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Syrnioti A, Petousis S, Newman LA, Margioula-Siarkou C, Papamitsou T, Dinas K, Koletsa T. Triple Negative Breast Cancer: Molecular Subtype-Specific Immune Landscapes with Therapeutic Implications. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:2094. [PMID: 38893213 PMCID: PMC11171372 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16112094] [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: 05/01/2024] [Revised: 05/28/2024] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) is characterized by distinct molecular subtypes with unique biological and clinical features. This systematic review aimed to identify articles examining the differences in the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) across different TNBC molecular subtypes. Six studies meeting inclusion criteria were analyzed, utilizing gene expression profiling and bioinformatic analyses to classify TNBC samples into molecular subtypes, as well as immunohistochemistry and cell deconvolution methods to characterize the TIME. Results revealed significant heterogeneity in immune cell composition among TNBC subtypes, with the immunomodulatory (IM) subtype demonstrating robust immune infiltration, composed mainly of adaptive immune cells along with an increased density of CTLA-4+ and PD-1+ TILs, high PD-L1 tumor cell expression, and upregulation of FOXP3+ Tregs. A more immunosuppressive TIME with a predominance of innate immune cells and lower levels of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) was observed in luminal androgen receptor (LAR) tumors. In mesenchymal stem-like (MSL) tumors, the TIME was mainly composed of innate immune cells, with a high number of M2 tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), while the BL and M tumors displayed poor adaptive and innate immune responses, indicating an "immune-cold" phenotype. Differential activation of signaling pathways, genomic diversity, and metabolic reprogramming were identified as contributors to TIME heterogeneity. Understanding this interplay is crucial for tailoring therapeutic strategies, especially regarding immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonia Syrnioti
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece;
| | - Stamatios Petousis
- 2nd Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece; (S.P.); (K.D.)
| | - Lisa A. Newman
- Department of Breast Surgery, New York Presbyterian-Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA;
| | - Chrysoula Margioula-Siarkou
- MSc Program in Gynaecologic Oncology and Breast Oncology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece;
| | - Theodora Papamitsou
- Laboratory of Histology-Embryology, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece;
| | - Konstantinos Dinas
- 2nd Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece; (S.P.); (K.D.)
| | - Triantafyllia Koletsa
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece;
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Matou-Nasri S, Aldawood M, Alanazi F, Khan AL. Updates on Triple-Negative Breast Cancer in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients: From Risk Factors to Diagnosis, Biomarkers and Therapy. Diagnostics (Basel) 2023; 13:2390. [PMID: 37510134 PMCID: PMC10378597 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics13142390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Revised: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is usually the most malignant and aggressive mammary epithelial tumor characterized by the lack of expression for estrogen receptors and progesterone receptors, and the absence of epidermal growth factor receptor (HER)2 amplification. Corresponding to 15-20% of all breast cancers and well-known by its poor clinical outcome, this negative receptor expression deprives TNBC from targeted therapy and makes its management therapeutically challenging. Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is the most common ageing metabolic disorder due to insulin deficiency or resistance resulting in hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, and hyperlipidemia. Due to metabolic and hormonal imbalances, there are many interplays between both chronic disorders leading to increased risk of breast cancer, especially TNBC, diagnosed in T2DM patients. The purpose of this review is to provide up-to-date information related to epidemiology and clinicopathological features, risk factors, diagnosis, biomarkers, and current therapy/clinical trials for TNBC patients with T2DM compared to non-diabetic counterparts. Thus, in-depth investigation of the diabetic complications on TNBC onset, development, and progression and the discovery of biomarkers would improve TNBC management through early diagnosis, tailoring therapy for a better outcome of T2DM patients diagnosed with TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabine Matou-Nasri
- Blood and Cancer Research Department, King Abdullah International Medical Research Center (KAIMRC), King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (KSAU-HS), Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs (MNG-HA), Riyadh 11481, Saudi Arabia
