1
|
Ma R, Feng D, Chen J, Zhou J, Xia K, Kong X, Hu G, Lu P. Targeting Tumor Heterogeneity by Breaking a Stem Cell and Epithelial Niche Interaction Loop. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024; 11:e2307452. [PMID: 38708713 PMCID: PMC11234407 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202307452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Revised: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024]
Abstract
Tumor heterogeneity, the presence of multiple distinct subpopulations of cancer cells between patients or among the same tumors, poses a major challenge to current targeted therapies. The way these different subpopulations interact among themselves and the stromal niche environment, and how such interactions affect cancer stem cell behavior has remained largely unknown. Here, it is shown that an FGF-BMP7-INHBA signaling positive feedback loop integrates interactions among different cell populations, including mammary gland stem cells, luminal epithelial and stromal fibroblast niche components not only in organ regeneration but also, with certain modifications, in cancer progression. The reciprocal dependence of basal stem cells and luminal epithelium is based on basal-derived BMP7 and luminal-derived INHBA, which promote their respective expansion, and is regulated by stromal-epithelial FGF signaling. Targeting this interaction loop, for example, by reducing the function of one or more of its components, inhibits organ regeneration and breast cancer progression. The results have profound implications for overcoming drug resistance because of tumor heterogeneity in future targeted therapies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rongze Ma
- MOE Key Lab of Rare Pediatric Diseases & Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics of the School of Life Sciences, Hengyang, Hunan, 421001, China
- Institute of Cell Biology, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, 421001, China
- Institute for Future Sciences, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, 421001, China
| | - Deyi Feng
- MOE Key Lab of Rare Pediatric Diseases & Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics of the School of Life Sciences, Hengyang, Hunan, 421001, China
- Institute of Cell Biology, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, 421001, China
| | - Jing Chen
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, 393 Middle Huaxia Road, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Jiecan Zhou
- MOE Key Lab of Rare Pediatric Diseases & Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics of the School of Life Sciences, Hengyang, Hunan, 421001, China
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Pharmacy Department, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, 421001, China
| | - Kun Xia
- MOE Key Lab of Rare Pediatric Diseases & Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics of the School of Life Sciences, Hengyang, Hunan, 421001, China
- Institute of Cell Biology, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, 421001, China
| | - Xiangyin Kong
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tissue Microenvironment and Tumor, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China
| | - Guohong Hu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tissue Microenvironment and Tumor, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China
| | - Pengfei Lu
- MOE Key Lab of Rare Pediatric Diseases & Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics of the School of Life Sciences, Hengyang, Hunan, 421001, China
- Institute of Cell Biology, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, 421001, China
- Institute for Future Sciences, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, 421001, China
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Clark AB, Conzen SD. Glucocorticoid receptor-mediated oncogenic activity is dependent on breast cancer subtype. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 2024; 243:106518. [PMID: 38734115 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsbmb.2024.106518] [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: 12/17/2023] [Revised: 03/23/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024]
Abstract
Breast cancer incidence has been steadily rising and is the leading cause of cancer death in women due to its high metastatic potential. Individual breast cancer subtypes are classified by both cell type of origin and receptor expression, namely estrogen, progesterone and human epidermal growth factor receptors (ER, PR and HER2). Recently, the importance and context-dependent role of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) expression in the natural history and prognosis of breast cancer subtypes have been uncovered. In ER-positive breast cancer, GR expression is associated with a better prognosis as a result of ER-GR crosstalk. GR appears to modulate ER-mediated gene expression resulting in decreased tumor cell proliferation and a more indolent cancer phenotype. In ER-negative breast cancer, including GR-positive triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), GR expression enhances migration, chemotherapy resistance and cell survival. In invasive lobular carcinoma, GR function is relatively understudied, and more work is required to determine whether lobular subtypes behave similarly to their invasive ductal carcinoma counterparts. Importantly, understanding GR signaling in individual breast cancer subtypes has potential clinical implications because of the recent development of highly selective GR non-steroidal ligands, which represent a therapeutic approach for modulating GR activity systemically.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Abigail B Clark
- Depatment of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Suzanne D Conzen
- Depatment of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Alexander J, Schipper K, Nash S, Brough R, Kemp H, Iacovacci J, Isacke C, Natrajan R, Sawyer E, Lord CJ, Haider S. Pathway-based signatures predict patient outcome, chemotherapy benefit and synthetic lethal dependencies in invasive lobular breast cancer. Br J Cancer 2024; 130:1828-1840. [PMID: 38600325 PMCID: PMC11130209 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-024-02679-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Revised: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Invasive Lobular Carcinoma (ILC) is a morphologically distinct breast cancer subtype that represents up to 15% of all breast cancers. Compared to Invasive Breast Carcinoma of No Special Type (IBC-NST), ILCs exhibit poorer long-term outcome and a unique pattern of metastasis. Despite these differences, the systematic discovery of robust prognostic biomarkers and therapeutically actionable molecular pathways in ILC remains limited. METHODS Pathway-centric multivariable models using statistical machine learning were developed and tested in seven retrospective clinico-genomic cohorts (n = 996). Further external validation was performed using a new RNA-Seq clinical cohort of aggressive ILCs (n = 48). RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS mRNA dysregulation scores of 25 pathways were strongly prognostic in ILC (FDR-adjusted P < 0.05). Of these, three pathways including Cell-cell communication, Innate immune system and Smooth muscle contraction were also independent predictors of chemotherapy response. To aggregate these findings, a multivariable machine learning predictor called PSILC was developed and successfully validated for predicting overall and metastasis-free survival in ILC. Integration of PSILC with CRISPR-Cas9 screening data from breast cancer cell lines revealed 16 candidate therapeutic targets that were synthetic lethal with high-risk ILCs. This study provides interpretable prognostic and predictive biomarkers of ILC which could serve as the starting points for targeted drug discovery for this disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- John Alexander
- The Breast Cancer Now Toby Robins Research Centre, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, SW3 6JB, UK
| | - Koen Schipper
- The Breast Cancer Now Toby Robins Research Centre, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, SW3 6JB, UK
| | - Sarah Nash
- The Breast Cancer Now Toby Robins Research Centre, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, SW3 6JB, UK
- Breast Cancer Genetics, King's College London, London, SE1 9RT, UK
| | - Rachel Brough
- The Breast Cancer Now Toby Robins Research Centre, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, SW3 6JB, UK
- The CRUK Gene Function Laboratory, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, SW3 6JB, UK
| | - Harriet Kemp
- The Breast Cancer Now Toby Robins Research Centre, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, SW3 6JB, UK
| | - Jacopo Iacovacci
- The Breast Cancer Now Toby Robins Research Centre, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, SW3 6JB, UK
| | - Clare Isacke
- The Breast Cancer Now Toby Robins Research Centre, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, SW3 6JB, UK
| | - Rachael Natrajan
- The Breast Cancer Now Toby Robins Research Centre, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, SW3 6JB, UK
| | - Elinor Sawyer
