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Sarmadi F, Gao Z, Su J, Barbier C, Artusa P, Bijian K, Gleason JL, White JH. Bifunctionality and Antitumor Efficacy of ZG-126, a Vitamin D Receptor Agonist/Histone Deacetylase Inhibitor Hybrid Molecule. J Med Chem 2024; 67:11182-11196. [PMID: 38906533 PMCID: PMC11249012 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.4c00706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/23/2024]
Abstract
Analogues of hormonal vitamin D, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25D), signal through the nuclear vitamin D receptor (VDR). They have potential in combination therapies with other anticancer agents such as histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi's). Here, we characterize the ZG series of hybrid compounds that combine HDACi within the backbone of a VDR agonist. All display improved solubility, with ZG-126 being the most robustly bifunctional molecule in multiple cell lines. ZG-126 is well tolerated and strongly induces VDR target gene expression in vivo at therapeutic doses. Its antitumor efficacy is superior to 1,25D and the HDACi SAHA, separately or together, in mouse models of melanoma and triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Notably, ZG-126 treatment reduces metastases almost 4-fold in an aggressive TNBC model. ZG-126 also reduces total macrophage infiltration and the proportion of immunosuppressive M2-polarized macrophages in TNBC tumors by 2-fold. ZG-126 thus represents a bifunctional and efficacious anticancer agent with improved physicochemical properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatemeh Sarmadi
- Department of Physiology, McGill University, 3655 Promenade Sir William Osler, Montreal, QC H3G 1Y6, Canada
| | - Zhizhong Gao
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, 801 Sherbrooke W., Montreal, QC H3A 0B8, Canada
| | - Jie Su
- Segal Cancer Center and Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, 3755 Cote Ste-Catherine, Montreal, QC H3T 1E2, Canada
| | - Camille Barbier
- Department of Physiology, McGill University, 3655 Promenade Sir William Osler, Montreal, QC H3G 1Y6, Canada
| | - Patricio Artusa
- Department of Physiology, McGill University, 3655 Promenade Sir William Osler, Montreal, QC H3G 1Y6, Canada
| | - Krikor Bijian
- Segal Cancer Center and Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, 3755 Cote Ste-Catherine, Montreal, QC H3T 1E2, Canada
| | - James L Gleason
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, 801 Sherbrooke W., Montreal, QC H3A 0B8, Canada
| | - John H White
- Department of Physiology, McGill University, 3655 Promenade Sir William Osler, Montreal, QC H3G 1Y6, Canada
- Department of Medicine, McGill University, 3655 Promenade Sir William Osler, Montreal, QC H3G 1Y6, Canada
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Yang X, Li F, Shi Y, Wu Y, Yang R, Liu X, Zhang Y, Zhang G, Ma M, Luo Z, Han X, Xie Y, Liu S. Integrated network pharmacology and experimental verification to explore the potential mechanism of San Ying decoction for treating triple-negative breast cancer. Acta Biochim Biophys Sin (Shanghai) 2024; 56:763-775. [PMID: 38516703 PMCID: PMC11177106 DOI: 10.3724/abbs.2024015] [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: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been used to treat triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), a breast cancer subtype with poor prognosis. Clinical studies have verified that the Sanyingfang formula (SYF), a TCM prescription, has obvious effects on inhibiting breast cancer recurrence and metastasis, prolonging patient survival, and reducing clinical symptoms. However, its active ingredients and molecular mechanisms are still unclear. In this study, the active ingredients of each herbal medicine composing SYF and their target proteins are obtained from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology database. Breast cancer-related genes are obtained from the GeneCards database. Major targets and pathways related to SYF treatment in breast cancer are identified by analyzing the above data. By conducting molecular docking analysis, we find that the active ingredients quercetin and luteolin bind well to the key targets KDR1, PPARG, SOD1, and VCAM1. In vitro experiments verify that SYF can reduce the proliferation, migration, and invasion ability of TNBC cells. Using a TNBC xenograft mouse model, we show that SYF could delay tumor growth and effectively inhibit the occurrence of breast cancer lung metastasis in vivo. PPARG, SOD1, KDR1, and VCAM1 are all regulated by SYF and may play important roles in SYF-mediated inhibition of TNBC recurrence and metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaojuan Yang
- Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine SurgeryLonghua HospitalShanghai University of Traditional Chinese MedicineShanghai200032China
| | - Feifei Li
- Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine SurgeryLonghua HospitalShanghai University of Traditional Chinese MedicineShanghai200032China
| | - Youyang Shi
- Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine SurgeryLonghua HospitalShanghai University of Traditional Chinese MedicineShanghai200032China
| | - Yuanyuan Wu
- Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine SurgeryLonghua HospitalShanghai University of Traditional Chinese MedicineShanghai200032China
| | - Rui Yang
- Department of Breast SurgeryShanxi Provincial Cancer HospitalTaiyuan030013China
| | - Xiaofei Liu
- Department of Breast SurgeryAffiliated Hospital of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese MedicineJinan250355China
| | - Yang Zhang
- Department of Breast SurgeryAffiliated Hospital of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese MedicineJinan250355China
| | - Guangtao Zhang
- Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine SurgeryLonghua HospitalShanghai University of Traditional Chinese MedicineShanghai200032China
| | - Mei Ma
- Institute of ToxicologySchool of Public HealthLanzhou UniversityLanzhou730000China
| | - Zhanyang Luo
- Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine SurgeryLonghua HospitalShanghai University of Traditional Chinese MedicineShanghai200032China
| | - Xianghui Han
- Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine SurgeryLonghua HospitalShanghai University of Traditional Chinese MedicineShanghai200032China
| | - Ying Xie
- Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine SurgeryLonghua HospitalShanghai University of Traditional Chinese MedicineShanghai200032China
| | - Sheng Liu
- Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine SurgeryLonghua HospitalShanghai University of Traditional Chinese MedicineShanghai200032China
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He Y, Cao N, Tian Y, Wang X, Xiao Q, Tang X, Huang J, Zhu T, Hu C, Zhang Y, Deng J, Yu H, Duan P. Development and validation of two redox-related genes associated with prognosis and immune microenvironment in endometrial carcinoma. MATHEMATICAL BIOSCIENCES AND ENGINEERING : MBE 2023; 20:10339-10357. [PMID: 37322935 DOI: 10.3934/mbe.2023453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
In recent studies, the tumourigenesis and development of endometrial carcinoma (EC) have been correlated significantly with redox. We aimed to develop and validate a redox-related prognostic model of patients with EC to predict the prognosis and the efficacy of immunotherapy. We downloaded gene expression profiles and clinical information of patients with EC from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the Gene Ontology (GO) dataset. We identified two key differentially expressed redox genes (CYBA and SMPD3) by univariate Cox regression and utilised them to calculate the risk score of all samples. Based on the median of risk scores, we composed low-and high-risk groups and performed correlation analysis with immune cell infiltration and immune checkpoints. Finally, we constructed a nomogram of the prognostic model based on clinical factors and the risk score. We verified the predictive performance using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) and calibration curves. CYBA and SMPD3 were significantly related to the prognosis of patients with EC and used to construct a risk model. There were significant differences in survival, immune cell infiltration and immune checkpoints between the low-and high-risk groups. The nomogram developed with clinical indicators and the risk scores was effective in predicting the prognosis of patients with EC. In this study, a prognostic model constructed based on two redox-related genes (CYBA and SMPD3) were proved to be independent prognostic factors of EC and associated with tumour immune microenvironment. The redox signature genes have the potential to predict the prognosis and the immunotherapy efficacy of patients with EC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan He
- Postgraduate Union Training Base of Jinzhou Medical University, Xiangyang No.1 People's Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Xiangyang 441000, China
- Affiliation Key Laboratory of Zebrafish Modeling and Drug Screening for Human Diseases of Xiangyang City, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Xiangyang No. 1 People's Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Xiangyang 441000, China
| | - Nannan Cao
- Affiliation Key Laboratory of Zebrafish Modeling and Drug Screening for Human Diseases of Xiangyang City, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Xiangyang No. 1 People's Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Xiangyang 441000, China
| | - Yanan Tian
- Postgraduate Union Training Base of Jinzhou Medical University, Xiangyang No.1 People's Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Xiangyang 441000, China
- Affiliation Key Laboratory of Zebrafish Modeling and Drug Screening for Human Diseases of Xiangyang City, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Xiangyang No. 1 People's Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Xiangyang 441000, China
| | - Xuelin Wang
