scholarly journals Maintenance of epithelial traits and resistance to mesenchymal reprogramming promote proliferation in metastatic breast cancer

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Eichelberger ◽  
Massimo Saini ◽  
Helena Domínguez Moreno ◽  
Corinna Klein ◽  
Johanna M. Bartsch ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Metastatic Breast Cancer ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Breast Cancer Cells ◽  
Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Metastatic Breast ◽  
Breast Cancer Patients ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Cancer Subtypes ◽  
Stage Iv Breast Cancer

AbstractDespite important advances in the treatment of breast cancer, the 5-year survival rate for patients with distant metastasis remains less than 30%. Metastasis is a complex, multi-step process beginning with local invasion and ending with the outgrowth of systemically disseminated cells into actively proliferating metastases that ultimately cause the destruction of vital organs. It is this last step that limits patient survival and, at the same time, remains the least understood mechanistically. Here, we focus on understanding determinants of metastatic outgrowth using metastatic effusion biopsies from stage IV breast cancer patients. By modelling metastatic outgrowth through xenograft transplantation, we show that tumour initiation potential of patient-derived metastatic breast cancer cells across breast cancer subtypes is strongly linked to high levels of EPCAM expression. Breast cancer cells with high EPCAM levels are highly plastic and, upon induction of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), readily adopt mesenchymal traits while maintaining epithelial identity. In contrast, low EPCAM levels are caused by the irreversible reprogramming to a mesenchymal state with concomitant suppression of metastatic outgrowth. The ability of breast cancer cells to retain epithelial traits is tied to a global epigenetic program that limits the actions of EMT-transcription factor ZEB1, a suppressor of epithelial genes. Our results provide direct evidence that maintenance of epithelial identity is required for metastatic outgrowth while concomitant expression of mesenchymal markers enables plasticity. In contrast, loss of epithelial traits is characteristic of an irreversible mesenchymal reprogramming associated to a deficiency for metastatic outgrowth. Collectively, our data provide a framework for the intricate intercalation of mesenchymal and epithelial traits in metastatic growth.

scholarly journals Twist-mediated PAR1 induction is required for breast cancer progression and metastasis by inhibiting Hippo pathway

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yifan Wang ◽  
Ruocen Liao ◽  
Xingyu Chen ◽  
Xuhua Ying ◽  
Guanping Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Cancer Progression ◽  
Invasive Breast Cancer ◽  
Breast Cancer Cells ◽  
Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Hippo Pathway ◽  
Breast Cancer Patients ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition

Abstract Breast cancer is considered to be the most prevalent cancer in women worldwide, and metastasis is the primary cause of death. Protease-activated receptor 1 (PAR1) is a GPCR family member involved in the invasive and metastatic processes of cancer cells. However, the functions and underlying mechanisms of PAR1 in breast cancer remain unclear. In this study, we found that PAR1 is highly expressed in high invasive breast cancer cells, and predicts poor prognosis in ER-negative and high-grade breast cancer patients. Mechanistically, Twist transcriptionally induces PAR1 expression, leading to inhibition of Hippo pathway and activation of YAP/TAZ; Inhibition of PAR1 suppresses YAP/TAZ-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), invasion, migration, cancer stem cell (CSC)-like properties, tumor growth and metastasis of breast cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. These findings suggest that PAR1 acts as a direct transcriptionally target of Twist, can promote EMT, tumorigenicity and metastasis by controlling the Hippo pathway; this may lead to a potential therapeutic target for treating invasive breast cancer.

miR-214 inhibits epithelial–mesenchymal transition of breast cancer cells via downregulation of RNF8

2019 ◽  
Vol 51 (8) ◽  
pp. 791-798 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lu Min ◽  
Chuanyang Liu ◽  
Jingyu Kuang ◽  
Xiaomin Wu ◽  
Lingyun Zhu
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Breast Cancer Cells ◽  
Cancer Metastasis ◽  
Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Breast Cancer Metastasis ◽  
Breast Cancer Patients ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Proliferation And Invasion

