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James C, Whitehead A, Plummer JT, Thompson R, Badal S. Failure to progress: breast and prostate cancer cell lines in developing targeted therapies. Cancer Metastasis Rev 2024:10.1007/s10555-024-10202-w. [PMID: 39060878 DOI: 10.1007/s10555-024-10202-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 07/16/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024]
Abstract
Developing anticancer drugs from preclinical to clinical takes approximately a decade in a cutting-edge biomedical lab and still 97% of most fail at clinical trials. Cell line usage is critical in expediting the advancement of anticancer therapies. Yet developing appropriate cell lines has been challenging and overcoming these obstacles whilst implementing a systematic approach of utilizing 3D models that recapitulate the tumour microenvironment is prudent. Using a robust and continuous supply of cell lines representing all ethnic groups from all locales is necessary to capture the evolving tumour landscape in culture. Next, the conversion of these models to systems on a chip that can by way of high throughput cytotoxic assays identify drug leads for clinical trials should fast-track drug development while markedly improving success rates. In this review, we describe the challenges that have hindered the progression of cell line models over seven decades and methods to overcome this. We outline the gaps in breast and prostate cancer cell line pathology and racial representation alongside their involvement in relevant drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chelsi James
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medical Sciences Teaching and Research Complex, The University of the West Indies, Mona, West Indies, Jamaica
| | - Akeem Whitehead
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medical Sciences Teaching and Research Complex, The University of the West Indies, Mona, West Indies, Jamaica
| | | | - Rory Thompson
- Department of Pathology, The University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica
| | - Simone Badal
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medical Sciences Teaching and Research Complex, The University of the West Indies, Mona, West Indies, Jamaica.
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2
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Jia W, Wu Q, Shen M, Yu X, An S, Zhao L, Huang G, Liu J. PFKFB3 regulates breast cancer tumorigenesis and Fulvestrant sensitivity by affecting ERα stability. Cell Signal 2024; 119:111184. [PMID: 38640982 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2024.111184] [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: 02/12/2024] [Revised: 04/07/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 04/21/2024]
Abstract
Estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) is expressed in approximately 70% of breast cancer cases and determines the sensitivity and effectiveness of endocrine therapy. 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2, 6-biphosphatase3 (PFKFB3) is a glycolytic enzyme that is highly expressed in a great many human tumors, and recent studies have shown that it plays a significant role in improving drug sensitivity. However, the role of PFKFB3 in regulating ERα expression and the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Here, we find by using immunohistochemistry (IHC) that PFKFB3 is elevated in ER-positive breast cancer and high expression of PFKFB3 resulted in a worse prognosis. In vitro and in vivo experiments verify that PFKFB3 promotes ER-positive breast cancer cell proliferation. The overexpression of PFKFB3 promotes the estrogen-independent ER-positive breast cancer growth. In an estrogen-free condition, RNA-sequencing data from MCF7 cells treated with siPFKFB3 showed enrichment of the estrogen signaling pathway, and a luciferase assay demonstrated that knockdown of PFKFB3 inhibited the ERα transcriptional activity. Mechanistically, down-regulation of PFKFB3 promotes STUB1 binding to ERα, which accelerates ERα degradation by K48-based ubiquitin linkage. Finally, growth of ER-positive breast cancer cells in vivo was more potently inhibited by fulvestrant combined with the PFKFB3 inhibitor PFK158 than for each drug alone. In conclusion, these data suggest that PFKFB3 is identified as an adverse prognosis factor for ER-positive breast cancer and plays a previously unrecognized role in the regulation of ERα stability and activity. Our results further explores an effective approach to improve fulvestrant sensitivity through the early combination with a PFKFB3 inhibitor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenzhi Jia
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Qianyun Wu
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Mengqin Shen
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaofeng Yu
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Shuxian An
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Li Zhao
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Gang Huang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jianjun Liu
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Institute of Clinical Nuclear Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Shanghai, China.
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Malakhova V, Scherbakov A, Sorokin D, Leanavets H, Dzichenka Y, Zavarzin I, Volkova Y. Exploration and biological evaluation of 20-vinyl pregnenes: A step forward toward selective modulators of the estrogen receptor α signaling for breast cancer treatment. Arch Pharm (Weinheim) 2024; 357:e2300651. [PMID: 38570819 DOI: 10.1002/ardp.202300651] [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: 11/09/2023] [Revised: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024]
Abstract
A series of D-ring modified steroids bearing a vinyl ketone pendant were synthesized and evaluated for antiproliferative activity against breast cancer cell line and cytochromes P450. The lead compound, 21-vinyl 20-keto-pregnene (2f) (IC50 = 2.4 µM), was shown to be a promising candidate for future anticancer drug design, particularly against estrogen receptor α (ERα)-positive breast cancer. The lead compound was found to have a significant effect on the signaling pathways in parental and 4-hydroxytamoxifen-resistant cells. Compound 2f modulated the ERK, cyclin D1, and CDK4 pathways and blocked the expression of ERα, the main driver of breast cancer growth. Compound 2f significantly reduced 17β-estradiol-induced progesterone receptor expression. Accumulation of cleaved poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase in cells treated with compound 2f indicated induction of apoptosis. The selectivity analysis showed that lead compound 2f produces no significant effects on cytochromes P450, CYP19A1, CYP21A2, and CYP7B1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria Malakhova
- N.D. Zelinsky Institute of Organic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Alexander Scherbakov
- N.N. Blokhin National Medical Research Center of Oncology, Moscow, Russia
- Gause Institute of New Antibiotics, Moscow, Russia
| | - Danila Sorokin
- N.N. Blokhin National Medical Research Center of Oncology, Moscow, Russia
| | - Hanna Leanavets
- Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, Minsk, Belarus
| | - Yaraslau Dzichenka
- Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, Minsk, Belarus
| | - Igor Zavarzin
- N.D. Zelinsky Institute of Organic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Yulia Volkova
- N.D. Zelinsky Institute of Organic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
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4