- Affiliation Key Laboratory of Zebrafish Modeling and Drug Screening for Human Diseases of Xiangyang City, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Xiangyang No. 1 People's Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Xiangyang 441000, China
| | - Qiaohong Xiao
- Affiliation Key Laboratory of Zebrafish Modeling and Drug Screening for Human Diseases of Xiangyang City, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Xiangyang No. 1 People's Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Xiangyang 441000, China
| | - Xiaojuan Tang
- Department of Radiography center, Renmin Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan 442000, China
| | - Jiaolong Huang
- Affiliation Key Laboratory of Zebrafish Modeling and Drug Screening for Human Diseases of Xiangyang City, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Xiangyang No. 1 People's Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Xiangyang 441000, China
| | - Tingting Zhu
- Affiliation Key Laboratory of Zebrafish Modeling and Drug Screening for Human Diseases of Xiangyang City, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Xiangyang No. 1 People's Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Xiangyang 441000, China
| | - Chunhui Hu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Xiangyang No.1 People's Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Xiangyang 441000, China
| | - Ying Zhang
- Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150000, China
| | - Jie Deng
- Affiliation Key Laboratory of Zebrafish Modeling and Drug Screening for Human Diseases of Xiangyang City, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Xiangyang No. 1 People's Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Xiangyang 441000, China
| | - Han Yu
- Affiliation Key Laboratory of Zebrafish Modeling and Drug Screening for Human Diseases of Xiangyang City, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Xiangyang No. 1 People's Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Xiangyang 441000, China
- Department of Pathology, Xiangyang No.1 People's Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Xiangyang 441000, China
| | - Peng Duan
- Affiliation Key Laboratory of Zebrafish Modeling and Drug Screening for Human Diseases of Xiangyang City, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Xiangyang No. 1 People's Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Xiangyang 441000, China
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Wang G, Romero Y, Thevarajan I, Zolkiewska A. ADAM12 abrogation alters immune cell infiltration and improves response to checkpoint blockade therapy in the T11 murine model of triple-negative breast cancer. Oncoimmunology 2022; 12:2158006. [PMID: 36545255 PMCID: PMC9762783 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2022.2158006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) impedes anti-tumor immune responses and contributes to immunotherapy resistance in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). ADAM12, a member of cell surface metalloproteases, is selectively upregulated in mesenchymal/claudin-low TNBCs, where its expression is largely restricted to tumor cells. The role of cancer cell-expressed ADAM12 in modulating the immune TME is not known. We show that Adam12 knockout in the T11 mouse syngeneic transplantation model of claudin-low TNBC leads to decreased numbers of tumor-infiltrating neutrophils (TINs)/polymorphonuclear myeloid-derived suppressor cells (PMN-MDSCs) and increased numbers of tumor-infiltrating B cells and T cells. ADAM12 loss in cancer cells increases chemotaxis of B cells in vitro and this effect is eliminated by inhibition of CXCR4, a receptor for CXCL12, or anti-CXCL12 blocking antibody. Importantly, ADAM12 loss in T11 cancer cells sensitizes tumors to anti-PD1/anti-CTLA4 combination therapy, although the initial responsiveness is followed by acquired therapy resistance. Depletion of B cells in mice eliminates the improved response to immune checkpoint blockade of Adam12 knockout T11 tumors. Analysis of gene expression data for claudin-low TNBCs from the METABRIC patient cohort shows significant inverse correlations between ADAM12 and gene expression signatures of several anti-tumor immune cell populations, as well as a significant positive correlation between ADAM12 and gene expression signature of TINs/PMN-MDSCs. Collectively, these results implicate ADAM12 in immunosuppression within the TME in TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guanpeng Wang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA
| | - Yeni Romero
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA
| | - Indhujah Thevarajan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA
| | - Anna Zolkiewska
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA,CONTACT Anna Zolkiewska Department of Biochemistry and molecular Biophysics, Kansas State University, 141 Chalmers Hall, Manhattan, KS66506, USA
