Expression and Anticoagulant Function of the Endothelial Cell Protein C Receptor (EPCR) in Cancer Cell Lines

SummaryInduction of procoagulant factors in malignant cells is considered to be the major cause of coagulation disorders in cancer. Thrombomodulin (TM), a negative regulator of coagulation was also found to be expressed in cancer cells. We report here evidence for another anticoagulant, the endothelial cell protein C receptor (EPCR), in cancer cells. EPCR was detected in several cell lines derived from various types of cancer. Significant levels of protein C (PC) activation were detected only with cell lines expressed both EPCR and TM. Anti-EPCR monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) specifically inhibited the activation. Thus, EPCR function appears to be important for PC activation by cancer cells. In addition, we detected EPCR expression in tumor cells from breast cancer patients, with an extremely high frequency. EPCR function may contribute to progression or pathogenesis of some types of cancer, and may explain the complexity of coagulopathy in cancer patients.

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MMP1 and MMP11 expression in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells upon their interaction with Breast Cancer Cells and Fibroblasts

10.21203/rs.3.rs-49966/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Noemi Eiro ◽

Sandra Cid ◽

Nuria Aguado ◽

María Fraile ◽

Jorge Rubén Cabrera ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Gene Expression ◽

Cancer Cells ◽

Cancer Patients ◽

Cell Lines ◽

Cancer Cell ◽

Breast Cancer Cell ◽

Breast Cancer Cell Lines ◽

Breast Cancer Patients ◽

Inflammatory Genes

Abstract Background: Tumor-infiltrating immune cells phenotype is associated with tumor progression. However, little is known about the phenotype of the Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells (PBMC) from breast cancer patients. Here, we investigated the expression of MMP1 and MMP11 in PBMC from breast cancer patients and we analyzed gene expression changes upon their interaction with cancer cells and Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts (CAF). Finally, we measured the impact of PBMC in proinflammatory genes expression in normal fibroblast and CAF.Results: Gene expression of MMP1 and MMP11 in PBMC from breast cancer patients (n=54) and control (n=28), and expression of IL1A, IL6, IL17, IFNβ and NFB in breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231), CAF and in Normal Fibroblasts (NF) were analyzed by qRT-PCR before and after co-culture. Our results show the existence of a group of breast cancer patients (25.9%) with very high levels of MMP11 gene expression in PBMC. Also, we present evidence of increased gene expression of MMP1 and MMP11 in PBMC after co-culture with breast cancer cell lines, NF or CAF. Finally, we show a differential expression profile of inflammatory genes in NF and CAF when co-cultured with control or breast cancer PBMC.Conclusions: We have observed that MMPs expression in PBMC is regulated by the microenvironment, while the expression of inflammatory genes in NF or CAF is differentially regulated by control or breast cancer PBMC. These findings confirm the importance of the interaction and communication between stromal cells and suggest that PBMC would play a role to promote an aggressive tumor behavior.

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Bag-1 stimulates Bad phosphorylation through activation of Akt and Raf kinases to mediate cell survival in breast cancer

BMC Cancer ◽

10.1186/s12885-019-6477-4 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Tugba Kizilboga ◽

Emine Arzu Baskale ◽

Jale Yildiz ◽

Izzet Mehmet Akcay ◽

Ebru Zemheri ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Cell Survival ◽

Cancer Cells ◽

Cancer Patients ◽

Cell Lines ◽

Breast Cancer Cells ◽

Ectopic Expression ◽

Breast Tumors ◽

Breast Cancer Patients ◽

Normal Tissues

Abstract Background Bag-1 (Bcl-2-associated athanogene) is a multifunctional anti-apoptotic protein frequently overexpressed in cancer. Bag-1 interacts with a variety of cellular targets including Hsp70/Hsc70 chaperones, Bcl-2, nuclear hormone receptors, Akt and Raf kinases. In this study, we investigated in detail the effects of Bag-1 on major cell survival pathways associated with breast cancer. Methods Using immunoblot analysis, we examined Bag-1 expression profiles in tumor and normal tissues of breast cancer patients with different receptor status. We investigated the effects of Bag-1 on cell proliferation, apoptosis, Akt and Raf kinase pathways, and Bad phosphorylation by implementing ectopic expression or knockdown of Bag-1 in MCF-7, BT-474, MDA-MB-231 and MCF-10A breast cell lines. We also tested these in tumor and normal tissues from breast cancer patients. We investigated the interactions between Bag-1, Akt and Raf kinases in cell lines and tumor tissues by co-immunoprecipitation, and their subcellular localization by immunocytochemistry and immunohistochemistry. Results We observed that Bag-1 is overexpressed in breast tumors in all molecular subtypes, i.e., regardless of their ER, PR and Her2 expression profile. Ectopic expression of Bag-1 in breast cancer cell lines results in the activation of B-Raf, C-Raf and Akt kinases, which are also upregulated in breast tumors. Bag-1 forms complexes with B-Raf, C-Raf and Akt in breast cancer cells, enhancing their phosphorylation and activation, and ultimately leading to phosphorylation of the pro-apoptotic Bad protein at Ser112 and Ser136. This causes Bad’s re-localization to the nucleus, and inhibits apoptosis in favor of cell survival. Conclusions Overall, Bad inhibition by Bag-1 through activation of Raf and Akt kinases is an effective survival and growth strategy exploited by breast cancer cells. Therefore, targeting the molecular interactions between Bag-1 and these kinases might prove an effective anticancer therapy.