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Moein A, Jin JY, Wright MR, Wong H. Quantitative characterization of the effects of fulvestrant alone or in combination with taselisib (PI3Kinase inhibitor) on longitudinal tumor growth in patients with estrogen receptor-positive, HER2-negative, PIK3CA-mutant, advanced or metastatic breast cancer. Cancer Chemother Pharmacol 2024:10.1007/s00280-024-04690-4. [PMID: 38937298 DOI: 10.1007/s00280-024-04690-4] [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: 02/03/2024] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE Among cases of breast cancer, estrogen receptor-positive (ER +), PIK3CA-mutant, HER2- advanced breast cancer stands as a particularly complex clinical indication where approximately 40% of ER + /HER2- breast carcinomas present mutations in the PIK3CA gene. A significant hurdle in treating ER + breast cancer lies in surmounting the challenges of endocrine resistance. In the clinical setting, a multifaceted approach is essential for this indication, one that not only explores the effectiveness of individual treatments but also delves into the potential gains in therapeutic outcome from combination therapies. METHODS In the current study, longitudinal tumor growth inhibition (TGI) models were developed to characterize tumor response over time in postmenopausal women with ER + /HER2- advanced or metastatic breast cancer undergoing treatment with fulvestrant alone or in combination with the PI3K inhibitor, taselisib. Impact of clinically relevant covariates on TGI metrics was assessed to identify patient subsets most likely to benefit from treatment with fulvestrant monotherapy or combination with taselisib. RESULTS Tumor growth rate constant (Kg) was found to increase with increasing baseline tumor size and in the absence of baseline endocrine sensitivity. Further, Kg decreased in the absence of baseline liver metastases both in fulvestrant monotherapy and combination therapy with taselisib. Overall, additive/potentially synergistic anti-tumor effects were observed in patients treated with the taselisib-fulvestrant combination. CONCLUSION These results have important implications for understanding the therapeutic impact of combination treatment approaches and individualized responses to these treatments. Finally, this work, emphasizes the importance of model informed drug development for targeted cancer therapy. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION NCT02340221 Registered January 16, 2015, NCT01296555 Registered February 14, 2011.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anita Moein
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of British Columbia, Office 5505, Pharmaceutical Sciences Building, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Jin Y Jin
- Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | - Harvey Wong
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of British Columbia, Office 5505, Pharmaceutical Sciences Building, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
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Zhi S, Chen C, Huang H, Zhang Z, Zeng F, Zhang S. Hypoxia-inducible factor in breast cancer: role and target for breast cancer treatment. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1370800. [PMID: 38799423 PMCID: PMC11116789 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1370800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Globally, breast cancer stands as the most prevalent form of cancer among women. The tumor microenvironment of breast cancer often exhibits hypoxia. Hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha, a transcription factor, is found to be overexpressed and activated in breast cancer, playing a pivotal role in the anoxic microenvironment by mediating a series of reactions. Hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha is involved in regulating downstream pathways and target genes, which are crucial in hypoxic conditions, including glycolysis, angiogenesis, and metastasis. These processes significantly contribute to breast cancer progression by managing cancer-related activities linked to tumor invasion, metastasis, immune evasion, and drug resistance, resulting in poor prognosis for patients. Consequently, there is a significant interest in Hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha as a potential target for cancer therapy. Presently, research on drugs targeting Hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha is predominantly in the preclinical phase, highlighting the need for an in-depth understanding of HIF-1α and its regulatory pathway. It is anticipated that the future will see the introduction of effective HIF-1α inhibitors into clinical trials, offering new hope for breast cancer patients. Therefore, this review focuses on the structure and function of HIF-1α, its role in advancing breast cancer, and strategies to combat HIF-1α-dependent drug resistance, underlining its therapeutic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Fancai Zeng
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
| | - Shujun Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
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Lei L, Huang Y, Shi L, Ye W, Lv X, Ying L, Yu X, Cheng SHC, Zheng Y. Palbociclib sensitizes ER-positive breast cancer cells to fulvestrant by promoting the ubiquitin-mediated degradation of ER-α via SNHG17/Hippo-YAP axis. Breast Cancer Res Treat 2024; 203:613-625. [PMID: 37924380 PMCID: PMC10806073 DOI: 10.1007/s10549-023-07138-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/06/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Endocrine therapy is the anti-tumor therapy for human breast cancer but endocrine resistance was a major burden. It has been reported that Palbociclib and fulvestrant can be used in combination for the treatment of patients who are experiencing endocrine resistance. However, the underlying mechanism is unclear. In this study, we aimed to investigate the mechanism by which Palbocicilib affected ER-positive breast cancer, combined with fulvestrant. METHODS We first detected the effect of palbociclib on cell survival, growth and cycle distribution separately by MTT, colony formation and flow cytometry. Then SNHG17 was screened as palbociclib-targeted LncRNA by LncRNA-seq, and the SNHG17-targeted mRNAs were selected by mRNA-seq for further determination. Subsequently, the underlying mechanism by which palbociclib promoted the cytotoxicity of fulvestrant was confirmed by qRT-PCR, western blot, and immunoprecipitation. Eventually, the xenograft model and immunohistochemistry experiments were used to validate the sensitization effect of palbociclib on fulvestrant and its mechanism in vivo. RESULTS Palbociclib significantly enhanced the cytotoxicity of fulvestrant in fulvestrant-resistant breast cancer cell lines. Interestingly, this might be related to the lncRNA SNHG17 and the Hippo signaling pathway. And our subsequent western blotting experiments confirmed that overexpressing SNHG17 induced the down-regulation of LATS1 and up-regulated YAP expression. Furthermore, we found that the increased sensitivity of breast cancer cells was closely associated with the LATS1-mediated degradation of ER-α. The following animal experiments also indicated that overexpressing SNHG17 obviously impaired the anti-cancer effect of co-treatment of palbociclib and fulvestrant accompanied by decreased LATS1 and increased ER-α levels. CONCLUSION Palbociclib might sensitize the cytotoxicity of fulvestrant in ER-positive breast cancer cells by down-regulating SNHG17 expression, and then resulted in the LATS1-inactivated oncogene YAP and LATS1-mediated degradation of ER-α.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Lei
- Department of Breast Medical Oncology, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou, 310022, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yuan Huang
- Department of Breast Medical Oncology, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou, 310022, Zhejiang, China
| | - Lei Shi
- Department of Breast Medical Oncology, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou, 310022, Zhejiang, China
| | - Weiwu Ye
- Department of Breast Medical Oncology, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou, 310022, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xianmei Lv
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Jinhua People's Hospital, Jinhua, 321000, Zhejiang, China
| | - Lisha Ying
- Department of Breast Medical Oncology, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou, 310022, Zhejiang, China
- Zhejiang Cancer Institute, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xingfei Yu
- Department of Breast Surgery, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou, 310022, Zhejiang, China
| | - Skye Hung-Chun Cheng
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Koo Foundation, Sun Yat-Sen Cancer Center, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yabing Zheng
- Department of Breast Medical Oncology, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou, 310022, Zhejiang, China.