- Breast Cancer Genetics, King's College London, London, SE1 9RT, UK
| | - Christopher J Lord
- The Breast Cancer Now Toby Robins Research Centre, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, SW3 6JB, UK
- The CRUK Gene Function Laboratory, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, SW3 6JB, UK
| | - Syed Haider
- The Breast Cancer Now Toby Robins Research Centre, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, SW3 6JB, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Toska E. Epigenetic mechanisms of cancer progression and therapy resistance in estrogen-receptor (ER+) breast cancer. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2024; 1879:189097. [PMID: 38518961 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2024.189097] [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: 01/08/2024] [Revised: 03/16/2024] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/24/2024]
Abstract
Estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer is the most frequent breast cancer subtype. Agents targeting the ER signaling pathway have been successful in reducing mortality from breast cancer for decades. However, mechanisms of resistance to these treatments arise, especially in the metastatic setting. Recently, it has been recognized that epigenetic dysregulation is a common feature that facilitates the acquisition of cancer hallmarks across cancer types, including ER+ breast cancer. Alterations in epigenetic regulators and transcription factors (TF) coupled with changes to the chromatin landscape have been found to orchestrate breast oncogenesis, metastasis, and the development of a resistant phenotype. Here, we review recent advances in our understanding of how the epigenome dictates breast cancer tumorigenesis and resistance to targeted therapies and discuss novel therapeutic interventions for overcoming resistance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eneda Toska
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center and Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Hancock GR, Gertz J, Jeselsohn R, Fanning SW. Estrogen Receptor Alpha Mutations, Truncations, Heterodimers, and Therapies. Endocrinology 2024; 165:bqae051. [PMID: 38643482 PMCID: PMC11075793 DOI: 10.1210/endocr/bqae051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2024] [Revised: 04/02/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
Annual breast cancer (BCa) deaths have declined since its apex in 1989 concomitant with widespread adoption of hormone therapies that target estrogen receptor alpha (ERα), the prominent nuclear receptor expressed in ∼80% of BCa. However, up to ∼50% of patients who are ER+ with high-risk disease experience post endocrine therapy relapse and metastasis to distant organs. The vast majority of BCa mortality occurs in this setting, highlighting the inadequacy of current therapies. Genomic abnormalities to ESR1, the gene encoding ERα, emerge under prolonged selective pressure to enable endocrine therapy resistance. These genetic lesions include focal gene amplifications, hotspot missense mutations in the ligand binding domain, truncations, fusions, and complex interactions with other nuclear receptors. Tumor cells utilize aberrant ERα activity to proliferate, spread, and evade therapy in BCa as well as other cancers. Cutting edge studies on ERα structural and transcriptional relationships are being harnessed to produce new therapies that have shown benefits in patients with ESR1 hotspot mutations. In this review we discuss the history of ERα, current research unlocking unknown aspects of ERα signaling including the structural basis for receptor antagonism, and future directions of ESR1 investigation. In addition, we discuss the development of endocrine therapies from their inception to present day and survey new avenues of drug development to improve pharmaceutical profiles, targeting, and efficacy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Govinda R Hancock
- Department of Cancer Biology, Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, IL 60513, USA
| | - Jason Gertz
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Center, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Rinath Jeselsohn
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Sean W Fanning
- Department of Cancer Biology, Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, IL 60513, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Li J, Ma R, Wang X, Lu Y, Chen J, Feng D, Zhou J, Xia K, Klein O, Xie H, Lu P. Sprouty genes regulate activated fibroblasts in mammary epithelial development and breast cancer. Cell Death Dis 2024; 15:256. [PMID: 38600092 PMCID: PMC11006910 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-024-06637-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Revised: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024]
Abstract
Stromal fibroblasts are a major stem cell niche component essential for organ formation and cancer development. Fibroblast heterogeneity, as revealed by recent advances in single-cell techniques, has raised important questions about the origin, differentiation, and function of fibroblast subtypes. In this study, we show in mammary stromal fibroblasts that loss of the receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) negative feedback regulators encoded by Spry1, Spry2, and Spry4 causes upregulation of signaling in multiple RTK pathways and increased extracellular matrix remodeling, resulting in accelerated epithelial branching. Single-cell transcriptomic analysis demonstrated that increased production of FGF10 due to Sprouty (Spry) loss results from expansion of a functionally distinct subgroup of fibroblasts with the most potent branching-promoting ability. Compared to their three independent lineage precursors, fibroblasts in this subgroup are "activated," as they are located immediately adjacent to the epithelium that is actively undergoing branching and invasion. Spry genes are downregulated, and activated fibroblasts are expanded, in all three of the major human breast cancer subtypes. Together, our data highlight the regulation of a functional subtype of mammary fibroblasts by Spry genes and their essential role in epithelial morphogenesis and cancer development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jiyong Li
- MOE Key Lab of Rare Pediatric Diseases & Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics of the School of Life Sciences, Hu Nan Sheng, China
- Institute of Cell Biology, University of South China, Hu Nan Sheng, China
- Institute for Future Sciences, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hu Nan Sheng, China
| | - Rongze Ma
- MOE Key Lab of Rare Pediatric Diseases & Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics of the School of Life Sciences, Hu Nan Sheng, China
- Institute of Cell Biology, University of South China, Hu Nan Sheng, China
- Institute for Future Sciences, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hu Nan Sheng, China
| | - Xuebing Wang
- Institute of Aix-Marseille, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, 430070, China
- School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Life Sciences, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Yunzhe Lu
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Jing Chen
- MOE Key Lab of Rare Pediatric Diseases & Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics of the School of Life Sciences, Hu Nan Sheng, China
- Institute of Cell Biology, University of South China, Hu Nan Sheng, China
- Institute for Future Sciences, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hu Nan Sheng, China
| | - Deyi Feng
- MOE Key Lab of Rare Pediatric Diseases & Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics of the School of Life Sciences, Hu Nan Sheng, China
- Institute of Cell Biology, University of South China, Hu Nan Sheng, China
- Institute for Future Sciences, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hu Nan Sheng, China
| | - Jiecan Zhou
- MOE Key Lab of Rare Pediatric Diseases & Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics of the School of Life Sciences, Hu Nan Sheng, China
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Pharmacy Department, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hu Nan Sheng, China
| | - Kun Xia
- MOE Key Lab of Rare Pediatric Diseases & Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics of the School of Life Sciences, Hu Nan Sheng, China
- Institute of Cell Biology, University of South China, Hu Nan Sheng, China
| | - Ophir Klein
- Department of Orofacial Sciences and Program in Craniofacial Biology, University of California, San Francisco, UCSF Box 0422, 513 Parnassus Avenue, HSE1508, San Francisco, CA, 94143, California, USA
- Department of Pediatrics and Guerin Children's, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 8700 Gracie Allen Dr., Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Hao Xie
- Institute of Aix-Marseille, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, 430070, China
- School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Life Sciences, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Pengfei Lu
- MOE Key Lab of Rare Pediatric Diseases & Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics of the School of Life Sciences, Hu Nan Sheng, China.
