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Nair MG, Mavatkar AD, Naidu CM, V. P. S, C. E. A, Rajarajan S, Sahoo S, Mohan G, Jaikumar VS, Ramesh RS, B. S. S, Jolly MK, Maliekal TT, Prabhu JS. Elucidating the Role of MicroRNA-18a in Propelling a Hybrid Epithelial-Mesenchymal Phenotype and Driving Malignant Progression in ER-Negative Breast Cancer. Cells 2024; 13:821. [PMID: 38786043 PMCID: PMC11119613 DOI: 10.3390/cells13100821] [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: 02/28/2024] [Revised: 04/19/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic alterations that lead to differential expression of microRNAs (miRNAs/miR) are known to regulate tumour cell states, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and the progression to metastasis in breast cancer. This study explores the key contribution of miRNA-18a in mediating a hybrid E/M cell state that is pivotal to the malignant transformation and tumour progression in the aggressive ER-negative subtype of breast cancer. The expression status and associated effects of miR-18a were evaluated in patient-derived breast tumour samples in combination with gene expression data from public datasets, and further validated in in vitro and in vivo breast cancer model systems. The clinical relevance of the study findings was corroborated against human breast tumour specimens (n = 446 patients). The down-regulated expression of miR-18a observed in ER-negative tumours was found to drive the enrichment of hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal (E/M) cells with luminal attributes, enhanced traits of migration, stemness, drug-resistance and immunosuppression. Further analysis of the miR-18a targets highlighted possible hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha (HIF-1α)-mediated signalling in these tumours. This is a foremost report that validates the dual role of miR-18a in breast cancer that is subtype-specific based on hormone receptor expression. The study also features a novel association of low miR-18a levels and subsequent enrichment of hybrid E/M cells, increased migration and stemness in a subgroup of ER-negative tumours that may be attributed to HIF-1α mediated signalling. The results highlight the possibility of stratifying the ER-negative disease into clinically relevant groups by analysing miRNA signatures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madhumathy G. Nair
- Division of Molecular Medicine, St. John’s Research Institute, St. John’s Medical College, Bangalore 560034, Karnataka, India
| | - Apoorva D. Mavatkar
- Division of Molecular Medicine, St. John’s Research Institute, St. John’s Medical College, Bangalore 560034, Karnataka, India
| | - Chandrakala M. Naidu
- Division of Molecular Medicine, St. John’s Research Institute, St. John’s Medical College, Bangalore 560034, Karnataka, India
| | - Snijesh V. P.
- Division of Molecular Medicine, St. John’s Research Institute, St. John’s Medical College, Bangalore 560034, Karnataka, India
| | - Anupama C. E.
- Division of Molecular Medicine, St. John’s Research Institute, St. John’s Medical College, Bangalore 560034, Karnataka, India
| | - Savitha Rajarajan
- Division of Molecular Medicine, St. John’s Research Institute, St. John’s Medical College, Bangalore 560034, Karnataka, India
| | - Sarthak Sahoo
- Department of Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Science (Bangalore), Bengaluru 560012, Karnataka, India
| | - Gayathri Mohan
- Cancer Research, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB), Thiruvananthapuram 695014, Kerala, India
| | - Vishnu Sunil Jaikumar
- Animal Research Facility, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB), Thiruvananthapuram 695014, Kerala, India
| | - Rakesh S. Ramesh
- Department of Surgical Oncology, St. John’s Medical College and Hospital, Bangalore 560034, Karnataka, India
| | - Srinath B. S.