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Neupane N, Bawek S, Gurusinghe S, Ghaffary EM, Mirmosayyeb O, Thapa S, Falkson C, O’Regan R, Dhakal A. Oral SERD, a Novel Endocrine Therapy for Estrogen Receptor-Positive Breast Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:619. [PMID: 38339371 PMCID: PMC10854647 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16030619] [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: 11/24/2023] [Revised: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women worldwide, and estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer accounts for a significant proportion of cases. While various treatments are available, endocrine therapies are often the first-line treatment for this type of breast cancer. However, the development of drug resistance poses a significant challenge in managing this disease. ESR1 mutations have been identified as a common mechanism of endocrine therapy resistance in ER+ breast cancer. The first-generation selective estrogen receptor degrader (SERD) fulvestrant has shown some activity against ESR1 mutant tumors. However, due to its poor bioavailability and need for intramuscular injection, it may not be the optimal therapy for patients. Second-generation SERDs were developed to overcome these limitations. These newer drugs have improved oral bioavailability and pharmacokinetics, making them more convenient and effective for patients. Several oral SERDs are now in phase III trials for early and advanced ER+ breast cancer. This review summarizes the background of oral SERD development, the current status, and future perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niraj Neupane
- Department of Internal Medicine, Rochester General Hospital, Rochester, NY 14621, USA;
| | - Sawyer Bawek
- Department of Internal Medicine, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA; (S.B.); (S.G.)
| | - Sayuri Gurusinghe
- Department of Internal Medicine, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA; (S.B.); (S.G.)
| | - Elham Moases Ghaffary
- Isfahan Neurosciences Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan 8174673461, Iran; (E.M.G.); (O.M.)
| | - Omid Mirmosayyeb
- Isfahan Neurosciences Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan 8174673461, Iran; (E.M.G.); (O.M.)
| | - Sangharsha Thapa
- Westchester Medical Center, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY 10595, USA;
| | - Carla Falkson
- Department of Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA; (C.F.); (R.O.)
| | - Ruth O’Regan
- Department of Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA; (C.F.); (R.O.)
| | - Ajay Dhakal
- Department of Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA; (C.F.); (R.O.)
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Iwamoto T, Niikura N, Watanabe K, Takeshita T, Kikawa Y, Kobayashi K, Iwakuma N, Okamura T, Tada H, Ozaki S, Okuno T, Toh U, Yamamoto Y, Tsuneizumi M, Ishiguro H, Masuda N, Saji S. Changes in cell-free DNA after short-term palbociclib and fulvestrant treatment for advanced or metastatic hormone receptor-positive and human epidermal growth factor 2-negative breast cancer. Breast Cancer Res Treat 2024; 203:225-234. [PMID: 37875670 DOI: 10.1007/s10549-023-07144-2] [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: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/26/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Here, we investigated the potential predictive and elucidating efficacy of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) changes on clinical outcomes and biological effects, respectively, after short-term palbociclib and fulvestrant treatment for patients with hormone receptor (HR)-positive and human epidermal growth factor 2 (HER2)-negative advanced or metastatic breast cancer (ABC). METHODS In this secondary analysis of the Japan Breast Cancer Research Group-M07 (FUTURE) trial, blood cfDNA was obtained before palbociclib treatment and on day 15 of cycle one (28-day cycle). Target enrichment was performed using next-generation sequencing; progression-free survival (PFS) was compared based on cfDNA changes between baseline and day 15 of cycle one after combination therapy. RESULTS Fifty-six patients (112 paired blood samples) were examined. The median follow-up time was 8.9 months. PIK3CA (30.4%, 17/56), FOXA1 (30.4%, 17/56), and ESR1 (28.6%, 16/56) were most frequently mutated at baseline. The number of mutated genes was significantly decreased on day 15 compared with that at baseline (paired t test: P value = 0.025). No significant difference was observed in PFS (decrease group, 7.9 m vs the others, 9.3 m; log-rank P value = 0.75; hazard ratio, 1.13; 95% confidence interval, 0.53-2.41). Among patients without previous aromatase inhibitor treatment (n = 15), three (20%) had ESR1 mutations after progression to fulvestrant. CONCLUSION No significant association was observed between changes in mutated genes after short-term palbociclib and fulvestrant treatment and disease progression; a significant reduction in cfDNA mutation level was observed on day 15 of cycle one. Clinical meanings of cfDNA should be investigated in the future trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takayuki Iwamoto
- Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Kawasaki Medical School Hospital, 577 Matsushima, Kurashiki City, Okayama, 701-0192, Japan.
- Breast and Endocrine Surgery, Okayama University Hospital, Okayama, Japan.