- Biosciences Department, Faculty of the School for Systems Biology, George Mason University, Manassas, VA 22030, USA
| | - Maram Aldawood
- Blood and Cancer Research Department, King Abdullah International Medical Research Center (KAIMRC), King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (KSAU-HS), Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs (MNG-HA), Riyadh 11481, Saudi Arabia
- Post Graduate and Zoology Department, King Saud University, Riyadh 12372, Saudi Arabia
| | - Fatimah Alanazi
- Blood and Cancer Research Department, King Abdullah International Medical Research Center (KAIMRC), King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (KSAU-HS), Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs (MNG-HA), Riyadh 11481, Saudi Arabia
- Biosciences Department, Faculty of the School for Systems Biology, George Mason University, Manassas, VA 22030, USA
| | - Abdul Latif Khan
- Tissue Biobank, KAIMRC, MNG-HA, Riyadh 11481, Saudi Arabia
- Pathology and Clinical Laboratory Medicine, King Abdulaziz Medical City (KAMC), Riyadh 11564, Saudi Arabia
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(Stămat) LRB, Dinescu S, Costache M. Regulation of Inflammasome by microRNAs in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: New Opportunities for Therapy. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24043245. [PMID: 36834660 PMCID: PMC9963301 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24043245] [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: 12/21/2022] [Revised: 01/28/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
During the past decade, researchers have investigated the molecular mechanisms of breast cancer initiation and progression, especially triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), in order to identify specific biomarkers that could serve as feasible targets for innovative therapeutic strategies development. TNBC is characterized by a dynamic and aggressive nature, due to the absence of estrogen, progesterone and human epidermal growth factor 2 receptors. TNBC progression is associated with the dysregulation of nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor and pyrin domain-containing protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome, followed by the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines and caspase-1 dependent cell death, termed pyroptosis. The heterogeneity of the breast tumor microenvironment triggers the interest of non-coding RNAs' involvement in NLRP3 inflammasome assembly, TNBC progression and metastasis. Non-coding RNAs are paramount regulators of carcinogenesis and inflammasome pathways, which could help in the development of efficient treatments. This review aims to highlight the contribution of non-coding RNAs that support inflammasome activation and TNBC progression, pointing up their potential for clinical applications as biomarkers for diagnosis and therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sorina Dinescu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Bucharest, 050095 Bucharest, Romania
- Research Institute of the University of Bucharest, 050663 Bucharest, Romania
- Correspondence:
| | - Marieta Costache
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Bucharest, 050095 Bucharest, Romania
- Research Institute of the University of Bucharest, 050663 Bucharest, Romania
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Ortiz Valdez E, Rangel-Escareño C, Matus Santos JA, Vázquez Romo R, Guijosa A, Villarreal-Garza C, Arrieta O, Rodríguez-Bautista R, Caro-Sánchez CH, Ortega Gómez A. Characterization of triple negative breast cancer gene expression profiles in Mexican patients. Mol Clin Oncol 2022; 18:5. [PMID: 36605097 PMCID: PMC9808158 DOI: 10.3892/mco.2022.2601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2022] [Accepted: 10/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive type of cancer that accounts for ~23% of breast tumors in Mexico. In an attempt to understand in an improved way the behavior of TNBC, throughout the years, gene expression in these tumors has been studied. Lehman et al identified 6 subtypes of gene expression in TNBC with distinct characteristics. In the present study, it was aimed to assess clinical, pathological and prognostic characteristics of TNBC in a Mexican-based cohort. A total of 55 patients diagnosed with TNBC at Mexico's National Institute of Cancer (INCan) were included. Tumor needle biopsy samples were obtained and subjected to microarray analysis. Patients were thus classified into one of the 6 TNBC molecular subtypes. The prognostic, clinical and pathological information of patients was obtained, and differences across molecular subtypes were sought. Out of the 55 included patients, the following subtypes were identified: 9 basal-like-1, 11 basal-like-2 (BSL2), 16 immunomodulatory (IM), 12 mesenchymal, 6 androgen receptor-like and 1 mesenchymal stem-like. Mean follow-up time was 47.1 months. The IM molecular subtype had the best overall survival (OS) (median OS was not reached). BSL2 had the worst OS (15 months). A complete pathologic response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy was obtained more often in the IM subtype (P=0.032). No significant associations were found between any of the clinical or pathological characteristics and the TNBC molecular subtypes. The results obtained from the present study should be considered when seeking to implement a clinical-molecular model for TNBC patient care, particularly in Hispanic-based populations, as they have been frequently underrepresented in clinical studies assessing TNBC molecular subtypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Ortiz Valdez