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Endothelial cell protein C receptor promotes MGC803 gastric cancer cells proliferation and migration by activating ERK1/2

Medical Oncology ◽

10.1007/s12032-015-0614-y ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 32 (5) ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Qingling Wang ◽

Qingru Liu ◽

Tianyuan Wang ◽

Hongli Yang ◽

Zhengjie Han ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gastric Cancer ◽

Endothelial Cell ◽

Cancer Cells ◽

Protein C ◽

Cell Protein ◽

Gastric Cancer Cells ◽

And Migration ◽

Proliferation And Migration

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High Levels of Circulating Thrombomodulin in Human Foetuses and Children

Thrombosis and Haemostasis ◽

10.1055/s-0037-1614596 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 81 (06) ◽

pp. 906-909 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Marie-Hélène Aurousseau ◽

Danielle Gozin ◽

Fernand Daffos ◽

Armando D’Angelo ◽

François Forestier ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cell Proliferation ◽

Endothelial Cell ◽

Protein C ◽

Endothelial Cell Surface ◽

A Value ◽

Median Level ◽

Group A ◽

Anticoagulant Function ◽

Cell Surface Proteoglycan ◽

Human Foetuses

SummaryThrombomodulin (TM) is an endothelial cell surface proteoglycan with anticoagulant functions, also implicated in cell proliferation, cell-cell adhesion and differentiation. In this study we determined circulating plasma TM (pTM) levels in human foetuses at different stages of pregnancy, at birth and in childhood. TM levels increased with gestational age, the median level reaching a peak of approximately 165 ng/ml between the 23rd and 26th week, thereafter decreasing gradually, reaching a value of 108 ng/ml at birth. pTM continues to decrease progressively during childhood, reaching in the 5-15 years group a median of 56 ng/ml which approaches the adult value. The pTM peak was statistically significant and represents a specific foetal phenomenon as it was independent of the corresponding maternal values. As a whole, the pTM pattern during foetal maturation appears totally different from that of protein C, prothrombin and other coagulation activators and inhibitors and thus, TM may play in the foetus another role in addition to its well-known anticoagulant function.

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Antiplatelet Therapy Combined with Anastrozole Induces Features of Partial EMT in Breast Cancer Cells and Fails to Mitigate Breast-Cancer Induced Hypercoagulation

International Journal of Molecular Sciences ◽

10.3390/ijms22084153 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 22 (8) ◽

pp. 4153

Author(s):

Kutlwano R. Xulu ◽

Tanya N. Augustine

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Cancer Cells ◽

Cancer Patients ◽

Antiplatelet Therapy ◽

Cell Lines ◽

Cancer Cell ◽

Breast Cancer Cell ◽

Breast Cancer Cells ◽

Cancer Cell Lines ◽

Breast Cancer Cell Lines

Thromboembolic complications are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in cancer patients. Cancer patients often present with an increased risk for thrombosis including hypercoagulation, so the application of antiplatelet strategies to oncology warrants further investigation. This study investigated the effects of anastrozole and antiplatelet therapy (aspirin/clopidogrel cocktail or atopaxar) treatment on the tumour responses of luminal phenotype breast cancer cells and induced hypercoagulation. Ethical clearance was obtained (M150263). Blood was co-cultured with breast cancer cell lines (MCF7 and T47D) pre-treated with anastrozole and/or antiplatelet drugs for 24 h. Hypercoagulation was indicated by thrombin production and platelet activation (morphological and molecular). Gene expression associated with the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) was assessed in breast cancer cells, and secreted cytokines associated with tumour progression were evaluated. Data were analysed with the PAST3 software. Our findings showed that antiplatelet therapies (aspirin/clopidogrel cocktail and atopaxar) combined with anastrozole failed to prevent hypercoagulation and induced evidence of a partial EMT. Differences in tumour responses that modulate tumour aggression were noted between breast cancer cell lines, and this may be an important consideration in the clinical management of subphenotypes of luminal phenotype breast cancer. Further investigation is needed before this treatment modality (combined hormone and antiplatelet therapy) can be considered for managing tumour associated-thromboembolic disorder.