| | - Naoki Niikura
- Department of Breast Oncology, Tokai University School of Medicine, Isehara, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Kenichi Watanabe
- Breast Surgery, Hokkaido Cancer Center, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Takashi Takeshita
- Breast and Endocrine Surgery, Kumamoto City Hospital, Kumamoto, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Yuichiro Kikawa
- Department of Breast Surgery, Kansai Medical University Hospital, Hirakata, Osaka, Japan
| | - Kokoro Kobayashi
- Department of Medical Oncology, Saitama Red Cross Hospital, Saitama, Saitama, Japan
| | - Nobutaka Iwakuma
- Breast Center, Department of Breast Surgery, Kyushu Medical Center, Fukuoka, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Takuho Okamura
- Department of Breast Oncology, Tokai University School of Medicine, Isehara, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Tada
- Department of Surgery, Division of Breast and Endocrine Surgery, Tohoku University Hospital, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan
| | - Shinji Ozaki
- Department of Gastrointestinal and Breast Surgery, Hiroshima Prefectural Hospital, Hiroshima, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Toshitaka Okuno
- Department of Breast Surgery, Kobe City Nishi-Kobe Medical Center, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan
| | - Uhi Toh
- Department of Breast Surgery, Kurume University Hospital, Kurume, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Yutaka Yamamoto
- Department of Breast and Endocrine Surgery, Kumamoto University Hospital, Kumamoto, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Michiko Tsuneizumi
- Department of Breast Surgery, Shizuoka General Hospital, Shizuoka, Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Ishiguro
- Breast Oncology Service, Saitama Medical University International Medical Center, Hidaka, Saitama, Japan
| | - Norikazu Masuda
- Department of Breast and Endocrine Surgery, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
| | - Shigehira Saji
- Department of Medical Oncology, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Fukushima, Japan
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Adewumi AT, Mosebi S. Characteristic Binding Landscape of Estrogen Receptor-α36 Protein Enhances Promising Cancer Drug Design. Biomolecules 2023; 13:1798. [PMID: 38136668 PMCID: PMC10741999 DOI: 10.3390/biom13121798] [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: 11/10/2023] [Revised: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer (BC) remains the most common cancer among women worldwide, and estrogen receptor-α expression is a critical diagnostic factor for BC. Estrogen receptor (ER-α36) is a dominant-negative effector of ER-α66-mediated estrogen-responsive gene pathways. ER-α36 is a novel target that mediates the non-genomic estrogen signaling pathway. However, the crystallized structure of ER-α36 remains unavailable for molecular studies. ER-positive and triple-negative BC tumors aggressively resist the FDA-approved drugs; therefore, highly potent structure-based inhibitors with preeminent benefits over toxicity will preferably replace the current BC treatment. Broussoflanol B (BFB), a B. papyrifera bark compound, exhibits potent growth inhibitory activity in ER-negative BC cells by inducing cell cycle arrest. For the first time, we unravel the comparative dynamic events of the enzymes' structures and the binding mechanisms of BFB when bound to the ER-α36 and ER-α66 ligand-binding domain using an all-atom molecular dynamics simulations approach and MM/PBSA-binding-free energy calculations. The dynamic findings have revealed that ER-α36 and ER-α66 LBD undergo timescale "coiling", opening and closing conformations favoring the high-affinity BFB-bound ER-α36 (ΔG = -52.57 kcal/mol) compared to the BFB-bound ER-α66 (ΔG = -42.41 kcal/mol). Moreover, the unbound (1.260 Å) and bound ER-α36 (1.182 Å) exhibit the highest flexibilities and atomistic motions relative to the ER-α66 systems. The RMSF (Å) of the unbound ER-α36 and ER-α66 exhibit lesser stabilities than the BFB-bound systems, resulting in higher structural flexibilities and atomistic motions than the bound variants. These findings present a model that describes the mechanisms by which the BFB compound induces downregulation-accompanied cell cycle arrest at the Gap0 and Gap1 phases.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Salerwe Mosebi
- Department of Life and Consumer Sciences, University of South Africa, Private Bag X06, Florida 1710, South Africa;
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10
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Li B, Qi F, Zhu F, Lu Z, Wang M, Chu T, Wu S, Wei J, Song Z, Sukumar S, Zhang C, Xu J, Li S, Nie G. Nanoparticle-Based Combination Therapy Enhances Fulvestrant Efficacy and Overcomes Tumor Resistance in ER-Positive Breast Cancer. Cancer Res 2023; 83:2924-2937. [PMID: 37326467 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-22-3559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2022] [Revised: 03/25/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Nanoparticles (NP) spanning diverse materials and properties have the potential to encapsulate and to protect a wide range of therapeutic cargos to increase bioavailability, to prevent undesired degradation, and to mitigate toxicity. Fulvestrant, a selective estrogen receptor degrader, is commonly used for treating patients with estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer, but its broad and continual application is limited by poor solubility, invasive muscle administration, and drug resistance. Here, we developed an active targeting motif-modified, intravenously injectable, hydrophilic NP that encapsulates fulvestrant to facilitate its delivery via the bloodstream to tumors, improving bioavailability and systemic tolerability. In addition, the NP was coloaded with abemaciclib, an inhibitor of cyclin-dependent kinases 4 and 6 (CDK4/6), to prevent the development of drug resistance associated with long-term fulvestrant treatment. Targeting peptide modifications on the NP surface assisted in the site-specific release of the drugs to ensure specific toxicity in the tumor tissues and to spare normal tissue. The NP formulation (PPFA-cRGD) exhibited efficient tumor cell killing in both in vitro organoid models and in vivo orthotopic ER-positive breast cancer models without apparent adverse effects, as verified in mouse and Bama miniature pig models. This NP-based therapeutic provides an opportunity for continual and extensive clinical application of fulvestrant, thus indicating its promise as a treatment option for patients with ER-positive breast cancer. SIGNIFICANCE A smart nanomedicine encapsulating fulvestrant to improve its half-life, bioavailability, and tumor-targeting and coloaded with CDK4/6 inhibitor abemaciclib to block resistance is a safe and effective therapy for ER-positive breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bozhao Li
- CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, P.R. China
- College of Pharmaceutical Science, Jilin University, Changchun, P.R. China
| | - Feilong Qi
- CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, P.R. China
- Key Lab of Organic Optoelectronics and Molecular Engineering, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Fei Zhu
- CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Zefang Lu
- CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Meiqi Wang
- Breast Center, Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, P.R. China
| | - Tianjiao Chu
- CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, P.R. China
- College of Pharmaceutical Science, Jilin University, Changchun, P.R. China
| | - Suying Wu
- CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Jingyan Wei
- College of Pharmaceutical Science, Jilin University, Changchun, P.R. China
| | - Zhenchuan Song
- Breast Center, Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, P.R. China
| | - Saraswati Sukumar
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Cheng Zhang
- School of Computer Science, Key Lab of High Confidence Software Technologies, Peking University, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Jiangfei Xu
- Key Lab of Organic Optoelectronics and Molecular Engineering, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Suping Li
- CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, P.R. China
- College of Pharmaceutical Science, Jilin University, Changchun, P.R. China
- GBA Research Innovation Institute for Nanotechnology, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Guangjun Nie
- CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, P.R. China
- College of Pharmaceutical Science, Jilin University, Changchun, P.R. China
- GBA Research Innovation Institute for Nanotechnology, Guangzhou, P.R. China
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11
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Dubash TD, Bardia A, Chirn B, Reeves BA, LiCausi JA, Burr R, Wittner BS, Rai S, Patel H, Bihani T, Arlt H, Bidard FC, Kaklamani VG, Aftimos P, Cortés J, Scartoni S, Fiascarelli A, Binaschi M, Habboubi N, Iafrate AJ, Toner M, Haber DA, Maheswaran S. Modeling the novel SERD elacestrant in cultured fulvestrant-refractory HR-positive breast circulating tumor cells. Breast Cancer Res Treat 2023; 201:43-56. [PMID: 37318638 PMCID: PMC10300156 DOI: 10.1007/s10549-023-06998-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Metastatic hormone receptor-positive (HR+) breast cancer initially responds to serial courses of endocrine therapy, but ultimately becomes refractory. Elacestrant, a new generation FDA-approved oral selective estrogen receptor degrader (SERD) and antagonist, has demonstrated efficacy in a subset of women with advanced HR+breast cancer, but there are few patient-derived models to characterize its effect in advanced cancers with diverse treatment histories and acquired mutations. METHODS We analyzed clinical outcomes with elacestrant, compared with endocrine therapy, among women who had previously been treated with a fulvestrant-containing regimen from the recent phase 3 EMERALD Study. We further modeled sensitivity to elacestrant, compared with the currently approved SERD, fulvestrant in patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models and cultured circulating tumor cells (CTCs). RESULTS Analysis of the subset of breast cancer patients enrolled in the EMERALD study who had previously received a fulvestrant-containing regimen indicates that they had better progression-free survival with elacestrant than with standard-of-care endocrine therapy, a finding that was independent estrogen receptor (ESR1) gene mutations. We modeled elacestrant responsiveness using patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models and in ex vivo cultured CTCs derived from patients with HR+breast cancer extensively treated with multiple endocrine therapies, including fulvestrant. Both CTCs and PDX models are refractory to fulvestrant but sensitive to elacestrant, independent of mutations in ESR1 and Phosphatidylinositol-4,5-Bisphosphate 3-Kinase Catalytic Subunit Alpha (PIK3CA) genes. CONCLUSION Elacestrant retains efficacy in breast cancer cells that have acquired resistance to currently available ER targeting therapies. Elacestrant may be an option for patients with HR+/HER2- breast cancer whose disease progressed on fulvestrant in the metastatic setting. TRANSLATIONAL RELEVANCE Serial endocrine therapy is the mainstay of management for metastatic HR+breast cancer, but acquisition of drug resistance highlights the need for better therapies. Elacestrant is a recently FDA-approved novel oral selective estrogen receptor degrader (SERD), with demonstrated efficacy in the EMERALD phase 3 clinical trial of refractory HR+breast cancer. Subgroup analysis of the EMERALD clinical trial identifies clinical benefit with elacestrant in patients who had received prior fulvestrant independent of the mutational status of the ESR1 gene, supporting its potential utility in treating refractory HR+breast cancer. Here, we use pre-clinical models, including ex vivo cultures of circulating tumor cells and patient-derived xenografts, to demonstrate the efficacy of elacestrant in breast cancer cells with acquired resistance to fulvestrant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taronish D Dubash
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
| | - Aditya Bardia
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
| | - Brian Chirn
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
| | - Brittany A Reeves
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
| | - Joseph A LiCausi
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
| | - Risa Burr
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
| | - Ben S Wittner
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
| | - Sumit Rai
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
| | | | | | - Heike Arlt
- Radius Health, Inc, Waltham, MA, 02451, USA
| | | | | | - Philippe Aftimos
- Institut Jules Bordet-Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Javier Cortés
- International Breast Cancer Center (IBCC), Quiron Group, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | | | | | - Nassir Habboubi
- Stemline Therapeutics/Menarini Group, New York, NY, 10022, USA
| | - A John Iafrate
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
| | - Mehmet Toner
- Center for Engineering in Medicine, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
| | - Daniel A Haber
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02114, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Bethesda, MD, 20810, USA.
| | - Shyamala Maheswaran
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02114, USA.
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12
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Moreira-Dinzey J, Zhan H, Rozenblit M, Krishnamurti U, Harigopal M, Zhong M, Liang Y. The correlation of ESR1 genetic aberrations with estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor status in metastatic and primary estrogen receptor-positive breast carcinomas. Hum Pathol 2023; 137:56-62. [PMID: 37127079 DOI: 10.1016/j.humpath.2023.04.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Genetic aberrations in the Estrogen Receptor 1 (ESR1) gene have been identified as an important mechanism of resistance to endocrine therapy in metastatic breast carcinoma. In this study, we aimed to correlate ESR1 genetic aberrations with the ER and PR status in paired metastatic and primary breast carcinomas. METHODS Patients with ER-positive breast cancer were divided into two groups: ESR1 genetic aberration (n=26) and wild-type control (n=29) based on genetic profiling of their metastatic tumors. Clinicopathological features and ER/PR status were analyzed in paired primary and metastatic tumors. RESULTS Although there was no significant difference in ER expression between the ESR1 aberration and control groups in primary tumors, ER positivity rate in metastatic tumors was significantly higher in the ESR1 aberration group than in the control group (100% vs. 86%, p<0.05). ESR1 aberrated cases were associated with more liver metastases than control tumors (46% vs. 10%, p<0.01). The ER percentage and intensity slightly increased from primary to metastatic tumors in the ESR1 aberration group compared to a decrease in both in the wild-type group (percentage increase 2% vs. decrease 19%, p=0.0594; intensity increase 0.04 vs. decrease 0.8, p<0.05). Patients with ESR1 aberrated metastases were more likely than those with wild-type ESR1 metastases to have the following characteristics: 1) ER percentage ≥ 90% and intensity >2, as well as PR percentage ≥ 30% and intensity >1 in metastatic tumors; 2) ER percentage ≥ 90% and PR percentage ≥ 70% in primary tumors; and 3) slightly increase in ER percentage and intensity from primary to metastatic tumors. CONCLUSION Based on the ER/PR parameters of paired primary and metastatic breast cancer, ESR1 aberration in metastasis may be predicted.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Haiying Zhan
- Department of Pathology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
| | - Mariya Rozenblit
- Department of Medical Oncology, Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale New Haven, New Haven, CT
| | - Uma Krishnamurti
- Department of Pathology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
| | - Malini Harigopal
- Department of Pathology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
| | - Minghao Zhong
- Department of Pathology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
| | - Yuanxin Liang
- Department of Pathology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT.