- Institute of Cell Biology, University of South China, Hu Nan Sheng, China.
- Institute for Future Sciences, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hu Nan Sheng, China.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Flaherty RL, Sflomos G, Brisken C. Is There a Special Role for Ovarian Hormones in the Pathogenesis of Lobular Carcinoma? Endocrinology 2024; 165:bqae031. [PMID: 38551031 PMCID: PMC10988861 DOI: 10.1210/endocr/bqae031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Lobular carcinoma represent the most common special histological subtype of breast cancer, with the majority classed as hormone receptor positive. Rates of invasive lobular carcinoma in postmenopausal women have been seen to increase globally, while other hormone receptor-positive breast cancers proportionally have not followed the same trend. This has been linked to exposure to exogenous ovarian hormones such as hormone replacement therapy. Reproductive factors resulting in increased lifetime exposure to endogenous ovarian hormones have also been linked to an increased risk of lobular breast cancer, and taken together, these data make a case for the role of ovarian hormones in the genesis and progression of the disease. In this review, we summarize current understanding of the epidemiological associations between ovarian hormones and lobular breast cancer and highlight mechanistic links that may underpin the etiology and biology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Renée L Flaherty
- Division of Breast Cancer Research, The Breast Cancer Now Toby Robins Research Centre, The Institute of Cancer Research, London SW3 6JB, UK
| | - George Sflomos
- Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Cathrin Brisken
- Division of Breast Cancer Research, The Breast Cancer Now Toby Robins Research Centre, The Institute of Cancer Research, London SW3 6JB, UK
- Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Yin Q, Zhang H, Huang T, Liu B, Negm S, El-Kott AF. Anti-collagenase, Anti-elastase, Anti-urease, and Anti-cancer Potentials of Isokaempferide as Natural Compound: In vitro and in silico Study. J Oleo Sci 2024; 73:187-199. [PMID: 38311409 DOI: 10.5650/jos.ess23176] [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] [Indexed: 02/10/2024] Open
Abstract
One of the main goals of medicinal chemistry in recent years has been the development of new enzyme inhibitors and anti-cancer medicines. The isokaempferide' ability to inhibit the enzymes urease, elastase, and collagenase were also studied. The results showed that isokaempferide was the most effective compound against the assigned enzymes, with IC 50 values of 23.05 µM for elastase, 12.83 µM for urease, and 33.62 µM for collagenase respectively. It should be emphasized that natural compound was more effective at inhibiting some enzymes. Additionally, the compound was tested for their anti-cancer properties using colon, lung, breast cancer cell lines. The chemical activities of isokaempferide against urease, collagenase, and elastase were investigated utilizing the molecular docking study. The anti-cancer activities of the compound were evaluated against lung cancer cells such as SPC-A-1, SK-LU-1, 95D, breast cancer cells like MCF7, Hs 578Bst, Hs 319.T, and UACC-3133 cell lines, and colon cancer cell lines like CL40, SW1417, LS1034, and SW480. The chemical activities of isokaempferide against some of the expressed surface receptor proteins (EGFR, estrogen receptor, CD47, progesterone receptor, folate receptor, CD44, HER2, CD155, CXCR4, CD97, and endothelin receptor) in the mentioned cell lines were assessed using the molecular docking calculations. The results showed the probable interactions and their characteristics at an atomic level. The docking scores revealed that isokaempferide has a strong binding affinity to the enzymes and proteins. In addition, the compound formed powerful contact with the enzymes and receptors. Thus, isokaempferide could be potential inhibitor for enzymes and cancer cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qian Yin
- Department of Pathology, The Third Clinical Medical College of China Three Gorges University·Gezhouba Central Hospital of Sinopharm
| | - Hao Zhang
- Department of Endocrinology, The Third Clinical Medical College of China Three Gorges University·Gezhouba Central Hospital of Sinopharm
| | - Ting Huang
- Department of Oncology, No. 215 Hospital of Shaanxi Nuclear Industry
| | - Bin Liu
- Department of General Surgery, Dalian University Affiliated Xinhua Hospital
| | - Sally Negm
- Department of Life Sciences, College of Science and Art Mahyel Aseer, King Khalid University
| | - Attalla F El-Kott
- Department of Biology, College of Science, King Khalid University
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Damanhour University
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Shah OS, Chen F, Wedn A, Kashiparekh A, Knapick B, Chen J, Savariau L, Clifford B, Hooda J, Christgen M, Xavier J, Oesterreich S, Lee AV. Multi-omic characterization of ILC and ILC-like cell lines as part of ILC cell line encyclopedia (ICLE) defines new models to study potential biomarkers and explore therapeutic opportunities. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.09.26.559548. [PMID: 37808708 PMCID: PMC10557671 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.26.559548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
Invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC), the most common histological "special type", accounts for ∼10-15% of all BC diagnoses, is characterized by unique features such as E-cadherin loss/deficiency, lower grade, hormone receptor positivity, larger diffuse tumors, and specific metastatic patterns. Despite ILC being acknowledged as a disease with distinct biology that necessitates specialized and precision medicine treatments, the further exploration of its molecular alterations with the goal of discovering new treatments has been hindered due to the scarcity of well-characterized cell line models for studying this disease. To address this, we generated the ILC Cell Line Encyclopedia (ICLE), providing a comprehensive multi-omic characterization of ILC and ILC-like cell lines. Using consensus multi-omic subtyping, we confirmed luminal status of previously established ILC cell lines and uncovered additional ILC/ILC-like cell lines with luminal features for modeling ILC disease. Furthermore, most of these luminal ILC/ILC-like cell lines also showed RNA and copy number similarity to ILC patient tumors. Similarly, ILC/ILC-like cell lines also retained molecular alterations in key ILC genes at similar frequency to both primary and metastatic ILC tumors. Importantly, ILC/ILC-like cell lines recapitulated the CDH1 alteration landscape of ILC patient tumors including enrichment of truncating mutations in and biallelic inactivation of CDH1 gene. Using whole-genome optical mapping, we uncovered novel genomic-rearrangements including novel structural variations in CDH1 and functional gene fusions and characterized breast cancer specific patterns of chromothripsis in chromosomes 8, 11 and 17. In addition, we systematically analyzed aberrant DNAm events and integrative analysis with RNA expression revealed epigenetic activation of TFAP2B - an emerging biomarker of lobular disease that is preferentially expressed in lobular disease. Finally, towards the goal of identifying novel druggable vulnerabilities in ILC, we analyzed publicly available RNAi loss of function breast cancer cell line datasets and revealed numerous putative vulnerabilities cytoskeletal components, focal adhesion and PI3K/AKT pathway in ILC/ILC-like vs NST cell lines. In summary, we addressed the lack of suitable models to study E-cadherin deficient breast cancers by first collecting both established and putative ILC models, then characterizing them comprehensively to show their molecular similarity to patient tumors along with uncovering their novel multi-omic features as well as highlighting putative novel druggable vulnerabilities. Not only we expand the array of suitable E-cadherin deficient cell lines available for modelling human-ILC disease but also employ them for studying epigenetic activation of a putative lobular biomarker as well as identifying potential druggable vulnerabilities for this disease towards enabling precision medicine research for human-ILC.