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Xu W, Wu M, Chen B, Wang H. Myeloid cells in alcoholic liver diseases: Mechanism and prospect. Front Immunol 2022; 13:971346. [PMID: 36032154 PMCID: PMC9399804 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.971346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is a leading chronic liver disease in which immune cells play a vital role. Myeloid cells have been extensively studied in ALD, including granulocytes, macrophages, monocytes, and dendritic cells, which are involved in the occurrence and progression of steatosis, inflammation, fibrosis, and eventual cirrhosis. These cells can be popularly targeted and regulated by factors from different sources, including cytokines secreted by other cells, extracellular vesicles, and substances in serum—for example, infiltration of monocytes or neutrophils, activation of Kupffer cells, and polarization of macrophages. These processes can affect and change the function and phenotype of myeloid cells. Here we mainly review the key mediators that affect the infiltration and function of mainly myeloid cells in ALD as well as their regulatory mechanisms on target cells, which may provide novel immunotherapeutic approaches. The single-cell multimodal omics of myeloid cells is also discussed to help transform them into basic research or therapeutic strategy of ALD clinically.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wentao Xu
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Miaomiao Wu
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
- Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, Hefei, China
| | - Bangjie Chen
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Hua Wang
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
- Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, Hefei, China
- *Correspondence: Hua Wang,
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Meng Y, Sun J, Zhang G, Yu T, Piao H. Approaches for neutrophil imaging: an important step in personalized medicine. Bioengineered 2022; 13:14844-14855. [PMID: 36469646 PMCID: PMC9728467 DOI: 10.1080/21655979.2022.2096303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Neutrophils are the most abundant circulating leukocytes and the first line of defense against invading pathogens. They are key components of the innate immune system. Neutrophils also cause tissue damage in various autoimmune and inflammatory diseases and play an important role in cancer progression. Due to the complex relationship between various diseases and neutrophils, these cells have become potentially important targets for therapeutic interventions. Monitoring neutrophils in the tumor microenvironment is critical for tumor treatment and prognostic analysis but remains challenging. Molecular imaging technology has made great progress as a valuable tool for noninvasively visualizing biological events and establishing effective cancer diagnoses and treatment methods. Molecular probes designed based on the characteristics of neutrophils, such as their flexible morphology, the abundance of surface receptors, and the absence of immunogenicity, have shown great potential. This has created an opportunity for novel ideas and research methods for the diagnosis and targeted therapy of inflammatory diseases and tumors, with the goal of integrated diagnosis and treatment. This review discusses the diverse tumor detection and diagnostic imaging strategies based on neutrophils. It is anticipated that neutrophil-based imaging will soon be gradually integrated into clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiming Meng
- Department of Central Laboratory, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University, Liaoning Cancer Hospital & Institute, Shenyang, China
| | - Jing Sun
- Department of Biobank, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University, Liaoning Cancer Hospital & Institute, Shenyang, China
| | - Guirong Zhang
- Department of Central Laboratory, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University, Liaoning Cancer Hospital & Institute, Shenyang, China
| | - Tao Yu
- Department of Medical Imaging, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University, Liaoning Cancer Hospital & Institute, Shenyang, China,CONTACT Tao Yu Department of Medical Imaging, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University, Liaoning Province Cancer Hospital, No. 44, Xiaoheyan Road, Dadong District, Shenyang, Liaoning110042, China
| | - Haozhe Piao
- Department of Central Laboratory, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University, Liaoning Cancer Hospital & Institute, Shenyang, China,Department of Neurosurgery, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University, Liaoning Cancer Hospital & Institute, Shenyang, China,Haozhe Piao Department of Neurosurgery, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University, Liaoning Province Cancer Hospital, No. 44, Xiaoheyan Road, Dadong District Shenyang, Liaoning 110042, China