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Targeting PKM2 promotes chemosensitivity of breast cancer cells in vitro and in vivo

Cancer Biomarkers ◽

10.3233/cbm-210111 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-10

Author(s):

Yu Wang ◽

Han Zhao ◽

Ping Zhao ◽

Xingang Wang

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy ◽

Cancer Cells ◽

Cancer Patients ◽

Poor Prognosis ◽

Breast Cancer Cells ◽

Breast Cancer Patients ◽

Cancer Tissues

BACKGROUND: Pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2) was overexpressed in many cancers, and high PKM2 expression was related with poor prognosis and chemoresistance. OBJECTIVE: We investigated the expression of PKM2 in breast cancer and analyzed the relation of PKM2 expression with chemotherapy resistance to the neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). We also investigated whether PKM2 could reverse chemoresistance in breast cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. METHODS: Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was performed in 130 surgical resected breast cancer tissues. 78 core needle biopsies were collected from breast cancer patients before neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The relation of PKM2 expression and multi-drug resistance to NAC was compared. The effect of PKM2 silencing or overexpression on Doxorubicin (DOX) sensitivity in the MCF-7 cells in vitro and in vivo was compared. RESULTS: PKM2 was intensively expressed in breast cancer tissues compared to adjacent normal tissues. In addition, high expression of PKM2 was associated with poor prognosis in breast cancer patients. The NAC patients with high PKM2 expression had short survival. PKM2 was an independent prognostic predictor for surgical resected breast cancer and NAC patients. High PKM2 expression was correlated with neoadjuvant treatment resistance. High PKM2 expression significantly distinguished chemoresistant patients from chemosensitive patients. In vitro and in vivo knockdown of PKM2 expression decreases the resistance to DOX in breast cancer cells in vitro and tumors in vivo. CONCLUSION: PKM2 expression was associated with chemoresistance of breast cancers, and could be used to predict the chemosensitivity. Furthermore, targeting PKM2 could reverse chemoresistance, which provides an effective treatment methods for patients with breast cancer.

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The Mechanical Fingerprint of Circulating Tumor Cells (CTCs) in Breast Cancer Patients

Cancers ◽

10.3390/cancers13051119 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (5) ◽

pp. 1119

Author(s):

Ivonne Nel ◽

Erik W. Morawetz ◽

Dimitrij Tschodu ◽

Josef A. Käs ◽

Bahriye Aktas

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Cancer Cells ◽

Cancer Patients ◽

Tumor Cells ◽

Circulating Tumor Cells ◽

Hematopoietic Cells ◽

Surrogate Marker ◽

Clinical Samples ◽

Breast Cancer Patients ◽

Shape Restoration

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are a potential predictive surrogate marker for disease monitoring. Due to the sparse knowledge about their phenotype and its changes during cancer progression and treatment response, CTC isolation remains challenging. Here we focused on the mechanical characterization of circulating non-hematopoietic cells from breast cancer patients to evaluate its utility for CTC detection. For proof of premise, we used healthy peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), human MDA-MB 231 breast cancer cells and human HL-60 leukemia cells to create a CTC model system. For translational experiments CD45 negative cells—possible CTCs—were isolated from blood samples of patients with mamma carcinoma. Cells were mechanically characterized in the optical stretcher (OS). Active and passive cell mechanical data were related with physiological descriptors by a random forest (RF) classifier to identify cell type specific properties. Cancer cells were well distinguishable from PBMC in cell line tests. Analysis of clinical samples revealed that in PBMC the elliptic deformation was significantly increased compared to non-hematopoietic cells. Interestingly, non-hematopoietic cells showed significantly higher shape restoration. Based on Kelvin–Voigt modeling, the RF algorithm revealed that elliptic deformation and shape restoration were crucial parameters and that the OS discriminated non-hematopoietic cells from PBMC with an accuracy of 0.69, a sensitivity of 0.74, and specificity of 0.63. The CD45 negative cell population in the blood of breast cancer patients is mechanically distinguishable from healthy PBMC. Together with cell morphology, the mechanical fingerprint might be an appropriate tool for marker-free CTC detection.

