.1158/1541-7786.mcr-17-0324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2017] [Revised: 09/13/2017] [Accepted: 09/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Leccia F, Nardone A, Corvigno S, Vecchio LD, De Placido S, Salvatore F, Veneziani BM. Cytometric and biochemical characterization of human breast cancer cells reveals heterogeneous myoepithelial phenotypes. Cytometry A 2012; 81:960-72. [PMID: 22791584 DOI: 10.1002/cyto.a.22095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2011] [Revised: 06/06/2012] [Accepted: 06/06/2012] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
To determine whether cell cultures maintain the cellular heterogeneity of primary tissues and may therefore be used for in vitro modeling of breast cancer subtypes, we evaluated the expression of a cell surface marker panel in breast cancer cell cultures derived from various subtypes of human breast carcinoma. We used a four-color flow cytometry strategy to immunophenotype seven human breast cancer cell cultures and four reference breast cancer cell lines. We analyzed 28 surface markers selected based on their potential to distinguish epithelial or mesenchymal lineage, to identify stem cell populations, and to mediate cell adhesion and migration. We determined their ability to form mammospheres and analyzed luminal cytokeratins CK18, CK19, and myoepithelial/basal CK5, SMA (alpha-smooth muscle actin), and vimentin expression by western blot. All cell surface markers showed a unimodal profile. Ten/28 markers were homogenously expressed. Four (CD66b, CD66c, CD165, CD324) displayed negative/low expression. Six (CD29, CD55, CD59, CD81, CD151, CD166) displayed homogenous high expression. Eighteen (CD9, CD10, CD24, CD26, CD44, CD47, CD49b, CD49f, CD54, CD61, CD90, CD105, CD133, CD164, CD184, CD200, CD227, CD326) were heterogeneously expressed. Spearman's rank test demonstrated a significant correlation (p< 0.001) between mesenchymal phenotype and breast cancer cell cultures. Breast cancer cell cultures, all CD44+, displayed concomitant high expression of only three antigens (CD10, CD54, CD90), and low expression of CD326; cell cultures formed mammospheres and expressed CK5, SMA and vimentin, and were weakly CK19-positive. We demonstrate that breast cancer cell cultures preserve inter-tumor heterogeneity and express stem/progenitor markers that can be identified, quantified and categorized by flow cytometry. Therefore, cell cultures can be used for in vitro modeling of breast cancer subtypes; immunophenotyping may mirror breast cancer heterogeneity and reveal molecular characteristics of individual tumors useful for testing target therapy.
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Fallica B, Makin G, Zaman MH. Bioengineering approaches to study multidrug resistance in tumor cells. Integr Biol (Camb) 2011; 3:529-39. [PMID: 21387035 DOI: 10.1039/c0ib00142b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The ability of cancer cells to become resistant to chemotherapeutic agents is a major challenge for the treatment of malignant tumors. Several strategies have emerged to attempt to inhibit chemoresistance, but the fact remains that resistance is a problem for every effective anticancer drug. The first part of this review will focus on the mechanisms of chemoresistance. It is important to understand the environmental cues, transport limitations and the cellular signaling pathways associated with chemoresistance before we can hope to effectively combat it. The second part of this review focuses on the work that needs to be done moving forward. Specifically, this section focuses on the necessity of translational research and interdisciplinary directives. It is critical that the expertise of oncologists, biologists, and engineers be brought together to attempt to tackle the problem. This discussion is from an engineering perspective, as the dialogue between engineers and other cancer researchers is the most challenging due to non-overlapping background knowledge. Chemoresistance is a complex and devastating process, meaning that we urgently need sophisticated methods to study the process of how cells become resistant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian Fallica
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, USA
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Nardone A, Corvigno S, Brescia A, D'Andrea D, Limite G, Veneziani BM. Long-term cultures of stem/progenitor cells from lobular and ductal breast carcinomas under non-adherent conditions. Cytotechnology 2010; 63:67-80. [PMID: 21188518 DOI: 10.1007/s10616-010-9328-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2010] [Accepted: 12/06/2010] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