- Breast Tumors Department, Mexico's National Institute of Cancer, Sección XVI, Tlalpan, Mexico City 14080, Mexico
| | - Claudia Rangel-Escareño
- Computational Genomics Department, Instituto Nacional de Medicina Genómica, Arenal Tepepan, Tlalpan, Mexico City 14610, Mexico
| | - Juan Antonio Matus Santos
- Breast Tumors Department, Mexico's National Institute of Cancer, Sección XVI, Tlalpan, Mexico City 14080, Mexico
| | - Rafael Vázquez Romo
- Breast Tumors Department, Mexico's National Institute of Cancer, Sección XVI, Tlalpan, Mexico City 14080, Mexico
| | - Alberto Guijosa
- School of Medicine, Universidad Panamericana, Benito Juárez, Mexico City 03920, Mexico
| | - Cynthia Villarreal-Garza
- Breast Cancer Center, Hospital Zambrano Hellion TecSalud, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Real San Agustín, San Pedro Garza García, Nuevo León 66278, Mexico
| | - Oscar Arrieta
- Thoracic Oncology Unit, Mexico's National Institute of Cancer, Sección XVI, Tlalpan, Mexico City 14080, Mexico
| | - Rubén Rodríguez-Bautista
- Thoracic Oncology Unit, Mexico's National Institute of Cancer, Sección XVI, Tlalpan, Mexico City 14080, Mexico
| | - Claudia H. Caro-Sánchez
- Pathology Department, Mexico's National Institute of Cancer, Sección XVI, Tlalpan, Mexico City 14080, Mexico
| | - Alette Ortega Gómez
- Laboratory of Translational Medicine, Mexico's National Institute of Cancer, Sección XVI, Tlalpan, Mexico City 14080, Mexico,Correspondence to: Dr Alette Ortega Gómez, Laboratory of Translational Medicine, Mexico's National Institute of Cancer, 22 San Fernando Avenue, Sección XVI, Tlalpan, Mexico City 14080, Mexico
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Giugliano F, Valenza C, Tarantino P, Curigliano G. Immunotherapy for triple negative breast cancer: How can pathologic responses to experimental drugs in early-stage disease be enhanced? Expert Opin Investig Drugs 2022; 31:855-874. [PMID: 35762248 DOI: 10.1080/13543784.2022.2095260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION : The treatment landscape of early triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) has recently expanded after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of pembrolizumab in combination with neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The addition of this immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) has shown to significantly increased pathological complete response (pCR) rate and event free survival (EFS) in the KEYNOTE-522 phase 3 trial. Several additional studies are ongoing with the goal of further improving outcomes and achieving an optimal integration of ICIs in the treatment of TNBC. AREAS COVERED : The article examines pCR and survival rates in TNBC. It appraises clinical trials investigating neoadjuvant ICIs for TNBC and the improvement of pCR rates (biomarker-driven escalation of treatment, optimization of chemotherapy backbone and addition of locoregional treatments or innovative agents). Insights on the role of pCR as surrogate endpoint and the possibility of enhancing pCR rates for women affected by early TNBC are offered. EXPERT OPINION : The pharmacopoeia of early TNBC is growing and becoming more heterogeneous with the advent of ICIs; to enhance the clinical benefit of patients, it is necessary to develop response endpoints that consider the mechanism of action of experimental drugs, to optimize patient selection through validated biomarkers, and to compare the most promising treatment strategies in randomized clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Giugliano
- Division of New Drugs and Early Drug Development for Innovative Therapies, European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, Milan, Italy.,Department of Oncology and Haematology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Carmine Valenza
- Division of New Drugs and Early Drug Development for Innovative Therapies, European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, Milan, Italy.,Department of Oncology and Haematology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Paolo Tarantino
- Division of New Drugs and Early Drug Development for Innovative Therapies, European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, Milan, Italy.,Department of Oncology and Haematology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.,Breast Oncology Center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Giuseppe Curigliano
- Division of New Drugs and Early Drug Development for Innovative Therapies, European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, Milan, Italy.,Department of Oncology and Haematology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
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