Genomic Analysis of a Spontaneous Model of Breast Cancer Metastasis to Bone Reveals a Role for the Extracellular Matrix

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Genomic Analysis of a Spontaneous Model of Breast Cancer Metastasis to Bone Reveals a Role for the Extracellular Matrix Genomic Analysis of a Spontaneous Model of Breast Cancer Metastasis to Bone Reveals a Role for the Extracellular Matrix Bedrich L. Eckhardt,1 Belinda S. Parker,1 Ryan K. van Laar,1 Christina M. Restall,1 Anthony L. Natoli,1 Michael D. Tavaria,1 Kym L. Stanley,1 Erica K. Sloan,1 Jane M. Moseley,2 and Robin L. Anderson1 1Trescowthick Research Laboratories, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, East Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia and 2Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, St. Vincent’s Hospital, Fitzroy, Victoria, Australia Abstract involvement in several tissues, including bone, lung, lymph A clinically relevant model of spontaneous breast cancer node, and liver (1). The selective distribution of metastases is metastasis to multiple sites, including bone, was dictated by several factors, including the pattern of vascular characterized and used to identify genes involved in flow from the primary site, complementary adhesive contacts, metastatic progression. The metastatic potential of and molecular interactions between the tumor cell and the several genetically related tumor lines was assayed stroma at the secondary site (2). using a novel real-time quantitative RT-PCR assay of Breast cancer metastases have a strong avidity for bone tumor burden. Based on this assay, the tumor lines were (3, 4), leading to metastases that cause intractable pain, spinal categorized as nonmetastatic (67NR), weakly metastatic cord compression, bone fractures, and hypercalcemia (5, 6). to lymph node (168FARN) or lung (66cl4), or highly Current therapies, including cytotoxic chemotherapy and the metastatic to lymph node, lung, and bone (4T1.2 and administration of bisphosphonates, are rarely curative but can 4T1.13). In vitro assays that mimic stages of metastasis alleviate symptoms arising from bone metastases (7). An showed that highly metastatic tumors lines were more improved understanding of the biological and genetic regula- adhesive, invasive, and migratory than the less tion of breast cancer metastasis to bone is essential to identify metastatic lines. To identify metastasis-related genes novel and more effective molecular targets for therapy. in this model, each metastatic tumor was array profiled The advent of microarray technology has greatly enhanced against the nonmetastatic 67NR using 15,000 mouse the search for genetic regulators and markers of metastasis. cDNA arrays. A significant proportion of genes relating Indeed, arrays have been employed to identify genetic patterns to the extracellular matrix had elevated expression in that are predictive of metastatic relapse (8-10). They have also highly metastatic tumors. The role of one of these genes, been used in animal models of metastasis to determine POEM, was further investigated in the model. In situ molecular mechanisms that dictate metastatic spread (11-14). hybridization showed that POEM expression was Animal models provide an essential and powerful resource to specific to the tumor epithelium of highly metastatic investigate mechanisms of metastasis. However, breast cancer tumors. Decreased POEM expression in 4T1.2 tumors metastasis research is dominated by the use of xenograft models significantly inhibited spontaneous metastasis to the of experimental metastasis, typically involving the injection of lung, bone, and kidney. Taken together, our data human breast tumor cells directly into the circulatory system of support a role for the extracellular matrix in metastatic immunocompromised mice, resulting in metastases in either progression and describe, for the first time, a role for lung (following tail vein injection) or bone (following POEM in this process. (Mol Cancer Res 2005;3(1):1–13) intracardiac injection; refs. 14-17). These models have been valuable for studying the final stages of metastasis, and when Introduction coupled with microarray analysis, they can identify genes that Metastasis is the main cause of morbidity and mortality in regulate the colonization of specific tissues (13, 14). However, cancer patients. In late-stage breast cancer, patients have tumor these models of experimental metastasis involve human tumors in a mouse host and may lack some of the critical tumor-host interactions. In addition, they do not encompass the initial Received 6/1/04; revised 11/19/04; accepted 11/30/04. stages of primary tumor growth, invasion, and metastasis from Grant support: Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program grants an orthotopic site. Thus, array analysis using these experimental DAMD17-98-1-8144 (R.L. Anderson) and DAMD17-01-1-0371 (M.D. Tavaria), metastasis models provides little insight into the biology of Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation predoctoral fellowship (E.K. Sloan), and NIH/National Cancer Institute grant ROI CA90291 (R.L. Anderson). spontaneous metastasis. The costs of publication of this article were defrayed in part by the payment of A