Abstract MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of endogenous noncoding genes that regulate gene expression at the posttranscriptional level. In recent decades, miRNAs have been reported to play important roles in tumor growth and metastasis, while some reported functions of a specific miRNA in tumorigenesis are contradictory. In this study, we reevaluated the role of miR-214, which has been reported to serve as an oncogene or anti-oncogene in breast cancer metastasis. We found that miR-214 inhibited breast cancer via targeting RNF8, a newly identified regulator that could promote epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT). Specifically, the survival rate of breast cancer patients was positively correlated with miR-214 levels and negatively correlated with RNF8 expression. The overexpression of miR-214 inhibited cell proliferation and invasion of breast cancer, while suppression of miR-214 by chemically modified antagomir enhanced the proliferation and invasion of breast cancer cells. Furthermore, miR-214 could modulate the EMT process via downregulating RNF8. To our knowledge, this is the first report that reveals the role of the miR-214–RNF8 axis in EMT, and our results demonstrate a novel mechanism for miR-214 acting as a tumor suppressor through the regulation of EMT.

Capture of EpCAM-negative and vimentin-positive circulating cancer cells (CCCs) from blood of metastatic breast cancer patients using ApoStream.

2012 ◽  
Vol 30 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. e21029-e21029
Author(s):  
Christopher Neal ◽  
Sujita Sukumaran ◽  
Vishal Gupta ◽  
Insiya Jafferji ◽  
Dave Hasegawa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Metastatic Breast Cancer ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Cancer Progression ◽  
Laser Scanning ◽  
Metastatic Breast ◽  
Breast Cancer Patients ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Circulating Cancer Cells

e21029 Background: Up-regulation of epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) and the reduction of epithelial marker expression is associated with invasion, cancer progression, resistance to conventional therapies and poor prognosis. ApoStream, a novel continuous flow dielectrophoresis field-flow fractionation (DEP-FFF) device, was used to enable antibody-independent capture of circulating cancer cells (CCCs,also referred to as circulating tumor cells, CTC) for subsequent phenotyping of EMT markers. Methods: A side-by-side comparison of CellSearch and ApoStream was performed on 10 metastatic breast cancer patients. A multiplexed immunofluorescent assay and laser scanning cytometry analyses were used to unambiguously identify CK+/CD45–/DAPI+ CCCs and quantify their EpCAM and vimentin expression. Results: ApoStream recovered CK+/CD45–/DAPI+ CCCs from each breast cancer patient sample tested (mean=255 CCCs per 7.5 ml blood, see Table). ApoStream consistently recovered significantly higher number of CCCs compared to CellSearch (p=0.024). ApoStream recovered both EpCAM+ and EpCAM– CCCs in 50% and 90% of patients, respectively. Vimentin+ CCCs were isolated from 90% of patients. Conclusions: ApoStream’s higher capture efficiency demonstrated the majority of CCCs from breast cancer patients were EpCAM negative and vimentin-positive. ApoStream technology can be used to monitor CCCs undergoing EMT. [Table: see text]

scholarly journals Extracellular Matrix Derived from High Metastatic Human Breast Cancer Triggers Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in Epithelial Breast Cancer Cells through αvβ3 Integrin

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (8) ◽  
pp. 2995 ◽  
Author(s):  
Renata Machado Brandão-Costa ◽  
Edward Helal-Neto ◽  
Andreza Maia Vieira ◽  
Pedro Barcellos-de-Souza ◽  
Jose Morgado-Diaz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Extracellular Matrix ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Breast Cancer Cells ◽  
Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Metastatic Breast ◽  
Receptor Signaling ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Β Receptor ◽  
Mcf 7