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13
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Trillo P, Sandoval J, Trapani D, Nicolò E, Zagami P, Giugliano F, Tarantino P, Vivanet G, Ascione L, Friedlaender A, Esposito A, Criscitiello C, Curigliano G. Evolution of biological features of invasive lobular breast cancer: comparison between primary tumor and metastases. Eur J Cancer 2023; 185:119-130. [PMID: 36989828 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejca.2023.02.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Revised: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) has unique clinical-biological features. Phenotypical differences between primary tumours (PTs) and metastases (M) have been described for invasive ductal carcinoma, but data on ILC are limited. METHODS We retrospectively analysed patients with recurrent ILC from our institution from 2013 to 2020. We evaluated the discordance of the oestrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PgR) and HER2 between PT and M, to understand prognostic and therapeutic implications. RESULTS Thirteen percent (n = 91) of all patients had ILC. We observed 15%, 44% and 5% of ER, PgR and HER2 status discordance between PT and M. ER/PgR discordance was related to receptor loss and HER2 mainly due to gain. PT presented a luminal-like phenotype (93%); 6% and 1% were triple-negative (TNBC) and HER2-positive. In M, there was an increase in TNBC (16%) and HER2-positive (5%). Metastasis-free survival and overall survival (OS) were different according to clinical phenotype, with poorer prognosis for HER2+ and TNBC (p < 0.001); OS after metastatic progression did not differ across phenotypes (p = 0.079). In luminal-like ILC (n = 85) at diagnosis, we found that OS after relapse was poorer in patients experiencing a phenotype switch to TNBC but improved in patients with HER2 gain (p = 0.0028). Poorer survival was reported in patients with a PgR and/or ER expression loss of ≥25%. There was HER2-low enrichment in M1 (from 37% to 58%): this change was not associated with OS (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION Our results suggest that phenotype switch after metastatic progression may be associated with patients' outcomes. Tumour biopsy in recurrent ILC could drive treatment decision-making, with prognostic implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pamela Trillo
- Division of New Drugs and Early Drug Development, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, 20141 Milan, Italy; Department of Oncology and Hematology, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Josè Sandoval
- Unit of Population Epidemiology, Division and Department of Primary Care Medicine, 1205 Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland; Department of Oncology, Geneva University Hospitals, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Dario Trapani
- Division of New Drugs and Early Drug Development, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, 20141 Milan, Italy; Department of Oncology and Hematology, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Eleonora Nicolò
- Division of New Drugs and Early Drug Development, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, 20141 Milan, Italy; Department of Oncology and Hematology, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Paola Zagami
- Division of New Drugs and Early Drug Development, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, 20141 Milan, Italy; Department of Oncology and Hematology, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Federica Giugliano
- Division of New Drugs and Early Drug Development, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, 20141 Milan, Italy; Department of Oncology and Hematology, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Paolo Tarantino
- Breast Oncology Program, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 02115 Boston, USA; Harvard Medical School, 02115 Boston, USA
| | - Grazia Vivanet
- Division of New Drugs and Early Drug Development, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, 20141 Milan, Italy; Department of Oncology and Hematology, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Liliana Ascione
- Division of New Drugs and Early Drug Development, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, 20141 Milan, Italy; Department of Oncology and Hematology, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Alex Friedlaender
- Department of Oncology, Geneva University Hospitals, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Angela Esposito
- Division of New Drugs and Early Drug Development, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, 20141 Milan, Italy
| | - Carmen Criscitiello
- Division of New Drugs and Early Drug Development, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, 20141 Milan, Italy; Department of Oncology and Hematology, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Curigliano
- Division of New Drugs and Early Drug Development, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, 20141 Milan, Italy; Department of Oncology and Hematology, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy.
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14
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Genetics, Treatment, and New Technologies of Hormone Receptor-Positive Breast Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15041303. [PMID: 36831644 PMCID: PMC9954687 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15041303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2022] [Revised: 02/12/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The current molecular classification divides breast cancer into four major subtypes, including luminal A, luminal B, HER2-positive, and basal-like, based on receptor gene expression profiling. Luminal A and luminal B are hormone receptor (HR, estrogen, and/or progesterone receptor)-positive and are the most common subtypes, accounting for around 50-60% and 15-20% of the total breast cancer cases, respectively. The drug treatment for HR-positive breast cancer includes endocrine therapy, HER2-targeted therapy (depending on the HER2 status), and chemotherapy (depending on the risk of recurrence). In this review, in addition to classification, we focused on discussing the important aspects of HR-positive breast cancer, including HR structure and signaling, genetics, including epigenetics and gene mutations, gene expression-based assays, the traditional and new drugs for treatment, and novel or new uses of technology in diagnosis and treatment. Particularly, we have summarized the commonly mutated genes and abnormally methylated genes in HR-positive breast cancer and compared four common gene expression-based assays that are used in breast cancer as prognostic and/or predictive tools in detail, including their clinical use, the factors being evaluated, patient demographics, and the scoring systems. All these topic discussions have not been fully described and summarized within other research or review articles.