clinically relevant animal model of spontaneous breast page charges. This article must therefore be hereby marked advertisement in cancer metastasis to multiple sites, including bone, is now accordance with 18 U.S.C. Section 1734 solely to indicate this fact. Requests for reprints: Robin L. Anderson, Trescowthick Research Laboratories, available (18). Several syngeneic tumor lines with a spectrum of Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Locked Bag 1, A’Beckett Street, Melbourne, metastatic phenotypes have been isolated from a spontaneous Victoria, Australia 8006. Phone: 61-3-9656-1284; Fax: 61-3-9656-1411. E-mail: [email protected] mammary tumor in a BALB/cfC3H mouse (19). When injected Copyright D 2005 American Association for Cancer Research. into the mammary gland of mice, these tumor lines are either Mol Cancer Res 2005;3(1). January 2005 1 Downloaded from mcr.aacrjournals.org on October 1, 2021. © 2005 American Association for Cancer Research. 2 Eckhardt et al. nonmetastatic (67NR; ref. 20), produce spontaneous metastases ALN along with numerous metastatic foci in the lungs (Fig. 1C). to lymph node (168FARN; ref. 21), lung (66cl4; ref. 22), or both When analyzed by q-RT-PCR, high RTB signals were detected in (4T1; ref 20). 4T1.2 and 4T1.13 tumor lines are rare variants the lung (54% tumor tissue), ALN (29%), femur (17%), spine isolated from 4T1 cells that closely mimic the metastatic (10%), kidney (10%), and heart (8%; Fig. 1B). A similar distribution of human breast cancer (18). When grown as a metastatic pattern was observed for the 4T1.13 tumor line. Bone primary tumor in the mammary fat pad of a mouse, these tumor lysis was evident in bone metastases derived from 4T1.2 and lines develop overt metastases in bone, lung, and lymph nodes 4T1.13 tumors (data not shown), consistent with previous reports (18). Furthermore, mice bearing 4T1.2 and 4T1.13 tumors of these tumor lines (18, 24). Tumor signals were also detected in occasionally develop hind limb paralysis and have elevated the brain, liver, and spleen in mice harboring 4T1.2 and 4T1.13 plasma levels of calcium and parathyroid hormone-related tumors albeit to a minor extent (<1%). Thus, 4T1.2 and 4T1.13 protein (PTHrP), two pathologic hallmarks of the human disease can spontaneously metastasize to several organs, but preferential (18, 23). With a diverse range of metastatic capacities, these growth occurs in specific tissues (lung, ALN, and bone). The genetically related tumor lines provide a powerful model to presence of tumor within the ALN of mice bearing 4T1.2 and investigate the molecular events that dictate metastasis of breast 4T1.13 tumors suggests that these lines can also metastasize via cancer. a lymphogenous route. For more accurate analysis of metastasis, a real-time The extent of metastasis from 4T1.2 and 4T1.13 tumors to quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (q-RT-PCR) assay for ALN and lung was f20-fold higher than metastases produced the measurement of tumor burden within a tissue has been by 168FARN and 66cl4 tumors, respectively, indicating that developed. All tumor lines are tagged with a neomycin 4T1.2 and 4T1.13 have a greater metastatic capacity than resistance gene, allowing them to be detected by q-RT-PCR 168FARN and 66cl4. Furthermore, the metastatic distribution of genomic DNA. Using this model of spontaneous breast of 4T1.2 and 4T1.13 tumors is similar to that observed in cancer metastasis, critical metastasis-related genes can be advanced human breast cancer and, to our knowledge, provides identified. Gene expression profiles of metastatic tumors in the only syngeneic mouse model of spontaneous breast cancer this model were compared with the nonmetastatic 67NR using metastasis to bone. cDNA arrays consisting of 15,000 mouse gene elements. Array Representative sections of the kidney, heart, lung, spine, and analysis revealed altered expression of extracellular matrix femur provide further evidence of the difference in extent of (ECM) genes in highly metastatic tumors. One of these genes, metastatic dissemination of the 4T1.2 and 66cl4 tumors POEM, was shown to have a functional role in spontaneous (Fig. 1C). Metastatic lung nodules from 4T1.2 tumors were breast cancer metastasis in the model. larger and more numerous compared with those in the lungs of mice with 66cl4 tumors. Overt metastases in the spine and femur were detected in 4T1.2 and 4T1.13 tumors but not from Results 66cl4 tumors (Fig. 1C; data not shown). These histologic data Characterization of the Metastatic Dissemination of agree with the RTB values determined by q-RT-PCR. Several Syngeneic Mammary Tumor Lines The spontaneous metastatic distribution of each tumor line Increased Adhesion, Migration, and Invasion, but Not was profiled using a sensitive q-RT-PCR assay for tumor Angiogenesis and Proliferation, Correlate with Enhanced burden (Fig. 1A). Tumor cells were inoculated into the fourth Metastatic Capacity inguinal mammary glands of mice. Mice were culled and The processes of angiogenesis, proliferation, cell motility, tissues were excised for genomic DNA extraction when the invasion, and adhesion are critical for the formation of distant average primary tumor weight of each group was f1.5 g or if metastases.