Alterations in the composition and architecture of the extracellular matrix (ECM) can influence cancer growth and dissemination. During epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), epithelial cells assume a mesenchymal cell phenotype, changing their adhesion profiles from cell-cell contacts to cell-matrix interactions, contributing to metastasis. Breast cancer cells present at different stages of differentiation, producing distinct ECMs in the same tumor mass. However, the contribution of ECM derived from metastatic tumor cells to EMT is unclear. Here, we showed the mechanisms involved in the interaction of MCF-7, a low-metastatic, epithelial breast cancer cell line, with the ECM produced by a high metastatic breast tumor cell, MDA-MB-231 (MDA-ECM). MDA-ECM induced morphological changes in MCF-7 cells, decreased the levels of E-cadherin, up-regulated mesenchymal markers, and augmented cell migration. These changes were accompanied by the activation of integrin-associated signaling, with increased phosphorylation of FAK, ERK, and AKT and activation canonical TGF-β receptor signaling, enhancing phosphorylation of SMAD2 and SMAD4 nuclear translocation in MCF-7 cells. Treatment with Kistrin (Kr), a specific ligand of integrin αvβ3 EMT induced by MDA-ECM, inhibited TGF-β receptor signaling in treated MCF-7 cells. Our results revealed that after interaction with the ECM produced by a high metastatic breast cancer cell, MCF-7 cells lost their characteristic epithelial phenotype undergoing EMT, an effect modulated by integrin signaling in crosstalk with TGF-β receptor signaling pathway. The data evidenced novel potential targets for antimetastatic breast cancer therapies.

scholarly journals MiR-21 Is Required for the Epithelial–Mesenchymal Transition in MDA-MB-231 Breast Cancer Cells

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 1557
Author(s):  
Elif Damla Arisan ◽  
Ozge Rencuzogullari ◽  
Clara Cieza-Borrella ◽  
Francesc Miralles Arenas ◽  
Miriam Dwek ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Breast Cancer Cells ◽  
Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Metastatic Breast ◽  
Therapeutic Success ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Signaling Axis ◽  
Mcf 7

Breast cancer (BCa) is one of the leading health problems among women. Although significant achievements have led to advanced therapeutic success with targeted therapy options, more efforts are required for different subtypes of tumors and according to genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic alterations. This study underlines the role of microRNA-21 (miR-21) in metastatic MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. Following the knockout of miR-21 from MDA-MB-231 cells, which have the highest miR-21 expression levels compared to MCF-7 and SK-BR-3 BCa cells, a decrease in epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) via downregulation of mesenchymal markers was observed. Wnt-11 was a critical target for miR-21, and the Wnt-11 related signaling axis was altered in the stable miR-21 knockout cells. miR-21 expression was associated with a significant increase in mesenchymal markers in MDA-MB-231 BCa cells. Furthermore, the release of extracellular vesicles (EVs) was significantly reduced in the miR-21 KO cells, alongside a significant reduction in relative miR-21 export in EV cargo, compared with control cells. We conclude that miR-21 is a leading factor involved in mesenchymal transition in MDA-MB-231 BCa. Future therapeutic strategies could focus on its role in the treatment of metastatic breast cancer.

scholarly journals Widespread Alternative Splicing Changes in Metastatic Breast Cancer Cells

Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 858
Author(s):  
Jagyeong Oh ◽  
Davide Pradella ◽  
Changwei Shao ◽  
Hairi Li ◽  
Namjeong Choi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Metastatic Breast Cancer ◽  
Alternative Splicing ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Cancer Progression ◽  
Breast Cancer Cells ◽  
Metastatic Breast ◽  
Breast Cancer Patients ◽  
Expression Levels

Aberrant alternative splicing (AS) is a hallmark of cancer and a potential target for novel anti-cancer therapeutics. Breast cancer-associated AS events are known to be linked to disease progression, metastasis, and survival of breast cancer patients. To identify altered AS programs occurring in metastatic breast cancer, we perform a global analysis of AS events by using RNA-mediated oligonucleotide annealing, selection, and ligation coupled with next-generation sequencing (RASL-seq). We demonstrate that, relative to low-metastatic, high-metastatic breast cancer cells show different AS choices in genes related to cancer progression. Supporting a global reshape of cancer-related splicing profiles in metastatic breast cancer we found an enrichment of RNA-binding motifs recognized by several splicing regulators, which have aberrant expression levels or activity during breast cancer progression, including SRSF1. Among SRSF1-regulated targets we found DCUN1D5, a gene for which skipping of exon 4 in its pre-mRNA introduces a premature termination codon (PTC), thus generating an unstable transcript degraded by nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD). Significantly, distinct breast cancer subtypes show different DCUN1D5 isoform ratios with metastatic breast cancer expressing the highest level of the NMD-insensitive DCUN1D5 mRNA, thus showing high DCUN1D5 expression levels, which are ultimately associated with poor overall and relapse-free survival in breast cancer patients. Collectively, our results reveal global AS features of metastatic breast tumors, which open new possibilities for the treatment of these aggressive tumor types.