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Xu M, Lu JH, Zhong YZ, Jiang J, Shen YZ, Su JY, Lin SY. Immunogenic Cell Death-Relevant Damage-Associated Molecular Patterns and Sensing Receptors in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Molecular Subtypes and Implications for Immunotherapy. Front Oncol 2022; 12:870914. [PMID: 35444934 PMCID: PMC9013947 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.870914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Objectives Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is defined as a highly aggressive type of breast cancer which lacks specific biomarkers and drug targets. Damage-associated molecular pattern (DAMP)-induced immunogenic cell death (ICD) may influence the outcome of immunotherapy for TNBC patients. This study aims to develop a DAMPs gene signature to classify TNBC patients and to further predict their prognosis and immunotherapy outcome. Methods We identified the DAMPs-associated subtypes of 330 TNBCs using K-means analysis. Differences in immune status, genomic alterations, and predicted immunotherapy outcome were compared among each subtype. Results A total of 330 TNBCs were divided into three subtypes according to DAMPs gene expression: the nuclear DAMPs subtype, featuring the upregulation of nuclear DAMPs; the inflammatory DAMPs subtype, characterized by the gene set enrichment of the adaptive immune system and cytokine signaling in the immune system; and the DAMPs-suppressed subtype, having the lowest level of ICD-associated DAMPs. Among them, the inflammatory subtype patients had the most favorable survival, while the DAMPs-suppressed subtype was associated with the worst prognosis. The DAMPs subtyping system was successfully validated in the TCGA cohort. Furthermore, we systemically revealed the genomic alterations among the three DAMPs subtypes. The inflammatory DAMPs subtype was predicted to have the highest response rate to immunotherapy, suggesting that the constructed DAMPs clustering had potential for immunotherapy efficacy prediction. Conclusion We established a novel ICD-associated DAMPs subtyping system in TNBC, and DAMPs expression might be a valuable biomarker for immunotherapy strategies. Our work could be helpful to the development of new immunomodulators and may contribute to the development of precision immunotherapy for TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Xu
- Department of Oncology, Hangzhou TCM Hospital Affiliated to Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Zhejiang, China.,Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, The First People's Hospital of Tongxiang, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jin-Hua Lu
- Department of Oncology, Hangzhou TCM Hospital Affiliated to Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Zhejiang, China
| | - Ya-Zhen Zhong
- Department of Oncology, Hangzhou TCM Hospital Affiliated to Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jing Jiang
- Department of Oncology, Hangzhou TCM Hospital Affiliated to Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yue-Zhong Shen
- Department of Oncology, Hangzhou TCM Hospital Affiliated to Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jing-Yang Su
- Department of Oncology, Hangzhou TCM Hospital Affiliated to Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Zhejiang, China
| | - Sheng-You Lin
- Department of Oncology, Hangzhou TCM Hospital Affiliated to Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Zhejiang, China
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Schuler LA, Murdoch FE. Endogenous and Therapeutic Estrogens: Maestro Conductors of the Microenvironment of ER+ Breast Cancers. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13153725. [PMID: 34359625 PMCID: PMC8345134 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13153725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2021] [Revised: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) marks heterogeneous breast cancers which display a repertoire of somatic genomic mutations and an immune environment that differs from other breast cancer subtypes. These cancers also exhibit distinct biological behaviors; despite an overall better prognosis than HER2+ or triple negative breast cancers, disseminated dormant cells can lead to disease recurrence decades after the initial diagnosis and treatment. Estrogen is the best studied driver of these cancers, and antagonism or reduction of estrogen activity is the cornerstone of therapeutic approaches. In addition to reducing proliferation of ERα+ cancer cells, these treatments also alter signals to multiple other target cells in the environment, including immune cell subpopulations, cancer-associated fibroblasts, and endothelial cells via several distinct estrogen receptors. In this review, we update progress in our understanding of the stromal cells populating the microenvironments of primary and metastatic ER+ tumors, the effects of estrogen on tumor and stromal cells to modulate immune activity and the extracellular matrix, and net outcomes in experimental and clinical studies. We highlight new approaches that will illuminate the unique biology of these cancers, provide the foundation for developing new treatment and prevention strategies, and reduce mortality of this disease.
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