Collapse
|
10
|
Witt BL, Tollefsbol TO. Molecular, Cellular, and Technical Aspects of Breast Cancer Cell Lines as a Foundational Tool in Cancer Research. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:2311. [PMID: 38137912 PMCID: PMC10744609 DOI: 10.3390/life13122311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2023] [Revised: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/02/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer comprises about 30% of all new female cancers each year and is the most common malignant cancer in women in the United States. Breast cancer cell lines have been harnessed for many years as a foundation for in vitro analytic studies to understand the use of cancer prevention and therapy. There has yet to be a compilation of works to analyze the pitfalls, novel discoveries, and essential techniques for breast cancer cell line studies in a scientific context. In this article, we review the history of breast cancer cell lines and their origins, as well as analyze the molecular pathways that pharmaceutical drugs apply to breast cancer cell lines in vitro and in vivo. Controversies regarding the origins of certain breast cancer cell lines, the benefits of utilizing Patient-Derived Xenograft (PDX) versus Cell-Derived Xenograft (CDX), and 2D versus 3D cell culturing techniques will be analyzed. Novel outcomes from epigenetic discovery with dietary compound usage are also discussed. This review is intended to create a foundational tool that will aid investigators when choosing a breast cancer cell line to use in multiple expanding areas such as epigenetic discovery, xenograft experimentation, and cancer prevention, among other areas.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brittany L. Witt
- Department of Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 902 14th Street, Birmingham, AL 35228, USA;
| | - Trygve O. Tollefsbol
- Department of Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 902 14th Street, Birmingham, AL 35228, USA;
- Integrative Center for Aging Research, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1530 3rd Avenue South, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
- O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1802 6th Avenue South, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
- Nutrition Obesity Research Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1675 University Boulevard, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
- Comprehensive Diabetes Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1825 University Boulevard, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
- University Wide Microbiome Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 845 19th Street South, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Porter BA, Frerich C, Lainé M, Clark AB, Durdana I, Lee J, Taya M, Sahoo S, Greene GL, Bennett L, Conzen SD. Glucocorticoid Receptor Activation in Lobular Breast Cancer Is Associated with Reduced Cell Proliferation and Promotion of Metastases. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:4679. [PMID: 37835373 PMCID: PMC10571671 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15194679] [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: 07/29/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) invasive lobular breast cancer (ILC) comprises about ~15% of breast cancer. ILC's unique genotypic (loss of wild type E-cadherin expression) and phenotypic (small individual round cancer cells that grow in discontinuous nests) are thought to contribute to a distinctive pattern of metastases to serosal membranes. Unlike invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC), ILC metastases often intercalate into the mesothelial layer of the peritoneum and other serosal surfaces. While ER activity is a known driver of ILC proliferation, very little is known about how additional nuclear receptors contribute to ILC's distinctive biology. In ER+ IDC, we showed previously that glucocorticoid receptor (GR) activity inhibits pro-proliferative gene expression and cell proliferation. Here we examined ER+ ILC models and found that GR activation similarly reduces S-phase entry gene expression and ILC proliferation. While slowing tumor growth rate, our data also suggest that GR activation results in an enhanced metastatic phenotype through increasing integrin-encoding gene expression, extracellular matrix protein adhesion, and mesothelial cell clearance. Moreover, in an intraductal mouse mammary gland model of ILC, we found that GR expression is associated with increased bone metastases despite slowed primary mammary tumor growth. Taken together, our findings suggest GR-mediated gene expression may contribute to the unusual characteristics of ILC biology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Baylee A. Porter
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Candace Frerich
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Muriel Lainé
- Ben May Department for Cancer Research, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Abigail B. Clark
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Ishrat Durdana
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Jeon Lee
- Lyda Hill Department of Bioinformatics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Manisha Taya
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Sunati Sahoo
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Geoffrey L. Greene
- Ben May Department for Cancer Research, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Lynda Bennett
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Suzanne D. Conzen
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Elangovan A, Bossart EA, Basudan A, Tasdemir N, Shah OS, Ding K, Meier C, Heim T, Neumann C, Attaran S, Brown L, Hooda J, Miller L, Liu T, Puhalla SL, Gurda G, Lucas PC, McAuliffe PF, Atkinson JM, Lee AV, Oesterreich S. WCRC-25: A novel luminal Invasive Lobular Carcinoma cell line model. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.09.15.558023. [PMID: 37745587 PMCID: PMC10516031 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.15.558023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
Breast cancer is categorized by the molecular and histologic presentation of the tumor, with the major histologic subtypes being No Special Type (NST) and Invasive Lobular Carcinoma (ILC). ILC are characterized by growth in a single file discohesive manner with stromal infiltration attributed to their hallmark pathognomonic loss of E-cadherin ( CDH1 ). Few ILC cell line models are available to researchers. Here we report the successful establishment and characterization of a novel ILC cell line, WCRC-25, from a metastatic pleural effusion from a postmenopausal Caucasian woman with metastatic ILC. WCRC-25 is an ER-negative luminal epithelial ILC cell line with both luminal and Her2-like features. It exhibits anchorage independent growth and haptotactic migration towards Collagen I. Sequencing revealed a CDH1 Q706* truncating mutation, together with mutations in FOXA1, CTCF, BRCA2 and TP53 , which were also seen in a series of metastatic lesions from the patient. Copy number analyses revealed amplification and deletion of genes frequently altered in ILC while optical genome mapping revealed novel structural rearrangements. RNA-seq analysis comparing the primary tumor, metastases and the cell line revealed signatures for cell cycle progression and receptor tyrosine kinase signaling. To assess targetability, we treated WCRC-25 with AZD5363 and Alpelisib confirming WCRC-25 as susceptible to PI3K/AKT signaling inhibition as predicted by our RNA sequencing analysis. In conclusion, we report WCRC-25 as a novel ILC cell line with promise as a valuable research tool to advance our understanding of ILC and its therapeutic vulnerabilities. Financial support The work was in part supported by a Susan G Komen Leadership Grant to SO (SAC160073) and NCI R01 CA252378 (SO/AVL). AVL and SO are Komen Scholars, Hillman Foundation Fellows and supported by BCRF. This project used the UPMC Hillman Cancer Center and Tissue and Research Pathology/Pitt Biospecimen Core shared resource which is supported in part by award P30CA047904. This research was also supported in part by the University of Pittsburgh Center for Research Computing, RRID:SCR_022735, through the resources provided. Specifically, this work used the HTC cluster, which is supported by NIH award number S10OD028483. Finally, partial support was provided by the Magee-Womens Research Institute and Foundation, The Shear Family Foundation, and The Metastatic Breast Cancer Network.