scholarly journals The clinical implication of soluble PD-L1 (sPD-L1) in patients with breast cancer and its biological function in regulating the function of T lymphocyte

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Baojuan Han ◽  
Lina Dong ◽  
Jing Zhou ◽  
Yan Yang ◽  
Jiaxun Guo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Flow Cytometry ◽  
Metastatic Breast Cancer ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
T Lymphocyte ◽  
Breast Cancer Cells ◽  
Biological Function ◽  
Metastatic Breast ◽  
Breast Cancer Patients

AbstractThis work investigated the clinical prognostic implications and biological function of plasma soluble programmed cell death ligand 1 in breast cancer patients. Plasma sPD-L1 levels of recurrent/metastatic breast cancer patients were determined, and the association of sPD-L1 levels and metastatic progression-free survival and metastatic overall survival was assessed. The PD-L1 expression on breast cancer cells was analyzed by flow cytometry, and the level of sPD-L1 in the supernatant of breast cancer cells was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Furthermore, the effect of sPD-L1 on the proliferation and apoptosis of T lymphocytes was detected by WST-1 assay and flow cytometry. The plasma sPD-L1 levels in 208 patients with recurrent/metastatic breast cancer before receiving first-line rescue therapy were measured. The optimal cutoff value of plasma sPD-L1 for predicting disease progression was 8.774 ng/ml. Univariate and multivariate analyses identified high sPD-L1 level (≥ 8.774 ng/ml) and visceral metastasis were independent factors associated with poor prognosis. Relevance analysis showed that the plasma sPD-L1 level was weaklyassociated with some systemic inflammation markers, including white cell count (WBC), absolute monocytecount, and absolute neutrophil count. Furthermore, we found sPD-L1 could be found in supernatant of culture with breast cancer cell line expressing PD-L1 on the cell surface and inhibit T lymphocyte function, playing a negative regulatory role in cellular immunity. sPD-L1 was a good tumor predictive maker in breast cancer and it may play a potentially important role in immune tolerance.

scholarly journals Depletion of mitochondrial protease OMA1 alters proliferative properties and promotes metastatic growth of breast cancer cells

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Amita Daverey ◽  
Roman M. Levytskyy ◽  
Kimberly M. Stanke ◽  
Martonio Ponte Viana ◽  
Samantha Swenson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Cell Proliferation ◽  
Metastatic Breast Cancer ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Breast Cancer Cells ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Metastatic Breast ◽  
Protein Homeostasis ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Ductal Hyperplasia

Abstract Metastatic competence of cancer cells is influenced by many factors including metabolic alterations and changes in mitochondrial biogenesis and protein homeostasis. While it is generally accepted that mitochondria play important roles in tumorigenesis, the respective molecular events that regulate aberrant cancer cell proliferation remain to be clarified. Therefore, understanding the mechanisms underlying the role of mitochondria in cancer progression has potential implications in the development of new therapeutic strategies. We show that low expression of mitochondrial quality control protease OMA1 correlates with poor overall survival in breast cancer patients. Silencing OMA1 in vitro in patient-derived metastatic breast cancer cells isolated from the metastatic pleural effusion and atypical ductal hyperplasia mammary tumor specimens (21MT-1 and 21PT) enhances the formation of filopodia, increases cell proliferation (Ki67 expression), and induces epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Mechanistically, loss of OMA1 results in alterations in the mitochondrial protein homeostasis, as reflected by enhanced expression of canonic mitochondrial unfolded protein response genes. These changes significantly increase migratory properties in metastatic breast cancer cells, indicating that OMA1 plays a critical role in suppressing metastatic competence of breast tumors. Interestingly, these results were not observed in OMA1-depleted non-tumorigenic MCF10A mammary epithelial cells. This newly identified reduced activity/levels of OMA1 provides insights into the mechanisms leading to breast cancer development, promoting malignant progression of cancer cells and unfavorable clinical outcomes, which may represent possible prognostic markers and therapeutic targets for breast cancer treatment.

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