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15
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Xie H, Guo Y, Xu Z, Wang Q, Wang T, Gu Y, Li D, Liu Y, Ma W, Liu P, Zhao Q, Lü J, Liu J, Yu Z. Dual Function of CCAT2 in Regulating Luminal Subtype of Breast Cancer Depending on the Subcellular Distribution. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15020538. [PMID: 36672487 PMCID: PMC9856762 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15020538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2022] [Revised: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women around the world. Emerging evidence has indicated the important roles that non-coding RNAs play in regulating tumor development and progression in breast cancer. Herein, we found a dual function of long non-coding RNA (LncRNA) CCAT2 in the luminal subtype of breast cancer, depending on its subcellular distribution. CCAT2 showed an overall downregulation in the tumor tissues from luminal breast cancer patients. Transient overexpression of CCAT2 in the luminal subtype of breast cancer cell MCF-7 or T47D significantly suppressed cell proliferation in vitro and inhibited tumor growth in vivo. Gene expression analysis of cancer stem cell markers including OCT4, NANOG, h-TERT, SOX2 and KLF4; flow cytometry analysis of breast cancer stem cell population, and mammosphere formation assay demonstrated inhibition of cancer cell stemness with transient transfection of CCAT2 in which exogenous CCAT2 mainly distributed in the cytoplasm and regulated miR-221-p27 signaling via RNA sequence interaction. However, overexpression of CCAT2 in MCF-7 cells through pMX retroviral nuclear expression vector accumulated CCAT2 in the nucleus, leading to upregulation of OCT4-PG1, a pseudogene of stem gene OCT4, thereby promoting the cancer cell stemness. In conclusion, the current study, for the first time, revealed a dual function of lncRNA CCAT2 as a tumor suppressor or oncogene depending upon its subcellular distribution. It also demonstrated the regulatory mechanism of cytoplasmic CCAT2 in suppressing tumorigenesis in the luminal subtype of breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heying Xie
- Shanghai East Hospital, Jinzhou Medical University, Shanghai 200120, China
- Research Center for Translational Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200120, China
| | - Yuefan Guo
- Research Center for Translational Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200120, China
| | - Zhen Xu
- Research Center for Translational Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200120, China
| | - Qiong Wang
- Research Center for Translational Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200120, China
| | - Tao Wang
- Research Center for Translational Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200120, China
| | - Yi Gu
- Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong 226001, China
| | - Danni Li
- Research Center for Translational Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200120, China
| | - Yu Liu
- Shanghai East Hospital, Jinzhou Medical University, Shanghai 200120, China
- Research Center for Translational Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200120, China
| | - Wenjing Ma
- Research Center for Translational Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200120, China
| | - Pengfei Liu
- Research Center for Translational Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200120, China
| | - Qian Zhao
- Research Center for Translational Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200120, China
| | - Jinhui Lü
- Research Center for Translational Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200120, China
| | - Junjun Liu
- Research Center for Translational Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200120, China
| | - Zuoren Yu
- Shanghai East Hospital, Jinzhou Medical University, Shanghai 200120, China
- Research Center for Translational Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200120, China
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16
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[Therapeutic strategies for the treatment of endocrine resistant hormone receptor positive advanced breast cancer]. Bull Cancer 2023; 110:69-87. [PMID: 36307325 DOI: 10.1016/j.bulcan.2022.09.007] [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: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 09/10/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
HR+ breast cancers are defined by the prominence of signaling pathways dependent on the estrogen receptor. Endocrine therapy is the standard treatment for these advanced diseases. Resistance to these treatments, called hormone resistance, appears invariably with biological mechanisms that have led to the development of therapeutic opportunities. An exhaustive literature review was carried out concerning the biology of the hormone resistance pathways, the therapeutic options before the era of CDK4/6 inhibitors, the rise of CDK4/6 inhibitors and the therapeutic prospects in a situation of hormone resistance. Various biological abnormalities have been identified in the mechanisms of hormone resistance such as changes in the estrogen receptor, mutations in the ESR1 gene, aberrant activation of the PI3K pathway or cell cycle deregulations. Historical strategies for circumventing this hormone resistance have been based on hormonal manipulation, on the development of new endocrine therapy such as fulvestrant (selective estrogen receptor inhibitor, SERD), on combinations of treatments such as everolimus, a mTOR inhibitor. This strategy combining endocrine therapy and targeted therapy has led to the development of combinations with CDK4/6 inhibitors which have now become a standard treatment in the hormone resistance phase. The future of this therapeutic era remains to be written with new combinations of hormone therapy and targeted therapy such as PI3K inhibitors or even with the positioning of new SERDs in clinical development.
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17
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Mohapatra T, Dixit M. IQ Motif Containing GTPase Activating Proteins (IQGAPs), A-Kinase Anchoring Proteins (AKAPs) and Kinase Suppressor of Ras Proteins (KSRs) in Scaffolding Oncogenic Pathways and Their Therapeutic Potential. ACS OMEGA 2022; 7:45837-45848. [PMID: 36570181 PMCID: PMC9773950 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.2c05505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Scaffolding proteins colocalize interacting partners on their surface and facilitate complex formation. They have multiple domains and motifs, which provide binding sites for various molecules. This property of scaffolding proteins helps in the orderly transduction of signals. Abnormal signal transduction is frequently observed in cancers, which can also be attributed to the altered functionality of scaffolding proteins. IQ motif containing GTPase activating proteins (IQGAPs), kinase suppressor of Ras (KSR), and A-kinase anchoring proteins (AKAPs) tether oncogenic pathways RAS/RAF/MEK/ERK, PI3K/AKT, Hippo, Wnt, and CDC42/RAC to them. Scaffolding proteins are attractive drug targets as they are the controlling hub for multiple pathways and regulate crosstalk between them. The first part of this review describes the human scaffolding proteins known to play a role in oncogenesis, pathways altered by them, and the impact on oncogenic processes. The second part provides information on the therapeutic potential of scaffolding proteins and future possibilities. The information on the explored and unexplored areas of the therapeutic potential of scaffolding proteins will be equally helpful for biologists and chemists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Talina Mohapatra
- National
Institute of Science Education and Research, School of Biological Sciences, Bhubaneswar, Odisha 752050, India
- Homi
Bhabha National Institute, Training School
Complex, Anushaktinagar, Mumbai 400094, India
| | - Manjusha Dixit
- National
Institute of Science Education and Research, School of Biological Sciences, Bhubaneswar, Odisha 752050, India
- Homi
Bhabha National Institute, Training School
Complex, Anushaktinagar, Mumbai 400094, India
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18