A small subpopulation of stem/progenitor cells can give rise to the diversity of differentiated cells that comprise the bulk of the tumor. Are proliferating cells, within the bulk of tumor, few cells with uncommon features? The cell biological approach provides a limitless model for studying the hierarchical organization of progenitor subpopulation and identifying potential therapeutic targets. Aim of the study was to expand patients' breast cancer cells for evaluating functional cell properties, and to characterize the protein expression profile of selected cells to be compared with that of primary tumors. Breast cancer cells from estrogen receptor (ERα) positive, HER2 negative lobular (LoBS cells) and ductal (DuBS cells) histotype were cultured under non-adherent conditions to form mammospheres. Sorting of the cells by their surface expression of CD24 and CD44 gave rise to subpopulations which were propagated, enriched and characterized for the expression of epithelial and stromal markers. We found that non-adherent culture conditions generate mammospheres of slowly proliferating cells; single cells, dissociated from mammospheres, grow in soft agar; long-term cultured LoBS and DuBS cells, CD44+/CD24low, express cytokeratin 5 (CK5), α-smooth muscle actin (α-sma) and vimentin, known as markers of basal/myoepithelial cells; and ERα (only DuBS cells), HER1 (EGF-Receptor), activated HER2, and cyclinD1 as markers of luminal epithelial cell. Isolates of cells from breast cancer patients may be a tool for a marker-driven testing of targeted therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agostina Nardone
- Dipartimento di Biologia e Patologia Cellulare e Molecolare "L. Califano", Università di Napoli Federico II, via Pansini 5, 80131, Naples, Italy
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Cavaliere C, Corvigno S, Galgani M, Limite G, Nardone A, Veneziani BM. Combined inhibitory effect of formestane and herceptin on a subpopulation of CD44+/CD24low breast cancer cells. Cancer Sci 2010; 101:1661-9. [PMID: 20491779 PMCID: PMC11159050 DOI: 10.1111/j.1349-7006.2010.01593.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
In breast cancer, stromal cells surrounding cancer epithelial cells can influence phenotype by producing paracrine factors. Among many mediators of epithelial-stromal interactions, aromatase activity is perhaps one of the best studied. Clinical data suggest that estrogen-independent signaling leads to increased proliferation even during therapy with aromatase inhibitors (AIs). Molecular mechanism of crosstalk between the estrogen receptor (ER) and the epidermal growth factor receptor (HER) family have been implicated in resistance to endocrine therapy, but this interaction is unclear. The ability of aromatase to induce estradiol biosynthesis provides a molecular rationale to combine agents that target aromatase activity and the HER pathway. We targeted stromal-epithelial interactions using formestane, which exerts antiaromatase activity, combined with the monoclonal anti-HER2 antibody herceptin, in a subpopulation of CD44+/CD24low cells sorted from epithelial-mesenchymal co-cultures of breast cancer tissues. The growth inhibition was respectively 16% (P < 0.01) in the response to herceptin, 25% to formestane (P < 0.01), and 50% (P < 0.001) with the combination of the two drugs, suggesting that herceptin cooperates with formestane-induced inhibition of aromatase and this effect could be mediated through HER family receptors. In cells which expressed ERalpha, formestane/herceptin combination suppressed the mRNA expression of aromatase and HER2 and decreased cyclin D1 expression. These results show that combination therapies involving AIs and anti-HER2 can be efficacious for the treatment of cancer in experimental models and suggest that subtyping breast tumors gives useful information about response to treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla Cavaliere
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology and Pathology L. Califano, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
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García-Becerra R, Díaz L, Camacho J, Barrera D, Ordaz-Rosado D, Morales A, Ortiz CS, Avila E, Bargallo E, Arrecillas M, Halhali A, Larrea F. Calcitriol inhibits Ether-à go-go potassium channel expression and cell proliferation in human breast cancer cells. Exp Cell Res 2010; 316:433-42. [DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2009.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2009] [Revised: 11/10/2009] [Accepted: 11/12/2009] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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A banking strategy toward customized therapy in breast cancer. Cell Tissue Bank 2009; 10:301-8. [DOI: 10.1007/s10561-009-9124-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2008] [Accepted: 01/15/2009] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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