Pin1 plays a key role in the response to treatment and clinical outcome in triple negative breast cancer

Background: Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the subset of breast cancer associated with the poorest outcome, and currently lacks targeted treatments. Standard of care (SoC) chemotherapy often consists of DNA damaging chemotherapies ± taxanes, with a range of responses observed. However, we currently lack biomarkers to predict this response and lack alternate treatment options. Methods: Pin1 expression was modulated in vitro and proliferation and treatment response was studied. Pin1 expression was analysed in patient samples and correlated with clinical outcome. Results: In this study, we have shown that the prolyl isomerase, Pin1, which is highly expressed in TNBC, plays a key role in pathogenesis of the disease. Knockdown of Pin1 in TNBC resulted in cell death while the opposite is seen in normal cells. We revealed for the first time that loss of Pin1 leads to increased sensitivity to Taxol but only in the absence of functional BRCA1. Conversely, loss of Pin1 results in decreased sensitivity to DNA-damaging agents independent of BRCA1 status. Analysis of Pin1 gene or IHC-based expression in over 200 TNBC patient samples revealed a novel role for Pin1 as a TNBC-specific biomarker, with high expression associated with improved outcome in the context of SoC chemotherapy. Preliminary data indicated this may be extended to other treatment options (e.g. Cisplatin/Parp Inhibitors) that are gaining traction for the treatment of TNBC. Conclusions: This study highlights the important role played by Pin1 in TNBC and highlights the context-dependent functions in modulating cell growth and response to treatment.

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Opportunities for metastatic triple negative breast cancer therapy

Modern Oncology ◽

10.26442/18151434.2021.1.200761 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 23 (1) ◽

pp. 78-81

Author(s):

Inna P. Ganshina ◽

Olga O. Gordeeva ◽

Mariam S. Manukyan

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Russian Federation ◽

Triple Negative Breast Cancer ◽

Triple Negative ◽

Treatment Options ◽

Parp Inhibitors ◽

Treatment Results ◽

The Russian Federation ◽

Biological Heterogeneity ◽

New Treatment

Metastatic triple negative breast cancer (mTNBC) is a difficult task for the chemotherapist in view of the disease aggressiveness, biological heterogeneity of the tumor, as well as the limit of therapy options. The approved modern drugs, such as immunotherapy and PARP inhibitors, have improved the treatment results in women with mTNBC. However, not all women are the candidates for this kind of therapy due to the lack of suitable points of application. In this context, high hopes are placed on the new treatment options currently being studied in clinical trials. The review summarizes data on advanced drugs that have demonstrated their efficacy in this multiplex group of women, but not yet registered at the territory of the Russian Federation Russian Federation, and will allow us to form an idea of the future algorithm of treatment of women with mTNBC.

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Identifying Biomarkers to Pair with Targeting Treatments within Triple Negative Breast Cancer for Improved Patient Stratification

Cancers ◽

10.3390/cancers11121864 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (12) ◽

pp. 1864 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Holly Tovey ◽

Maggie Chon U. Cheang

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Triple Negative Breast Cancer ◽

High Throughput Sequencing ◽

Triple Negative ◽

Treatment Options ◽

Unmet Need ◽

Growth Factor Receptor ◽

Parp Inhibitors ◽

Genetic Features ◽

The Uk

The concept of precision medicine has been around for many years and recent advances in high-throughput sequencing techniques are enabling this to become reality. Within the field of breast cancer, a number of signatures have been developed to molecularly sub-classify tumours. Notable examples recently approved by National Institute for Health and Care Excellence in the UK to guide treatment decisions for oestrogen receptors (ER)+ human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)- patients include Prosigna® test, EndoPredict®, and Oncotype DX®. However, a population of still unmet need are those with triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). Accounting for 15–20% of patients, this population has comparatively poor prognosis and as yet no targeted treatment options. Studies have shown that some patients with TNBC respond favourably to DNA damaging drugs (carboplatin) or agents which inhibit DNA damage response (poly ADP ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibitors). Known to be a heterogeneous population, there is a need to identify further TNBC patients who may benefit from these treatments. A number of signatures have been identified based on association with treatment response or specific genetic features/pathways however many of these were not restricted to TNBC patients and as of yet are not common practice in the clinic.