Recommended publications
  • Visualization of the Tumor Functional Landscape Via Metabolic and Vascular Imaging Received: 3 November 2017 Amy F
    www.nature.com/scientificreports OPEN Metaboloptics: Visualization of the tumor functional landscape via metabolic and vascular imaging Received: 3 November 2017 Amy F. Martinez 1, Samuel S. McCachren III1, Marianne Lee1, Helen A. Murphy1, Caigang Accepted: 23 February 2018 Zhu1, Brian T. Crouch1, Hannah L. Martin1, Alaattin Erkanli2, Narasimhan Rajaram 1, Published: xx xx xxxx Kathleen A. Ashcraft3, Andrew N. Fontanella1, Mark W. Dewhirst3 & Nirmala Ramanujam1 Many cancers adeptly modulate metabolism to thrive in fuctuating oxygen conditions; however, current tools fail to image metabolic and vascular endpoints at spatial resolutions needed to visualize these adaptations in vivo. We demonstrate a high-resolution intravital microscopy technique to quantify glucose uptake, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), and SO2 to characterize the in vivo phentoypes of three distinct murine breast cancer lines. Tetramethyl rhodamine, ethyl ester (TMRE) was thoroughly validated to report on MMP in normal and tumor-bearing mice. Imaging MMP or glucose uptake together with vascular endpoints revealed that metastatic 4T1 tumors maintained increased glucose uptake across all SO2 (“Warburg efect”), and also showed increased MMP relative to normal tissue. Non-metastatic 67NR and 4T07 tumor lines both displayed increased MMP, but comparable glucose uptake, relative to normal tissue. The 4T1 peritumoral areas also showed a signifcant glycolytic shift relative to the tumor regions. During a hypoxic stress test, 4T1 tumors showed signifcant increases in MMP with corresponding signifcant drops in SO2, indicative of intensifed mitochondrial metabolism. Conversely, 4T07 and 67NR tumors shifted toward glycolysis during hypoxia. Our fndings underscore the importance of imaging metabolic endpoints within the context of a living microenvironment to gain insight into a tumor’s adaptive behavior.