Collapse
|
13
|
Sflomos G, Schaumann N, Christgen M, Christgen H, Bartels S, Kreipe H, Battista L, Brisken C. Optimized Modeling of Metastatic Triple-Negative Invasive Lobular Breast Carcinoma. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:3299. [PMID: 37444409 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15133299] [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: 05/09/2023] [Revised: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) is a common breast cancer subtype that is often diagnosed at advanced stages and causes significant morbidity. Late-onset secondary tumor recurrence affects up to 30% of ILC patients, posing a therapeutic challenge if resistance to systemic therapy develops. Nonetheless, there is a lack of preclinical models for ILC, and the current models do not accurately reproduce the complete range of the disease. We created clinically relevant metastatic xenografts to address this gap by grafting the triple-negative IPH-926 cell line into mouse milk ducts. The resulting intraductal xenografts accurately recapitulate lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS), invasive lobular carcinoma, and metastatic ILC in relevant organs. Using a panel of 15 clinical markers, we characterized the intratumoral heterogeneity of primary and metastatic lesions. Interestingly, intraductal IPH-926 xenografts express low but actionable HER2 and are not dependent on supplementation with the ovarian hormone estradiol for their growth. This model provides a valuable tool to test the efficiency of potential new ILC therapeutics, and it may help detect vulnerabilities within ILC that can be exploited for therapeutic targeting.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- George Sflomos
- ISREC-Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Nora Schaumann
- Institute of Pathology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Matthias Christgen
- Institute of Pathology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Henriette Christgen
- Institute of Pathology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Stephan Bartels
- Institute of Pathology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Hans Kreipe
- Institute of Pathology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Laura Battista
- ISREC-Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Cathrin Brisken
- ISREC-Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
- Institute of Pathology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany
- The Breast Cancer Now Toby Robins Breast Cancer Research Centre, The Institute of Cancer Research, London SW3 6JB, UK
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Voorwerk L, Isaeva OI, Horlings HM, Balduzzi S, Chelushkin M, Bakker NAM, Champanhet E, Garner H, Sikorska K, Loo CE, Kemper I, Mandjes IAM, de Maaker M, van Geel JJL, Boers J, de Boer M, Salgado R, van Dongen MGJ, Sonke GS, de Visser KE, Schumacher TN, Blank CU, Wessels LFA, Jager A, Tjan-Heijnen VCG, Schröder CP, Linn SC, Kok M. PD-L1 blockade in combination with carboplatin as immune induction in metastatic lobular breast cancer: the GELATO trial. NATURE CANCER 2023; 4:535-549. [PMID: 37038006 PMCID: PMC10132987 DOI: 10.1038/s43018-023-00542-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 04/12/2023]
Abstract
Invasive lobular breast cancer (ILC) is the second most common histological breast cancer subtype, but ILC-specific trials are lacking. Translational research revealed an immune-related ILC subset, and in mouse ILC models, synergy between immune checkpoint blockade and platinum was observed. In the phase II GELATO trial ( NCT03147040 ), patients with metastatic ILC were treated with weekly carboplatin (area under the curve 1.5 mg ml-1 min-1) as immune induction for 12 weeks and atezolizumab (PD-L1 blockade; triweekly) from the third week until progression. Four of 23 evaluable patients had a partial response (17%), and 2 had stable disease, resulting in a clinical benefit rate of 26%. From these six patients, four had triple-negative ILC (TN-ILC). We observed higher CD8+ T cell infiltration, immune checkpoint expression and exhausted T cells after treatment. With this GELATO trial, we show that ILC-specific clinical trials are feasible and demonstrate promising antitumor activity of atezolizumab with carboplatin, particularly for TN-ILC, and provide insights for the design of highly needed ILC-specific trials.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Leonie Voorwerk
- Division of Tumor Biology and Immunology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Olga I Isaeva
- Division of Tumor Biology and Immunology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Hugo M Horlings
- Department of Pathology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Sara Balduzzi
- Department of Biometrics, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Maksim Chelushkin
- Division of Tumor Biology and Immunology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Division of Molecular Carcinogenesis, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Noor A M Bakker
- Division of Tumor Biology and Immunology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Elisa Champanhet
- Division of Tumor Biology and Immunology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Hannah Garner
- Division of Tumor Biology and Immunology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Karolina Sikorska
- Department of Biometrics, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Claudette E Loo
- Department of Radiology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Inge Kemper
- Department of Medical Oncology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Ingrid A M Mandjes
- Department of Biometrics, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Michiel de Maaker
- Division of Molecular Pathology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Jasper J L van Geel
- Department of Medical Oncology, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Jorianne Boers
- Department of Medical Oncology, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Maaike de Boer
- Department of Medical Oncology, GROW, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Roberto Salgado
- Department of Pathology, GZA-ZNA hospitals, Antwerp, Belgium
- Division of Research, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Marloes G J van Dongen
- Department of Medical Oncology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Gabe S Sonke
- Department of Medical Oncology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Karin E de Visser
- Division of Tumor Biology and Immunology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Department of Immunology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Ton N Schumacher
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Division of Molecular Oncology and Immunology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Hematology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Christian U Blank
- Department of Medical Oncology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Division of Molecular Oncology and Immunology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Lodewyk F A Wessels
- Division of Molecular Carcinogenesis, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Agnes Jager
- Department of Medical Oncology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Vivianne C G Tjan-Heijnen
- Department of Medical Oncology, GROW, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Carolien P Schröder
- Department of Medical Oncology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Medical Oncology, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Sabine C Linn