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Curcumin–Copper Complex Nanoparticles for the Management of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

Nanomaterials ◽

10.3390/nano8110884 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 8 (11) ◽

pp. 884 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Khaled Greish ◽

Valeria Pittalà ◽

Sebastien Taurin ◽

Safa Taha ◽

Fatemah Bahman ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Triple Negative Breast Cancer ◽

Copper Complex ◽

Triple Negative ◽

Cancer Survival ◽

Growth Factor Receptor ◽

Response To Treatment ◽

Anti Cancer

Breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed among females worldwide. Although breast cancer survival has largely improved in the past 30 years, it remains highly heterogeneous in its response to treatment. Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a subtype of breast cancer that lacks the expression of the estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) and epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (Her2). While TNBC may initially be responsive to chemotherapy, recurrence and subsequent high mortality rates are frequently reported. Studies have shown curcumin and its derivatives to be effective against TNBC cell lines in vitro. To improve its anti-cancer effects, we have synthesized Fe3+–curcumin (Fe–Cur3) and Cu2+–curcumin (CD) complexes and investigated them experimentally. Further, CD was encapsulated into a poly(styrene)-co-maleic acid (SMA) micelle to enhance its stability. We assessed the cytotoxicity of these formulations both in vitro and in vivo. SMA–CD demonstrated dose-dependent cytotoxicity and abolished TNBC tumor growth in vivo. The encapsulation of the curcumin–copper complex improved its anti-cancer activity without overt adverse effects in a murine model of TNBC. These results provide evidence and insights into the value of nanoformulations in enhancing drug-delivery and increasing the potential therapeutic efficacy of curcumin derivatives.

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Adipose derived mesenchymal stem cell secretome formulation as a biotherapeutic to inhibit growth of drug resistant triple negative breast cancer

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-01878-z ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Ragima Nadesh ◽

Krishnakumar N. Menon ◽

Lalitha Biswas ◽

Ullas Mony ◽

K. Subramania Iyer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Stem Cell ◽

Mesenchymal Stem Cell ◽

Triple Negative Breast Cancer ◽

Triple Negative ◽

Standard Of Care ◽

Breast Cancer Cell Lines ◽

Dependent Manner

AbstractIn the present study, a protocol was developed for processing of human adipose derived mesenchymal stem cell secretome formulation of varying concentration. Its molecular composition was evaluated, and its effectiveness in vitro using breast cancer cell lines, and in vivo in a nude mice breast cancer model was studied to determine its role in suppressing triple negative breast cancer in a dose dependent manner. Because the secretome could have value as an add-on therapy along with a current drug, the effectiveness of the secretome both in monotherapy and in combination therapy along with paclitaxel was evaluated. The results showed significant cell kill when exposed to the secretome above 20 mg/ml at which concentration there was no toxicity to normal cells. 70 mg/ml of SF showed 90 ± 10% apoptosis and significant decrease in CD44+/CD24−, MDR1+ and PDL-1+ cancer cells. In vivo, the tumor showed no growth after daily intra tumor injections at 50 mg/ml and 100 mg/ml doses whereas substantial tumor growth occurred after saline intra tumor injection. The study concludes that SF is a potential biotherapeutic for breast cancer and could be used initially as an add-on therapy to other standard of care to provide improved efficacy without other adverse effects.

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Triple Combination of Ascorbate, Menadione and the Inhibition of Peroxiredoxin-1 Produces Synergistic Cytotoxic Effects in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cells

Antioxidants ◽

10.3390/antiox9040320 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (4) ◽

pp. 320

Author(s):

Malgorzata Bajor ◽

Agnieszka Graczyk-Jarzynka ◽

Katsiaryna Marhelava ◽

Malgorzata Kurkowiak ◽

Arman Rahman ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Triple Negative Breast Cancer ◽

Triple Negative ◽

Treatment Options ◽

Redox Homeostasis ◽

Staining Intensity ◽

Cytotoxic Effects ◽

Attractive Therapeutic Target ◽

Mrna And Protein Expression

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive form of mammary malignancy currently without satisfactory systemic treatment options. Agents generating reactive oxygen species (ROS), such as ascorbate (Asc) and menadione (Men), especially applied in combination, have been proposed as an alternative anticancer modality. However, their effectiveness can be hampered by the cytoprotective effects of elevated antioxidant enzymes (e.g., peroxiredoxins, PRDX) in cancer. In this study, PRDX1 mRNA and protein expression were assessed in TNBC tissues by analysis of the online RNA-seq datasets and immunohistochemical staining of tissue microarray, respectively. We demonstrated that PRDX1 mRNA expression was markedly elevated in primary TNBC tumors as compared to non-malignant controls, with PRDX1 protein staining intensity correlating with favorable survival parameters. Subsequently, PRDX1 functionality in TNBC cell lines or non-malignant mammary cells was targeted by genetic silencing or chemically by auranofin (AUR). The PRDX1-knockdown or AUR treatment resulted in inhibition of the growth of TNBC cells in vitro. These cytotoxic effects were further synergistically potentiated by the incubation with a combination of the prooxidant agents, Asc and Men. In conclusion, we report that the PRDX1-related antioxidant system is essential for maintaining redox homeostasis in TNBC cells and can be an attractive therapeutic target in combination with ROS-generating agents.