    [Show full text]
  • Breast Cancer Resource Book Breast Cancer Resource BOOK
    TM Breast Cancer Resource Book BREAST CANCER RESOURCE BOOK Table of Contents Introduction ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 1 Tumor Cell Lines ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 2 Tumor Cell Panels ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 3 hTERT immortalized Cells ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 4 Primary Cells ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 5 Culture and Assay Reagents �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 6 Transfection Reagents ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 8 Appendix ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 9 Tumor Cell Lines ................................................................................................................................................................................. 9 Tumor Cell
    [Show full text]
  • Transcriptome Profiling of a TGF-Β-Induced Epithelial-To
    Oncogene (2010) 29, 831–844 & 2010 Macmillan Publishers Limited All rights reserved 0950-9232/10 $32.00 www.nature.com/onc ORIGINAL ARTICLE Transcriptome profiling of a TGF-b-induced epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition reveals extracellular clusterin as a target for therapeutic antibodies AEG Lenferink1, C Cantin1, A Nantel2, E Wang3, Y Durocher4, M Banville1, B Paul-Roc1, A Marcil2, MR Wilson5 and MD O’Connor-McCourt1 1Receptor, Signaling and Proteomics Group, Biotechnology Research Institute, National Research Council of Canada, Montre´al, Quebec, Canada; 2Genetics Group, Biotechnology Research Institute, National Research Council of Canada, Montre´al, Quebec, Canada; 3Computational Chemistry and Biology Group, Biotechnology Research Institute, National Research Council of Canada, Montre´al, Quebec, Canada; 4Animal Cell Culture Technology Group, Biotechnology Research Institute, National Research Council of Canada, Montre´al, Quebec, Canada and 5School of Biological Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia Transforming growth factor (TGF)-b plays a dual role in Keywords: TGF-b; clusterin; EMT; invasion; breast tumorigenesis, switching from acting as a growth inhibi- cancer tory tumor suppressor early in the process, to a tumor promoter in late-stage disease. Since TGF-b’s prometa- static role may be linked to its ability to induce tumor cell epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), we explored Introduction TGF-b’s EMT-promoting pathways by analysing the transcriptome changes occurring in BRI-JM01 mammary tumor epithelial cells undergoing a TGF-b-induced EMT. Transforming growth factor (TGF)-b is a multifunc- We found the clusterin gene to be the most highly tional cytokine that controls a plethora of cellular upregulated throughout most of the TGF-b time course, processes during embryonic development and adult and showed that this results in an increase of the secreted tissue homeostasis (Siegel and Massague, 2003).
    [Show full text]
  • Molecular Response of 4T1-Induced Mouse Mammary Tumours and Healthy Tissues to Zinc Treatment
    1810 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ONCOLOGY 46: 1810-1818, 2015 Molecular response of 4T1-induced mouse mammary tumours and healthy tissues to zinc treatment MARKeta Sztalmachova1,2, JAROMIR GUMULEC1,2, Martina RAUDENSKA1,2, HANA POLANSKA1,2, MONIKA Holubova1,3, JAN Balvan1,2, KRISTYNA HUDcova1,2, LUCIA KNOPfova4,5, RENE KIZEK2,6, VOJTECH ADAM2,6, PETR BABULA3 and MICHAL MASARIK1,2 1Department of Pathological Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, CZ-625 00 Brno; 2Central European Institute of Technology, Brno University of Technology, CZ-616 00 Brno; 3Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, CZ-625 00 Brno; 4Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, CZ-625 00 Brno; 5International Clinical Research Center, Center for Biological and Cellular Engineering, St. Anne's University Hospital, CZ-656 91 Brno; 6Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mendel University in Brno, CZ-613 00 Brno, Czech Republic Received November 6, 2014; Accepted December 29, 2014 DOI: 10.3892/ijo.2015.2883 Abstract. Breast cancer patients negative for the nuclear Introduction oestrogen receptor α have a particularly poor prognosis. Therefore, the 4T1 cell line (considered as a triple-negative Breast cancer is one of the most frequent cancers in females model) was chosen to induce malignancy in mice. The aim worldwide. Patients negative for the nuclear oestrogen of the present study was to assess if zinc ions, provided in receptor ER-α (oestrogen receptor α) have a particularly poor excess, may significantly modify the process of mammary prognosis (1). Therefore, we focused on neoplastic processes oncogenesis. Zn(II) ions were chosen because of their docu- induced in mice by ER-α-negative tumours.
    [Show full text]
  • Manipulation of Iron Transporter Genes Results in the Suppression of Human and Mouse Mammary Adenocarcinomas
    ANTICANCER RESEARCH 30: 759-766 (2010) Manipulation of Iron Transporter Genes Results in the Suppression of Human and Mouse Mammary Adenocarcinomas XIAN P. JIANG, ROBERT L. ELLIOTT and JONATHAN F. HEAD Elliott-Elliott-Head Breast Cancer Research and Treatment Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70816, U.S.A. Abstract. Since malignant cells often have a high demand for Iron is an essential micronutrient necessary for nearly all iron, we hypothesize that breast cancer cells may alter the living cells. It is required by a large number of heme and non- expression of iron transporter genes including iron importers heme enzymes, which have essential functions in oxygen [transferrin receptor (TFRC) and solute carrier family 11 transport and oxidative phosphorylation (1). Iron is a cofactor (proton-coupled divalent metal ion transporters), member 2 of ribonucleotide reductase, which is a salvage enzyme that (SLC11A2)] and the iron exporter SLC40A1 (ferroportin), and converts ribonucleotides to deoxyribonucleotides and additionally that the growth of breast cancer can be inhibited therefore is a key enzyme in DNA synthesis. Ribonucleotide by manipulating iron transporter gene expression. To test our reductase turns over rapidly and needs a continuous supply hypothesis, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction of iron to maintain its activity (2, 3). Thus, iron is directly (RT-PCR) was used to determine mRNA expression of iron associated with cell proliferation. transporter genes in normal human mammary epithelial MCF- Cellular iron homeostasis assures adequate iron supply for 12A cells and human breast cancer MCF-7 cells. Antisense the various metabolic needs of individual cells, as long as oligonucleotides were employed to suppress the expression of extracellular iron concentrations remain in the normal range.