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Sri Shankara Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Bangalore 560004, Karnataka, India
| | - Mohit Kumar Jolly
- Department of Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Science (Bangalore), Bengaluru 560012, Karnataka, India
| | - Tessy Thomas Maliekal
- Cancer Research, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB), Thiruvananthapuram 695014, Kerala, India
| | - Jyothi S. Prabhu
- Division of Molecular Medicine, St. John’s Research Institute, St. John’s Medical College, Bangalore 560034, Karnataka, India
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Nicolini A, Rossi G, Ferrari P. Experimental and clinical evidence in favour of an effective immune stimulation in ER-positive, endocrine-dependent metastatic breast cancer. Front Immunol 2024; 14:1225175. [PMID: 38332913 PMCID: PMC10850262 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1225175] [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: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2024] Open
Abstract
In ER+ breast cancer, usually seen as the low immunogenic type, the main mechanisms favouring the immune response or tumour growth and immune evasion in the tumour microenvironment (TME) have been examined. The principal implications of targeting the oestrogen-mediated pathways were also considered. Recent experimental findings point out that anti-oestrogens contribute to the reversion of the immunosuppressive TME. Moreover, some preliminary clinical data with the hormone-immunotherapy association in a metastatic setting support the notion that the reversion of immune suppression in TME is likely favoured by the G0-G1 state induced by anti-oestrogens. Following immune stimulation, the reverted immune suppression allows the boosting of the effector cells of the innate and adaptive immune response. This suggests that ER+ breast cancer is a molecular subtype where a successful active immune manipulation can be attained. If this is confirmed by a prospective multicentre trial, which is expected in light of the provided evidence, the proposed hormone immunotherapy can also be tested in the adjuvant setting. Furthermore, the different rationale suggests a synergistic activity of our proposed immunotherapy with the currently recommended regimen consisting of antioestrogens combined with cyclin kinase inhibitors. Overall, this lays the foundation for a shift in clinical practice within this most prevalent molecular subtype of breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Nicolini
- Department of Oncology, Transplantations and New Technologies in Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Rossi
- Epidemiology and Biostatistics Unit, Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Research Council and Gabriele Monasterio Foundation, Pisa, Italy
| | - Paola Ferrari
- Department of Oncology, Transplantations and New Technologies in Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
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Bou-Dargham MJ, Sha L, Sarker DB, Krakora-Compagno MZ, Chen Z, Zhang J, Sang QXA. TCGA RNA-Seq and Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocyte Imaging Data Reveal Cold Tumor Signatures of Invasive Ductal Carcinomas and Estrogen Receptor-Positive Human Breast Tumors. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24119355. [PMID: 37298307 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24119355] [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: 04/20/2023] [Revised: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Comparative studies of immune-active hot and immune-deserted cold tumors are critical for identifying therapeutic targets and strategies to improve immunotherapy outcomes in cancer patients. Tumors with high tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) are likely to respond to immunotherapy. We used the human breast cancer RNA-seq data from the cancer genome atlas (TCGA) and classified them into hot and cold tumors based on their lymphocyte infiltration scores. We compared the immune profiles of hot and cold tumors, their corresponding normal tissue adjacent to the tumor (NAT), and normal breast tissues from healthy individuals from the Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) database. Cold tumors showed a significantly lower effector T cells, lower levels of antigen presentation, higher pro-tumorigenic M2 macrophages, and higher expression of extracellular matrix (ECM) stiffness-associated genes. Hot/cold dichotomy was further tested using TIL maps and H&E whole-slide pathology images from the cancer imaging archive (TCIA). Analysis of both datasets revealed that infiltrating ductal carcinoma and estrogen receptor ER-positive tumors were significantly associated with cold features. However, only TIL map analysis indicated lobular carcinomas as cold tumors and triple-negative breast cancers (TNBC) as hot tumors. Thus, RNA-seq data may be clinically relevant to tumor immune signatures when the results are supported by pathological evidence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mayassa J Bou-Dargham
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA
| | - Linlin Sha
- Department of Statistics, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA
| | - Drishty B Sarker
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA
| | | | - Zhui Chen
- Abbisko Therapeutics, Shanghai 200100, China
| | - Jinfeng Zhang
- Department of Statistics, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA
| | - Qing-Xiang Amy Sang
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA
- Institute of Molecular Biophysics, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA
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Yang H, Liu Y, Chen L, Zhao J, Guo M, Zhao X, Wen Z, He Z, Chen C, Xu L. MiRNA-Based Therapies for Lung Cancer: Opportunities and Challenges? Biomolecules 2023; 13:877. [PMID: 37371458 DOI: 10.3390/biom13060877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2023] [Revised: 05/13/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Lung cancer is a commonly diagnosed cancer and the leading cause of cancer-related deaths, posing a serious health risk. Despite new advances in immune checkpoint and targeted therapies in recent years, the prognosis for lung cancer patients, especially those in advanced stages, remains poor. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been shown to modulate tumor development at multiple levels, and as such, miRNA mimics and molecules aimed at regulating miRNAs have shown promise in preclinical development. More importantly, miRNA-based therapies can also complement conventional chemoradiotherapy, immunotherapy, and targeted therapies to reverse drug resistance and increase the sensitivity of lung cancer cells. Furthermore, small interfering RNA (siRNA) and miRNA-based therapies have entered clinical trials and have shown favorable development prospects. Therefore, in this paper, we review recent advances in miRNA-based therapies in lung cancer treatment as well as adjuvant therapy and present the current state of clinical lung cancer treatment. We also discuss the challenges facing miRNA-based therapies in the clinical application of lung cancer treatment to provide new ideas for the development of novel lung cancer therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han Yang