- Department of Medical Oncology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Division of Molecular Pathology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Pathology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Marleen Kok
- Division of Tumor Biology and Immunology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
- Department of Medical Oncology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Aggarwal D, Russo S, Naik P, Bhatia S, Spector DL. Establishment and Culture of Patient-Derived Breast Organoids. J Vis Exp 2023:10.3791/64889. [PMID: 36876940 PMCID: PMC10193304 DOI: 10.3791/64889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer is a complex disease that has been classified into several different histological and molecular subtypes. Patient-derived breast tumor organoids developed in our laboratory consist of a mix of multiple tumor-derived cell populations, and thus represent a better approximation of tumor cell diversity and milieu than the established 2D cancer cell lines. Organoids serve as an ideal in vitro model, allowing for cell-extracellular matrix interactions, known to play an important role in cell-cell interactions and cancer progression. Patient-derived organoids also have advantages over mouse models as they are of human origin. Furthermore, they have been shown to recapitulate the genomic, transcriptomic as well as metabolic heterogeneity of patient tumors; thus, they are capable of representing tumor complexity as well as patient diversity. As a result, they are poised to provide more accurate insights into target discovery and validation and drug sensitivity assays. In this protocol, we provide a detailed demonstration of how patient-derived breast organoids are established from resected breast tumors (cancer organoids) or reductive mammoplasty-derived breast tissue (normal organoids). This is followed by a comprehensive account of 3D organoid culture, expansion, passaging, freezing, as well as thawing of patient-derived breast organoid cultures.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Disha Aggarwal
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor; Genetics Graduate Program, Stony Brook University
| | | | - Payal Naik
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor
| | - Sonam Bhatia
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor;
| | - David L Spector
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor; Genetics Graduate Program, Stony Brook University;
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Onkar SS, Carleton NM, Lucas PC, Bruno TC, Lee AV, Vignali DAA, Oesterreich S. The Great Immune Escape: Understanding the Divergent Immune Response in Breast Cancer Subtypes. Cancer Discov 2023; 13:23-40. [PMID: 36620880 PMCID: PMC9833841 DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.cd-22-0475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 43.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Revised: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Breast cancer, the most common type of cancer affecting women, encompasses a collection of histologic (mainly ductal and lobular) and molecular subtypes exhibiting diverse clinical presentation, disease trajectories, treatment options, and outcomes. Immunotherapy has revolutionized treatment for some solid tumors but has shown limited promise for breast cancers. In this review, we summarize recent advances in our understanding of the complex interactions between tumor and immune cells in subtypes of breast cancer at the cellular and microenvironmental levels. We aim to provide a perspective on opportunities for future immunotherapy agents tailored to specific features of each subtype of breast cancer. SIGNIFICANCE Although there are currently over 200 ongoing clinical trials testing immunotherapeutics, such as immune-checkpoint blockade agents, these are largely restricted to the triple-negative and HER2+ subtypes and primarily focus on T cells. With the rapid expansion of new in vitro, in vivo, and clinical data, it is critical to identify and highlight the challenges and opportunities unique for each breast cancer subtype to drive the next generation of treatments that harness the immune system.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sayali S. Onkar
- Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Tumor Microenvironment Center, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Graduate Program of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Neil M. Carleton
- Women’s Cancer Research Center, Magee-Women’s Research Institute, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Peter C Lucas
- Women’s Cancer Research Center, Magee-Women’s Research Institute, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Cancer Biology Program, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Tullia C Bruno
- Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Tumor Microenvironment Center, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy Program, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Adrian V Lee
- Women’s Cancer Research Center, Magee-Women’s Research Institute, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Cancer Biology Program, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Dario AA Vignali
- Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Tumor Microenvironment Center, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy Program, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Steffi Oesterreich
- Women’s Cancer Research Center, Magee-Women’s Research Institute, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Cancer Biology Program, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Furth PA, Wang W, Kang K, Rooney BL, Keegan G, Muralidaran V, Zou X, Flaws JA. Esr1 but Not CYP19A1 Overexpression in Mammary Epithelial Cells during Reproductive Senescence Induces Pregnancy-Like Proliferative Mammary Disease Responsive to Anti-Hormonals. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY 2023; 193:84-102. [PMID: 36464512 PMCID: PMC9768685 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2022.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Revised: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Molecular-level analyses of breast carcinogenesis benefit from vivo disease models. Estrogen receptor 1 (Esr1) and cytochrome P450 family 19 subfamily A member 1 (CYP19A1) overexpression targeted to mammary epithelial cells in genetically engineered mouse models induces largely similar rates of proliferative mammary disease in prereproductive senescent mice. Herein, with natural reproductive senescence, Esr1 overexpression compared with CYP19A1 overexpression resulted in significantly higher rates of preneoplasia and cancer. Before reproductive senescence, Esr1, but not CYP19A1, overexpressing mice are tamoxifen resistant. However, during reproductive senescence, Esr1 mice exhibited responsiveness. Both Esr1 and CYP19A1 are responsive to letrozole before and after reproductive senescence. Gene Set Enrichment Analyses of RNA-sequencing data sets showed that higher disease rates in Esr1 mice were accompanied by significantly higher expression of cell proliferation genes, including members of prognostic platforms for women with early-stage hormone receptor-positive disease. Tamoxifen and letrozole exposure induced down-regulation of these genes and resolved differences between the two models. Both Esr1 and CYP19A1 overexpression induced abnormal developmental patterns of pregnancy-like gene expression. This resolved with progression through reproductive senescence in CYP19A1 mice, but was more persistent in Esr1 mice, resolving only with tamoxifen and letrozole exposure. In summary, genetically engineered mouse models of Esr1 and CYP19A1 overexpression revealed a diversion of disease processes resulting from the two distinct molecular pathophysiological mammary gland-targeted intrusions into estrogen signaling during reproductive senescence.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Priscilla A Furth
- Department of Oncology, Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia; Department of Medicine, Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia.