    [Show full text]
  • Anti-Inflammatory Signaling by Mammary Tumor Cells Mediates
    Steenbrugge et al. Journal of Experimental & Clinical Cancer Research (2018) 37:191 https://doi.org/10.1186/s13046-018-0860-x RESEARCH Open Access Anti-inflammatory signaling by mammary tumor cells mediates prometastatic macrophage polarization in an innovative intraductal mouse model for triple-negative breast cancer Jonas Steenbrugge1,2,3* , Koen Breyne1,3,8, Kristel Demeyere1, Olivier De Wever3,4, Niek N. Sanders3,5, Wim Van Den Broeck6, Cecile Colpaert7, Peter Vermeulen2, Steven Van Laere2 and Evelyne Meyer1,3 Abstract Background: Murine breast cancer models relying on intraductal tumor cell inoculations are attractive because they allow the study of breast cancer from early ductal carcinoma in situ to metastasis. Using a fully immunocompetent 4T1- based intraductal model for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) we aimed to investigate the immunological responses that guide such intraductal tumor progression, focusing on the prominent role of macrophages. Methods: Intraductal inoculations were performed in lactating female mice with luciferase-expressing 4T1 mammary tumor cells either with or without additional RAW264.7 macrophages, mimicking basal versus increased macrophage- tumor cell interactions in the ductal environment. Imaging of 4T1-derived luminescence was used to monitor primary tumor growth and metastases. Tumor proliferation, hypoxia, disruption of the ductal architecture and tumor immune populations were determined immunohistochemically. M1- (pro-inflammatory) and M2-related (anti-inflammatory) cytokine levels were determined by Luminex assays and ELISA to investigate the activation state of the macrophage inoculum. Levels of the metastatic proteins matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) as well as of the immune-related disease biomarkers chitinase 3-like 1 (CHI3L1) and lipocalin 2 (LCN2) were measured by ELISA to evaluate diseaseprogressionattheproteinlevel.
    [Show full text]
  • Melatonin Inhibits Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Progression Through the Lnc049808-FUNDC1 Pathway
    www.nature.com/cddis ARTICLE OPEN Melatonin inhibits triple-negative breast cancer progression through the Lnc049808-FUNDC1 pathway 1,5 2,3,5 4,5 1 1 1 1 2 ✉ 1 ✉ Anli Yang ✉, Fu Peng , Lewei Zhu , Xing Li , Shunling Ou , Zhongying Huang , Song Wu , Cheng Peng , Peng Liu and Yanan Kong1 © The Author(s) 2021 Melatonin has been reported to have tumor-suppressive effects via comprehensive molecular mechanisms, and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) may participate in this process. However, the mechanism by which melatonin affects the function of lncRNAs in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), the most aggressive subtype of breast cancer, is still unknown. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the differentially expressed mRNAs and lncRNAs in melatonin-treated TNBC cells and the interaction mechanisms. Microarray analyses were performed to identify differentially expressed mRNAs and lncRNAs in TNBC cell lines after melatonin treatment. To explore the functions and underlying mechanisms of the mRNAs and lncRNAs candidates, a series of in vitro experiments were conducted, including CCK-8, Transwell, colony formation, luciferase reporter gene, and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assays, and mouse xenograft models were established. We found that after melatonin treatment, FUNDC1 and lnc049808 downregulated in TNBC cell lines. Knockdown of FUNDC1 and lnc049808 inhibited TNBC cell proliferation, invasion, and metastasis. Moreover, lnc049808 and FUNDC1 acted as competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) for binding to miR-101. These findings indicated that melatonin inhibited TNBC progression through the lnc049808-FUNDC1 pathway and melatonin could be used as a potential therapeutic agent for TNBC. Cell Death and Disease (2021) 12:712 ; https://doi.org/10.1038/s41419-021-04006-x INTRODUCTION LncRNAs, more than 200 nucleotides, are a type of transcript Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) accounts for 15–20% of all without protein translation.