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CXCL1 Clone Evolution Induced by the HDAC Inhibitor Belinostat Might Be a Favorable Prognostic Indicator in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

BioMed Research International ◽

10.1155/2021/5089371 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2021 ◽

pp. 1-12

Author(s):

Xin-le Han ◽

Jun Du ◽

Ya-dan Zheng ◽

Jia-jing Dai ◽

Su-wen Lin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Triple Negative Breast Cancer ◽

Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors ◽

Triple Negative ◽

Treatment Options ◽

Cancer Prognosis ◽

Breast Cancer Patients ◽

Clone Evolution ◽

Hdaci Treatment

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most lethal subtype of breast cancer due to its lack of treatment options. Patients with TNBC frequently develop resistance to chemotherapy. As epigenetic-based antineoplastic drugs, histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACis) have achieved particular efficacy in lymphoma but are less efficacious in solid tumors, and the resistance mechanism remains poorly understood. In this study, the GSE129944 microarray dataset from the Gene Expression Omnibus database was downloaded, and fold changes at the transcriptome level of a TNBC line (MDA-MB-231) after treatment with belinostat were identified. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses were used to identify the critical biological processes. Construction and analysis of the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network were performed to screen candidate genes related to cancer prognosis. A total of 465 DEGs were identified, including 240 downregulated and 225 upregulated genes. The cytokine-cytokine receptor pathway was identified as being significantly changed. Furthermore, the expression of CXCL1 was implicated as a favorable factor in the overall survival of breast cancer patients. With in vitro approaches, we also showed that belinostat could induce the expression of CXCL1 in another 2 TNBC cell lines (BT-549 and HCC-1937). We speculate that belinostat-induced CXCL1 expression could be one of the results of the stress clone evolution of cells after HDACi treatment. These findings provide new insights into clone evolution during HDACi treatment, which might guide us to a novel perspective that various mutation-targeted treatments should be implemented during the whole treatment cycle.

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CX-5461 Enhances the Efficacy of APR-246 via Induction of DNA Damage and Replication Stress in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

International Journal of Molecular Sciences ◽

10.3390/ijms22115782 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 22 (11) ◽

pp. 5782

Author(s):

Ashwini Makhale ◽

Devathri Nanayakkara ◽

Prahlad Raninga ◽

Kum Kum Khanna ◽

Murugan Kalimutho

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Dna Damage ◽

Triple Negative Breast Cancer ◽

Combination Treatment ◽

Triple Negative ◽

Annexin V ◽

Replication Stress ◽

Breast Cancer Cell Lines ◽

Combination Strategy

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive subtype of breast cancer lacking targeted therapy. Here, we evaluated the anti-cancer activity of APR-246, a P53 activator, and CX-5461, a RNA polymerase I inhibitor, in the treatment of TNBC cells. We tested the efficacy of individual and combination therapy of CX-5461 and APR-246 in vitro, using a panel of breast cancer cell lines. Using publicly available breast cancer datasets, we found that components of RNA Pol I are predominately upregulated in basal-like breast cancer, compared to other subtypes, and this upregulation is associated with poor overall and relapse-free survival. Notably, we found that the treatment of breast cancer cells lines with CX-5461 significantly hampered cell proliferation and synergistically enhanced the efficacy of APR-246. The combination treatment significantly induced apoptosis that is associated with cleaved PARP and Caspase 3 along with Annexin V positivity. Likewise, we also found that combination treatment significantly induced DNA damage and replication stress in these cells. Our data provide a novel combination strategy by utilizing APR-246 in combination CX-5461 in killing TNBC cells that can be further developed into more effective therapy in TNBC therapeutic armamentarium.

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GCH1 induces immunosuppression through metabolic reprogramming and IDO1 upregulation in triple-negative breast cancer

Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer ◽

10.1136/jitc-2021-002383 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (7) ◽

pp. e002383

Author(s):

Jin-Li Wei ◽

Si-Yu Wu ◽

Yun-Song Yang ◽

Yi Xiao ◽

Xi Jin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Triple Negative Breast Cancer ◽