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MAT2A Localization and Its Independently Prognostic Relevance in Breast Cancer Patients

International Journal of Molecular Sciences ◽

10.3390/ijms22105382 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 22 (10) ◽

pp. 5382

Author(s):

Pei-Yi Chu ◽

Hsing-Ju Wu ◽

Shin-Mae Wang ◽

Po-Ming Chen ◽

Feng-Yao Tang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Survival Rate ◽

Protein Expression ◽

Cancer Patients ◽

Cell Lines ◽

Cancer Cell ◽

Breast Cancer Cell ◽

Breast Cancer Cell Lines ◽

Breast Cancer Patients ◽

Expression Ratio

(1) Background: methionine cycle is not only essential for cancer cell proliferation but is also critical for metabolic reprogramming, a cancer hallmark. Hepatic and extrahepatic tissues methionine adenosyltransferases (MATs) are products of two genes, MAT1A and MAT2A that catalyze the formation of S-adenosylmethionine (SAM), the principal biological methyl donor. Glycine N-methyltransferase (GNMT) further utilizes SAM for sarcosine formation, thus it regulates the ratio of SAM:S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH). (2) Methods: by analyzing the TCGA/GTEx datasets available within GEPIA2, we discovered that breast cancer patients with higher MAT2A had worse survival rate (p = 0.0057). Protein expression pattern of MAT1AA, MAT2A and GNMT were investigated in the tissue microarray in our own cohort (n = 252) by immunohistochemistry. MAT2A C/N expression ratio and cell invasion activity were further investigated in a panel of breast cancer cell lines. (3) Results: GNMT and MAT1A were detected in the cytoplasm, whereas MAT2A showed both cytoplasmic and nuclear immunoreactivity. Neither GNMT nor MAT1A protein expression was associated with patient survival rate in our cohort. Kaplan–Meier survival curves showed that a higher cytoplasmic/nuclear (C/N) MAT2A protein expression ratio correlated with poor overall survival (5 year survival rate: 93.7% vs. 83.3%, C/N ratio ≥ 1.0 vs. C/N ratio < 1.0, log-rank p = 0.004). Accordingly, a MAT2A C/N expression ratio ≥ 1.0 was determined as an independent risk factor by Cox regression analysis (hazard ratio = 2.771, p = 0.018, n = 252). In vitro studies found that breast cancer cell lines with a higher MAT2A C/N ratio were more invasive. (4) Conclusions: the subcellular localization of MAT2A may affect its functions, and elevated MAT2A C/N ratio in breast cancer cells is associated with increased invasiveness. MAT2A C/N expression ratio determined by IHC staining could serve as a novel independent prognostic marker for breast cancer.

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Clinical Significance of Annexin A2 Expression in Breast Cancer Patients

Cancers ◽

10.3390/cancers13010002 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

pp. 2

Author(s):

Lee D. Gibbs ◽

Kelsey Mansheim ◽

Sayantan Maji ◽

Rajesh Nandy ◽

Cheryl M. Lewis ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Cancer Patients ◽

Clinical Significance ◽

Cell Lines ◽

Breast Cancer Subtypes ◽

Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay ◽

Breast Cancer Patients ◽

Serum Samples ◽

Cancer Subtypes ◽

Tumor Tissues

Increasing evidence suggests that AnxA2 contributes to invasion and metastasis of breast cancer. However, the clinical significance of AnxA2 expression in breast cancer has not been reported. The expression of AnxA2 in cell lines, tumor tissues, and serum samples of breast cancer patients were analyzed by immunoblotting, immunohistochemistry, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, respectively. We found that AnxA2 was significantly upregulated in tumor tissues and serum samples of breast cancer patients compared with normal controls. The high expression of serum AnxA2 was significantly associated with tumor grades and poor survival of the breast cancer patients. Based on molecular subtypes, AnxA2 expression was significantly elevated in tumor tissues and serum samples of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients compared with other breast cancer subtypes. Our analyses on breast cancer cell lines demonstrated that secretion of AnxA2 is associated with its tyrosine 23 (Tyr23) phosphorylation in cells. The expression of non-phosphomimetic mutant of AnxA2 in HCC1395 cells inhibits its secretion from cells compared to wild-type AnxA2, which further suggest that Tyr23 phosphorylation is a critical step for AnxA2 secretion from TNBC cells. Our analysis of AnxA2 phosphorylation in clinical samples further confirmed that the phosphorylation of AnxA2 at Tyr23 was high in tumor tissues of TNBC patients compared to matched adjacent non-tumorigenic breast tissues. Furthermore, we observed that the diagnostic value of serum AnxA2 was significantly high in TNBC compared with other breast cancer subtypes. These findings suggest that serum AnxA2 concentration could be a potential diagnostic biomarker for TNBC patients.

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