    [Show full text]
  • Calcitriol in the Presence of Conditioned Media from Metastatic
    cancers Article Calcitriol in the Presence of Conditioned Media from Metastatic Breast Cancer Cells Enhances Ex Vivo Polarization of M2 Alternative Murine Bone Marrow-Derived Macrophages Artur Anisiewicz * , Natalia Łab˛ed´z , Izabela Krauze and Joanna Wietrzyk Department of Experimental Oncology, Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, 53-114 Wroclaw, Poland; [email protected] (N.Ł.); [email protected] (I.K.); [email protected] (J.W.) * Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel.: +48-71-337-11-72 (ext. 330) Received: 9 November 2020; Accepted: 19 November 2020; Published: 23 November 2020 Simple Summary: In this study, we stimulated bone marrow-derived macrophages to M0, M1, and M2 subtypes, with or without calcitriol, or with or without 4T1 (metastatic), 67NR (non-metastatic), and Eph4-Ev (normal) cell culture supernatants (CMs) to test their effect on polarization. We showed that calcitriol increased the expression of Cd206 and Spp1 mRNA and CD36, CCL2, and arginase levels for M2 macrophages and decreased Cd80 and Spp1 mRNA and IL-1, IL-6, OPN, and iNOS for M1 macrophages. 4T1 CM influenced the expression of the studied genes and proteins to a greater extent than 67NR and Eph4; the strongest effect was noted for M2 macrophages. We show that calcitriol and 4T1 CM enhance the polarization of M2 macrophages and M2 macrophages differentiated with calcitriol-stimulated migration of 4T1 and 67NR cells. We indicate that the immunosuppressive properties of calcitriol may unfavorably affect the tumor microenvironment, and supplementation with vitamin D in oncological patients may not always bring benefits.
    [Show full text]
  • Phenotypic Heterogeneity of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Mediated by Epithelial–Mesenchymal Plasticity
    cancers Review Phenotypic Heterogeneity of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Mediated by Epithelial–Mesenchymal Plasticity Barbora Kvokaˇcková 1,2,3,Ján Remšík 4, Mohit Kumar Jolly 5 and Karel Souˇcek 1,2,3,* 1 Department of Cytokinetics, Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 612 65 Brno, Czech Republic; [email protected] 2 International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne’s University Hospital, 656 91 Brno, Czech Republic 3 Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic 4 Human Oncology & Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA; [email protected] 5 Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected] Simple Summary: Epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) and its reverse process mesenchymal– epithelial transition (MET) are considered critical events in the cancer progression. These programs are tightly connected with the development of metastasis–the lethal stage of the disease. Both EMT and MET shape the biology of unusually aggressive and heterogeneous triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). In this review, we summarize the current knowledge of EMT/MET plasticity in the context of TNBC, with a special focus on drivers and mechanisms behind these processes. Abstract: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a subtype of breast carcinoma known for its unusually aggressive behavior and poor clinical outcome. Besides the lack of molecular targets Citation: Kvokaˇcková,B.; Remšík, J.; for therapy and profound intratumoral heterogeneity, the relatively quick overt metastatic spread Jolly, M.K.; Souˇcek,K. Phenotypic remains a major obstacle in effective clinical management.