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Strillacci A, Sansone P, Rajasekhar VK, Turkekul M, Boyko V, Meng F, Houck-Loomis B, Brown D, Berger MF, Hendrickson RC, Chang Q, de Stanchina E, Pareja F, Reis-Filho JS, Rajappachetty RS, Del Priore I, Liu B, Cai Y, Penson A, Mastroleo C, Berishaj M, Borsetti F, Spisni E, Lyden D, Chandarlapaty S, Bromberg J. ERα-LBD, an isoform of estrogen receptor alpha, promotes breast cancer proliferation and endocrine resistance. NPJ Breast Cancer 2022; 8:96. [PMID: 35999225 PMCID: PMC9399095 DOI: 10.1038/s41523-022-00470-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) drives mammary gland development and breast cancer (BC) growth through an evolutionarily conserved linkage of DNA binding and hormone activation functions. Therapeutic targeting of the hormone binding pocket is a widely utilized and successful strategy for breast cancer prevention and treatment. However, resistance to this endocrine therapy is frequently encountered and may occur through bypass or reactivation of ER-regulated transcriptional programs. We now identify the induction of an ERα isoform, ERα-LBD, that is encoded by an alternative ESR1 transcript and lacks the activation function and DNA binding domains. Despite lacking the transcriptional activity, ERα-LBD is found to promote breast cancer growth and resistance to the ERα antagonist fulvestrant. ERα-LBD is predominantly localized to the cytoplasm and mitochondria of BC cells and leads to enhanced glycolysis, respiration and stem-like features. Intriguingly, ERα-LBD expression and function does not appear to be restricted to cancers that express full length ERα but also promotes growth of triple-negative breast cancers and ERα-LBD transcript (ESR1-LBD) is also present in BC samples from both ERα(+) and ERα(-) human tumors. These findings point to ERα-LBD as a potential mediator of breast cancer progression and therapy resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Strillacci
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Pasquale Sansone
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
- Children's Cancer and Blood Foundation Laboratories, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Mesruh Turkekul
- Molecular Cytology Core Facility, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Vitaly Boyko
- Molecular Cytology Core Facility, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Fanli Meng
- Center for Molecular Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Brian Houck-Loomis
- Center for Molecular Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - David Brown
- Center for Molecular Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Michael F Berger
- Center for Molecular Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ronald C Hendrickson
- Microchemistry and Proteomics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Qing Chang
- Antitumor Assessment Core Facility, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Elisa de Stanchina
- Antitumor Assessment Core Facility, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Fresia Pareja
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jorge S Reis-Filho
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ramya Segu Rajappachetty
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Isabella Del Priore
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Bo Liu
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Yanyan Cai
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Alex Penson
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Chiara Mastroleo
- Cancer Biology and Genetics Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Marjan Berishaj
- Cancer Biology and Genetics Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Francesca Borsetti
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Enzo Spisni
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - David Lyden
- Children's Cancer and Blood Foundation Laboratories, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sarat Chandarlapaty
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Jacqueline Bromberg
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
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19
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Yong L, Tang S, Yu H, Zhang H, Zhang Y, Wan Y, Cai F. The role of hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha in multidrug-resistant breast cancer. Front Oncol 2022; 12:964934. [PMID: 36003773 PMCID: PMC9393754 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.964934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide with increasing incidence. Significant therapeutics advances in the field of breast cancer have resulted in a growing number of treatment options, whereas de novo or acquired resistance is still a persistent clinical challenge. Drug resistance involves a variety of mechanisms, and hypoxia is one of the many causes. Hypoxia-inducible Factor-1 Alpha (HIF-1α) is a key transcription factor which can regulate the response of cells to hypoxia. HIF-1α can trigger anaerobic glycolysis of tumor cells, induce angiogenesis, promote the proliferation, invasion, and migration of tumor cells, and lead to multidrug resistance. This review mainly discusses the role of HIF-1α in the drug-resistant breast cancer and highlighted the potential of HIF-1α -targeted therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liyun Yong
- Department of Breast Surgery, Yangpu Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Shasha Tang
- Department of Breast Surgery, Yangpu Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Haixin Yu
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Yangpu Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hongyi Zhang
- Department of Breast Surgery, Yangpu Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yi Zhang
- Department of Breast Surgery, Yangpu Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuan Wan
- The Pq Laboratory of BiomeDx/Rx, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Binghamton University—SUNY, Binghamton, NY, United States
- *Correspondence: Fengfeng Cai, ; Yuan Wan,
| | - Fengfeng Cai
- Department of Breast Surgery, Yangpu Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Fengfeng Cai, ; Yuan Wan,
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20
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Saha T, Lukong KE. Breast Cancer Stem-Like Cells in Drug Resistance: A Review of Mechanisms and Novel Therapeutic Strategies to Overcome Drug Resistance. Front Oncol 2022; 12:856974. [PMID: 35392236 PMCID: PMC8979779 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.856974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer is the most frequent type of malignancy in women worldwide, and drug resistance to the available systemic therapies remains a major challenge. At the molecular level, breast cancer is heterogeneous, where the cancer-initiating stem-like cells (bCSCs) comprise a small yet distinct population of cells within the tumor microenvironment (TME) that can differentiate into cells of multiple lineages, displaying varying degrees of cellular differentiation, enhanced metastatic potential, invasiveness, and resistance to radio- and chemotherapy. Based on the expression of estrogen and progesterone hormone receptors, expression of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), and/or BRCA mutations, the breast cancer molecular subtypes are identified as TNBC, HER2 enriched, luminal A, and luminal B. Management of breast cancer primarily involves resection of the tumor, followed by radiotherapy, and systemic therapies including endocrine therapies for hormone-responsive breast cancers; HER2-targeted therapy for HER2-enriched breast cancers; chemotherapy and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors for TNBC, and the recent development of immunotherapy. However, the complex crosstalk between the malignant cells and stromal cells in the breast TME, rewiring of the many different signaling networks, and bCSC-mediated processes, all contribute to overall drug resistance in breast cancer. However, strategically targeting bCSCs to reverse chemoresistance and increase drug sensitivity is an underexplored stream in breast cancer research. The recent identification of dysregulated miRNAs/ncRNAs/mRNAs signatures in bCSCs and their crosstalk with many cellular signaling pathways has uncovered promising molecular leads to be used as potential therapeutic targets in drug-resistant situations. Moreover, therapies that can induce alternate forms of regulated cell death including ferroptosis, pyroptosis, and immunotherapy; drugs targeting bCSC metabolism; and nanoparticle therapy are the upcoming approaches to target the bCSCs overcome drug resistance. Thus, individualizing treatment strategies will eliminate the minimal residual disease, resulting in better pathological and complete response in drug-resistant scenarios. This review summarizes basic understanding of breast cancer subtypes, concept of bCSCs, molecular basis of drug resistance, dysregulated miRNAs/ncRNAs patterns in bCSCs, and future perspective of developing anticancer therapeutics to address breast cancer drug resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taniya Saha
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - Kiven Erique Lukong
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
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