- Special Key Laboratory of Gene Detection and Therapy of Guizhou Province, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi 563000, China
- Department of Immunology, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi 563000, China
| | - Yufang Liu
- Special Key Laboratory of Gene Detection and Therapy of Guizhou Province, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi 563000, China
- Department of Immunology, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi 563000, China
| | - Longqing Chen
- Special Key Laboratory of Gene Detection and Therapy of Guizhou Province, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi 563000, China
- Department of Immunology, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi 563000, China
| | - Juanjuan Zhao
- Special Key Laboratory of Gene Detection and Therapy of Guizhou Province, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi 563000, China
- Department of Immunology, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi 563000, China
| | - Mengmeng Guo
- Special Key Laboratory of Gene Detection and Therapy of Guizhou Province, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi 563000, China
- Department of Immunology, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi 563000, China
| | - Xu Zhao
- Special Key Laboratory of Gene Detection and Therapy of Guizhou Province, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi 563000, China
- Department of Immunology, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi 563000, China
| | - Zhenke Wen
- Institute of Biomedical Research, Soochow University, Soochow 563000, China
| | - Zhixu He
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Tissue Damage Repair and Regeneration Medicine of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi 563000, China
| | - Chao Chen
- Special Key Laboratory of Gene Detection and Therapy of Guizhou Province, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi 563000, China
- Department of Immunology, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi 563000, China
| | - Lin Xu
- Special Key Laboratory of Gene Detection and Therapy of Guizhou Province, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi 563000, China
- Department of Immunology, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi 563000, China
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Hashemi M, Hasani S, Hajimazdarany S, Ghadyani F, Olyaee Y, Khodadadi M, Ziyarani MF, Dehghanpour A, Salehi H, Kakavand A, Goharrizi MASB, Aref AR, Salimimoghadam S, Akbari ME, Taheriazam A, Hushmandi K, Entezari M. Biological functions and molecular interactions of Wnt/β-catenin in breast cancer: Revisiting signaling networks. Int J Biol Macromol 2023; 232:123377. [PMID: 36702226 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.123377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2022] [Revised: 12/27/2022] [Accepted: 01/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Changes in lifestyle such as physical activity and eating habits have been one of the main reasons for development of various diseases in modern world, especially cancer. However, role of genetic factors in initiation of cancer cannot be ignored and Wnt/β-catenin signaling is such factor that can affect tumor progression. Breast tumor is the most malignant tumor in females and it causes high mortality and morbidity around the world. The survival and prognosis of patients are not still desirable, although there have been advances in introducing new kinds of therapies and diagnosis. The present review provides an update of Wnt/β-catenin function in breast cancer malignancy. The upregulation of Wnt is commonly observed during progression of breast tumor and confirms that tumor cells are dependent on this pathway Wnt/β-catenin induction prevents apoptosis that is of importance for mediating drug resistance. Furthermore, Wnt/β-catenin signaling induces DNA damage repair in ameliorating radio-resistance. Wnt/β-catenin enhances proliferation and metastasis of breast tumor. Wnt/β-catenin induces EMT and elevates MMP expression. Furthermore, Wnt/β-catenin participates in tumor microenvironment remodeling and due to its tumor-promoting factor, drugs for its suppression have been developed. Different kinds of upstream mediators Wnt/β-catenin signaling in breast cancer have been recognized that their targeting is a therapeutic approach. Finally, Wnt/β-catenin can be considered as a biomarker in clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehrdad Hashemi
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Advanced Science and Technology, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran; Farhikhtegan Medical Convergence Sciences Research Center, Farhikhtegan Hospital Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sahar Hasani
- Farhikhtegan Medical Convergence Sciences Research Center, Farhikhtegan Hospital Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Shima Hajimazdarany
- Farhikhtegan Medical Convergence Sciences Research Center, Farhikhtegan Hospital Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran; Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Advanced Science and Technology, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Ghadyani
- Farhikhtegan Medical Convergence Sciences Research Center, Farhikhtegan Hospital Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Yeganeh Olyaee
- Farhikhtegan Medical Convergence Sciences Research Center, Farhikhtegan Hospital Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Marzieh Khodadadi
- Farhikhtegan Medical Convergence Sciences Research Center, Farhikhtegan Hospital Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Maryam Fallah Ziyarani
- Farhikhtegan Medical Convergence Sciences Research Center, Farhikhtegan Hospital Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Amir Dehghanpour
- Farhikhtegan Medical Convergence Sciences Research Center, Farhikhtegan Hospital Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hasti Salehi
- Farhikhtegan Medical Convergence Sciences Research Center, Farhikhtegan Hospital Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Amirabbas Kakavand
- Farhikhtegan Medical Convergence Sciences Research Center, Farhikhtegan Hospital Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Amir Reza Aref
- Belfer Center for Applied Cancer Science, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Translational Sciences, Xsphera Biosciences Inc., 6 Tide Street, Boston, MA 02210, USA
| | - Shokooh Salimimoghadam
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran
| | | | - Afshin Taheriazam
- Farhikhtegan Medical Convergence Sciences Research Center, Farhikhtegan Hospital Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran; Department of Orthopedics, Faculty of Medicine, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Kiavash Hushmandi
- Department of Food Hygiene and Quality Control, Division of Epidemiology & Zoonoses, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Maliheh Entezari
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Advanced Science and Technology, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran; Farhikhtegan Medical Convergence Sciences Research Center, Farhikhtegan Hospital Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
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