    [Show full text]
  • Development of Transplantable Mouse Models to Assess the Role of Prolactin Inducible Protein in Breast Tumorigenesis
    DEVELOPMENT OF TRANSPLANTABLE MOUSE MODELS TO ASSESS THE ROLE OF PROLACTIN INDUCIBLE PROTEIN IN BREAST TUMORIGENESIS By CHIDALU ARNOLD EDECHI A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies of The University of Manitoba in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE Department of Pathology University of Manitoba Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada Copyright © 2019 by Chidalu Arnold Edechi ABSTRACT Breast cancer (BC), a highly heterogenous disease, is the most prevalent cancer in women. The prolactin inducible protein (PIP) is expressed by over 90% of BCs to varying degrees. Higher PIP expression levels have been shown to correlate with better prognosis and patient response to chemotherapy. Previous studies suggest an immunomodulatory role, however, the role of PIP in BC pathogenesis is unknown. In addition to its role in innate immunity, our laboratory has previously shown that deficiency of PIP is associated with defective type 1 T-helper (Th1) cell immune response, which operates as a critical adaptive immune component for antitumor immunity. Therefore, it was hypothesized that PIP inhibits BC and enhances antitumor immunity. Here, the role of PIP in BC progression was investigated using syngeneic transplantable BC mouse models developed from 4T1 and E0771 mouse BC cell lines. PIP was overexpressed in both cell lines and characterized using a number of in vitro functional assays. Following the transplantation of these lines in syngeneic mice, the impact of PIP expression on breast tumorigenesis in vivo was also assessed with specific focus on tumor onset, growth, size, immune response, and metastasis. In vitro functional assay comparisons revealed no differences in proliferation, migration, and response to anticancer drugs in both cell lines.
    [Show full text]
  • Tiny Mirnas Play a Big Role in the Treatment of Breast Cancer Metastasis
    cancers Review Tiny miRNAs Play a Big Role in the Treatment of Breast Cancer Metastasis Andrea York Tiang Teo 1,2, Xiaoqiang Xiang 3 , Minh TN Le 4 , Andrea Li-Ann Wong 1,2,5, Qi Zeng 6 , Lingzhi Wang 2,4,* and Boon-Cher Goh 1,2,4,5,* 1 Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117600, Singapore; [email protected] (A.Y.T.T.); [email protected] (A.L.-A.W.) 2 Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117599, Singapore 3 Department of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai 20203, China; [email protected] 4 Institute for Digital Medicine and Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117600, Singapore; [email protected] 5 Department of Haematology–Oncology, National University Cancer Institute, Singapore 119228, Singapore 6 Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore 138673, Singapore; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected] (L.W.); [email protected] (B.-C.G.) Simple Summary: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as important regulators of tumour pro- gression and metastasis in breast cancer. Through a review of multiple studies, this paper has identified the key regulatory roles of oncogenic miRNAs in breast cancer metastasis including the potentiation of angiogenesis, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, the Warburg effect, and the tumour microenvironment. Several approaches have been studied for selective targeting of breast tumours by miRNAs, ranging from delivery systems such as extracellular vesicles and liposomes to the use of prodrugs and functionally modified vehicle-free miRNAs.
    [Show full text]
  • Pharmacological Activation of Estrogen Receptor Beta Augments
    Pharmacological activation of estrogen receptor PNAS PLUS beta augments innate immunity to suppress cancer metastasis Linjie Zhaoa,1, Shuang Huanga,1, Shenglin Meib,1, Zhengnan Yanga, Lian Xuc, Nianxin Zhoua, Qilian Yanga, Qiuhong Shena, Wei Wangd, Xiaobing Lea, Wayne Bond Laue, Bonnie Lauf, Xin Wangd, Tao Yia, Xia Zhaoa, Yuquan Weia, Margaret Warnerg,h, Jan-Åke Gustafssong,h,2, and Shengtao Zhoua,2 aDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children of Ministry of Education and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center, 610041 Chengdu, People’s Republic of China; bShanghai Key Laboratory of Tuberculosis, Clinical Translational Research Center, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University, 200433 Shanghai, People’s Republic of China; cDepartment of Pathology, West China Second Hospital of Sichuan University, 610041 Chengdu, People’sRepublicof China; dDepartment of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, 999077 Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong, People’sRepublicofChina;eDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, PA 19107; fDepartment of Surgery, Emergency Medicine, Kaiser Permanente Santa Clara Medical Center (affiliate of Stanford University), Santa Clara, CA 95051; gDepartment of Biology and Biochemistry, Center for Nuclear Receptors and Cell Signaling, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204; and hDepartment of Biosciences and Nutrition, Novum, Karolinska Institute, 14186 Stockholm, Sweden Contributed by Jan-Åke Gustafsson, March 6, 2018 (sent for review February 22, 2018; reviewed by Yunlong Lei and Haineng Xu) Metastases constitute the greatest causes of deaths from cancer. mosome 14. Both ERα and ERβ are expressed in a wide range of However, no effective therapeutic options currently exist for cancer normal tissues and cell types throughout the body.
    [Show full text]