| | - Weisheng Wang
- Department of Oncology, Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Keunsoo Kang
- Department of Microbiology, College of Science and Technology, Dankook University, Cheonan, Republic of Korea
| | - Brendan L Rooney
- Department of Oncology, Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Grace Keegan
- Department of Oncology, Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Vinona Muralidaran
- Department of Oncology, Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Xiaojun Zou
- Department of Oncology, Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Jodi A Flaws
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Blawski R, Toska E. A Unique FOXA1-Associated Chromatin State Dictates Therapeutic Resistance in Lobular Breast Cancer. Cancer Res 2022; 82:3668-3670. [PMID: 36245246 PMCID: PMC10084780 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-22-2594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Invasive lobular carcinomas (ILC) are the second most common histologic subtype of breast cancer, accounting for up to 15% of cases. ILC is estrogen receptor (ER) positive, yet its biology is distinct from invasive ductal carcinomas (IDC), and retrospective analyses have indicated a poorer outcome with endocrine therapy. In this issue of Cancer Research, Nardone and colleagues investigated the mechanisms of this differential therapy response in ILC, which cannot be solely explained by the genetic profile of these tumors. The authors conducted a thorough examination of the epigenome of ILC compared with IDC in clinical and preclinical models and revealed an alternative chromatin accessibility state in ILC driven by the pioneer factor FOXA1. FOXA1 regulates its own expression in a feed-forward mechanism by binding to an ILC-unique FOXA1 enhancer site. This results in a FOXA1-ER axis that promotes the transcription of genes associated with tumor progression and tamoxifen resistance. Targeting the FOXA1 enhancer region blocks this transcriptional program and inhibits ILC proliferation. These results shed light on a new epigenetic mechanism driving ILC tumor progression and treatment resistance, which may have profound therapeutic implications. See related article by Nardone et al., p. 3673.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ryan Blawski
- Department of Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Eneda Toska
- Department of Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, Maryland
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Van Baelen K, Geukens T, Maetens M, Tjan-Heijnen V, Lord CJ, Linn S, Bidard FC, Richard F, Yang WW, Steele RE, Pettitt SJ, Van Ongeval C, De Schepper M, Isnaldi E, Nevelsteen I, Smeets A, Punie K, Voorwerk L, Wildiers H, Floris G, Vincent-Salomon A, Derksen PWB, Neven P, Senkus E, Sawyer E, Kok M, Desmedt C. Current and future diagnostic and treatment strategies for patients with invasive lobular breast cancer. Ann Oncol 2022; 33:769-785. [PMID: 35605746 DOI: 10.1016/j.annonc.2022.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Revised: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Invasive lobular breast cancer (ILC) is the second most common type of breast cancer after invasive breast cancer of no special type (NST), representing up to 15% of all breast cancers. DESIGN Latest data on ILC are presented, focusing on diagnosis, molecular make-up according to the European Society for Medical Oncology Scale for Clinical Actionability of molecular Targets (ESCAT) guidelines, treatment in the early and metastatic setting and ILC-focused clinical trials. RESULTS At the imaging level, magnetic resonance imaging-based and novel positron emission tomography/computed tomography-based techniques can overcome the limitations of currently used imaging techniques for diagnosing ILC. At the pathology level, E-cadherin immunohistochemistry could help improving inter-pathologist agreement. The majority of patients with ILC do not seem to benefit as much from (neo-)adjuvant chemotherapy as patients with NST, although chemotherapy might be required in a subset of high-risk patients. No differences in treatment efficacy are seen for anti-human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) therapies in the adjuvant setting and cyclin-dependent kinases 4 and 6 inhibitors in the metastatic setting. The clinical utility of the commercially available prognostic gene expression-based tests is unclear for patients with ILC. Several ESCAT alterations differ in frequency between ILC and NST. Germline BRCA1 and PALB2 alterations are less frequent in patients with ILC, while germline CDH1 (gene coding for E-cadherin) alterations are more frequent in patients with ILC. Somatic HER2 mutations are more frequent in ILC, especially in metastases (15% ILC versus 5% NST). A high tumour mutational burden, relevant for immune checkpoint inhibition, is more frequent in ILC metastases (16%) than in NST metastases (5%). Tumours with somatic inactivating CDH1 mutations may be vulnerable for treatment with ROS1 inhibitors, a concept currently investigated in early and metastatic ILC. CONCLUSION ILC is a unique malignancy based on its pathological and biological features leading to differences in diagnosis as well as in treatment response, resistance and targets as compared to NST.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- K Van Baelen
- Laboratory for Translational Breast Cancer Research (LTBCR), Department of Oncology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Departments of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, UZ Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - T Geukens
- Laboratory for Translational Breast Cancer Research (LTBCR), Department of Oncology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; General Medical Oncology, UZ Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - M Maetens
- Laboratory for Translational Breast Cancer Research (LTBCR), Department of Oncology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - V Tjan-Heijnen
- Medical Oncology Department, Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC), School of GROW, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - C J Lord
- The CRUK Gene Function Laboratory and Breast Cancer Now Toby Robins Research Centre, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
| | - S Linn
- Department of Pathology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands; Departments of Medical Oncology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Molecular Pathology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - F-C Bidard
- Department of Medical Oncology, Institut Curie, UVSQ/Paris-Saclav University, Paris, France
| | - F Richard
- Laboratory for Translational Breast Cancer Research (LTBCR), Department of Oncology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - W W Yang
- The CRUK Gene Function Laboratory and Breast Cancer Now Toby Robins Research Centre, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
| | - R E Steele
- The CRUK Gene Function Laboratory and Breast Cancer Now Toby Robins Research Centre, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
| | - S J Pettitt
- The CRUK Gene Function Laboratory and Breast Cancer Now Toby Robins Research Centre, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
| | - C Van Ongeval
- Departments of Radiology, UZ Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - M De Schepper
- Laboratory for Translational Breast Cancer Research (LTBCR), Department of Oncology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Pathology, UZ Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - E Isnaldi
- Laboratory for Translational Breast Cancer Research (LTBCR), Department of Oncology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - A Smeets