Triple Negative ◽

Molecular Taxonomy ◽

Underlying Mechanism ◽

Metabolic Reprogramming ◽

Sequencing Data ◽

Aryl Hydrocarbon

PurposeRegulatory T cells (Tregs) heavily infiltrate triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), and their accumulation is affected by the metabolic reprogramming in cancer cells. In the present study, we sought to identify cancer cell-intrinsic metabolic modulators correlating with Tregs infiltration in TNBC.Experimental designUsing the RNA-sequencing data from our institute (n=360) and the Molecular Taxonomy of Breast Cancer International Consortium TNBC cohort (n=320), we calculated the abundance of Tregs in each sample and evaluated the correlation between gene expression levels and Tregs infiltration. Then, in vivo and in vitro experiments were performed to verify the correlation and explore the underlying mechanism.ResultsWe revealed that GTP cyclohydrolase 1 (GCH1) expression was positively correlated with Tregs infiltration and high GCH1 expression was associated with reduced overall survival in TNBC. In vivo and in vitro experiments showed that GCH1 increased Tregs infiltration, decreased apoptosis, and elevated the programmed cell death-1 (PD-1)-positive fraction. Metabolomics analysis indicated that GCH1 overexpression reprogrammed tryptophan metabolism, resulting in L-5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) accumulation in the cytoplasm accompanied by kynurenine accumulation and tryptophan reduction in the supernatant. Subsequently, aryl hydrocarbon receptor, activated by 5-HTP, bound to the promoter of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) and thus enhanced the transcription of IDO1. Furthermore, the inhibition of GCH1 by 2,4-diamino-6-hydroxypyrimidine (DAHP) decreased IDO1 expression, attenuated tumor growth, and enhanced the tumor response to PD-1 blockade immunotherapy.ConclusionsTumor-cell-intrinsic GCH1 induced immunosuppression through metabolic reprogramming and IDO1 upregulation in TNBC. Inhibition of GCH1 by DAHP serves as a potential immunometabolic strategy in TNBC.

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Selection of aptamers against triple negative breast cancer cells using high throughput sequencing

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-87998-y ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Débora Ferreira ◽

Joaquim Barbosa ◽

Diana A. Sousa ◽

Cátia Silva ◽

Luís D. R. Melo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

High Throughput ◽

Triple Negative Breast Cancer ◽

High Throughput Sequencing ◽

Triple Negative ◽

Metastatic Breast ◽

Target Cells ◽

Cancer Tissue ◽

Surface Receptors

AbstractTriple-negative breast cancer is the most aggressive subtype of invasive breast cancer with a poor prognosis and no approved targeted therapy. Hence, the identification of new and specific ligands is essential to develop novel targeted therapies. In this study, we aimed to identify new aptamers that bind to highly metastatic breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells using the cell-SELEX technology aided by high throughput sequencing. After 8 cycles of selection, the aptamer pool was sequenced and the 25 most frequent sequences were aligned for homology within their variable core region, plotted according to their free energy and the key nucleotides possibly involved in the target binding site were analyzed. Two aptamer candidates, Apt1 and Apt2, binding specifically to the target cells with $$K_{d}$$ K d values of 44.3 ± 13.3 nM and 17.7 ± 2.7 nM, respectively, were further validated. The binding analysis clearly showed their specificity to MDA-MB-231 cells and suggested the targeting of cell surface receptors. Additionally, Apt2 revealed no toxicity in vitro and showed potential translational application due to its affinity to breast cancer tissue sections. Overall, the results suggest that Apt2 is a promising candidate to be used in triple-negative breast cancer treatment and/or diagnosis.

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Edelfosine nanoemulsions inhibit tumor growth of triple negative breast cancer in zebrafish xenograft model

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-87968-4 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Sofia M. Saraiva ◽

Carlha Gutiérrez-Lovera ◽

Jeannette Martínez-Val ◽

Sainza Lores ◽

Belén L. Bouzo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Tumor Growth ◽

Triple Negative Breast Cancer ◽

Triple Negative ◽

Xenograft Model ◽

Skin Barrier ◽

Zebrafish Embryos ◽

Biorelevant Media

AbstractTriple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is known for being very aggressive, heterogeneous and highly metastatic. The standard of care treatment is still chemotherapy, with adjacent toxicity and low efficacy, highlighting the need for alternative and more effective therapeutic strategies. Edelfosine, an alkyl-lysophospholipid, has proved to be a promising therapy for several cancer types, upon delivery in lipid nanoparticles. Therefore, the objective of this work was to explore the potential of edelfosine for the treatment of TNBC. Edelfosine nanoemulsions (ET-NEs) composed by edelfosine, Miglyol 812 and phosphatidylcholine as excipients, due to their good safety profile, presented an average size of about 120 nm and a neutral zeta potential, and were stable in biorelevant media. The ability of ET-NEs to interrupt tumor growth in TNBC was demonstrated both in vitro, using a highly aggressive and invasive TNBC cell line, and in vivo, using zebrafish embryos. Importantly, ET-NEs were able to penetrate through the skin barrier of MDA-MB 231 xenografted zebrafish embryos, into the yolk sac, leading to an effective decrease of highly aggressive and invasive tumoral cells’ proliferation. Altogether the results demonstrate the potential of ET-NEs for the development of new therapeutic approaches for TNBC.

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