- Surgical Oncology, UZ Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - K Punie
- General Medical Oncology, UZ Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - L Voorwerk
- Departments of Medical Oncology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Tumour Biology and Immunology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - H Wildiers
- General Medical Oncology, UZ Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - G Floris
- Pathology, UZ Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - P W B Derksen
- Department of Pathology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - P Neven
- Departments of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, UZ Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - E Senkus
- Department of Oncology and Radiotherapy, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - E Sawyer
- School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, Guy's Cancer Centre, King's College London, London, UK
| | - M Kok
- Departments of Medical Oncology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Tumour Biology and Immunology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - C Desmedt
- Laboratory for Translational Breast Cancer Research (LTBCR), Department of Oncology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Lee S, Osmanbeyoglu HU. Chromatin accessibility landscape and active transcription factors in primary human invasive lobular and ductal breast carcinomas. BREAST CANCER RESEARCH : BCR 2022; 24:54. [PMID: 35906698 PMCID: PMC9338552 DOI: 10.1186/s13058-022-01550-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Invasive lobular breast carcinoma (ILC), the second most prevalent histological subtype of breast cancer, exhibits unique molecular features compared with the more common invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC). While genomic and transcriptomic features of ILC and IDC have been characterized, genome-wide chromatin accessibility pattern differences between ILC and IDC remain largely unexplored. METHODS Here, we characterized tumor-intrinsic chromatin accessibility differences between ILC and IDC using primary tumors from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) breast cancer assay for transposase-accessible chromatin with sequencing (ATAC-seq) dataset. RESULTS We identified distinct patterns of genome-wide chromatin accessibility in ILC and IDC. Inferred patient-specific transcription factor (TF) motif activities revealed regulatory differences between and within ILC and IDC tumors. EGR1, RUNX3, TP63, STAT6, SOX family, and TEAD family TFs were higher in ILC, while ATF4, PBX3, SPDEF, PITX family, and FOX family TFs were higher in IDC. CONCLUSIONS This study reveals the distinct epigenomic features of ILC and IDC and the active TFs driving cancer progression that may provide valuable information on patient prognosis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sanghoon Lee
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, USA.,UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, USA
| | - Hatice Ulku Osmanbeyoglu
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, USA. .,Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, USA. .,UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, USA. .,Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Cheng GJ, Leung EY, Singleton DC. In vitro breast cancer models for studying mechanisms of resistance to endocrine therapy. EXPLORATION OF TARGETED ANTI-TUMOR THERAPY 2022; 3:297-320. [PMID: 36045910 PMCID: PMC9400723 DOI: 10.37349/etat.2022.00084] [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: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The development of endocrine resistance is a common reason for the failure of endocrine therapies in hormone receptor-positive breast cancer. This review provides an overview of the different types of in vitro models that have been developed as tools for studying endocrine resistance. In vitro models include cell lines that have been rendered endocrine-resistant by ex vivo treatment; cell lines with de novo resistance mechanisms, including genetic alterations; three-dimensional (3D) spheroid, co-culture, and mammosphere techniques; and patient-derived organoid models. In each case, the key discoveries, different analysis strategies that are suitable, and strengths and weaknesses are discussed. Certain recently developed methodologies that can be used to further characterize the biological changes involved in endocrine resistance are then emphasized, along with a commentary on the types of research outcomes that using these techniques can support. Finally, a discussion anticipates how these recent developments will shape future trends in the field. We hope this overview will serve as a useful resource for investigators that are interested in understanding and testing hypotheses related to mechanisms of endocrine therapy resistance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gary J. Cheng
- 1Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland 1023, New Zealand
| | - Euphemia Y. Leung
- 1Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland 1023, New Zealand 2Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, The University of Auckland, Auckland 1023, New Zealand 3Department of Molecular Medicine and Pathology, The University of Auckland, Auckland 1023, New Zealand
| | - Dean C. Singleton
- 1Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland 1023, New Zealand 2Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, The University of Auckland, Auckland 1023, New Zealand 3Department of Molecular Medicine and Pathology, The University of Auckland, Auckland 1023, New Zealand
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Bahnassy S, Sikora MJ, Riggins RB. Unlocking the Mysteries of Lobular Breast Cancer Biology Needs the Right Combination of Preclinical Models. Mol Cancer Res 2022; 20:837-840. [PMID: 35276005 DOI: 10.1158/1541-7786.mcr-22-0018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2022] [Revised: 02/16/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Preclinical model systems are essential research tools that help us understand the biology of invasive lobular carcinoma of the breast (ILC). The number of well-established ILC models are increasing but remain limited. Lower incidence of ILC, under-representation of ILC patients in clinical trials, and intrinsic ILC tumor characteristics all contribute to this challenge. Hence, there is significant need to continually develop better model systems to recapitulate the essential characteristics of ILC biology, genetics, and histology, and empower preclinical therapeutic studies to be translated back into the clinic. In this Perspective, we highlight recent advances in in vivo experimental models, which recapitulate key features of ILC biology and disease progression and potentially reshape the future of ILC translational research. We assert that all existing in vitro and in vivo ILC preclinical models have their strengths and weaknesses, and that it is necessary to bridge key deficiencies in each model context as we move forward with ILC research. Thus, unlocking the mysteries of ILC will be best achieved by choosing the right combination of preclinical model systems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shaymaa Bahnassy
- Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia, United States
| | - Matthew J Sikora
- University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States
| | - Rebecca B Riggins
- Georgetown University Medical Center - Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Washington, District of Columbia, United States
| |
Collapse
|