Therapeutic resistance and tumor-initiation: Molecular pathways involved in breast cancer stem cell self-renewal

2007 ◽  
Vol 25 (18_suppl) ◽  
pp. 528-528 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. C. Chang ◽  
X. Li ◽  
H. Wong ◽  
C. Creighton ◽  
S. G. Hilsenbeck ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Stem Cells ◽  
Stem Cell ◽  
Cancer Stem Cells ◽  
Cancer Stem Cell ◽  
Residual Disease ◽  
Molecular Pathways ◽  
Stem Cell Markers ◽  
Tumor Initiation ◽  
Self Renewal

528 Background: Recent evidence supports the existance of a rare subpopulation of ‘cancer stem cells‘ (CSCs) which is chemoresistant and capable of self-renewal and tumor-initiation, resulting in relapse and metastases. We hypothesized that residual breast tumors after conventional chemotherapy (CTx) are enriched for CSCs bearing CD44+/CD24- markers, and show increased self-renewal as demonstrated by mammosphere (MS) forming assays. Molecular pathways like Notch, Wnt, and the polycomb family that regulate normal mammary self-renewal may be in aberrant in CSCs. Methods: Paired breast cancer biopsies from 35 patients were obtained before and after 12 weeks of neoadjuvant CTx (docetaxel 100 mg/m2 or Adriamycin/Cytoxan 60/600 mg/m2, 4 cycles, q3weeks), digested by collagenase, stained with CD24/CD44/lineage antibodies, and analyzed by flow cytometry. MS assays were performed to measure self-renewal ability. Gene expression, using the Affymetrix U133 GeneChip platform, of cancer cells bearing CD44+/CD24- markers vs. all other sorted cells, and between secondary cancer MS vs. the primary bulk invasive cancers were analyzed. Results: CD44+/CD24- cells increased from a median of 4.8% to 14.8% after CTx (p<0.005). Increased self-renewal was demonstrated by an increase in MS capacity after CTx (p=0.03), with a positive correlation between the number of CD44+/24- cells and MS assays (R=0.8, p<0.05). Common molecular pathways shared by CD44+/CD24- cells and MS show increased expression in normal self-renewal pathways - polycomb family (PCGF5), Notch (MAML2), FOXP1, and BBX. In addition, genes governing alternative splicing were increased, including a non-coding RNA (MALAT1) of unknown function, and RNA splicing factors (SFRS3, SFRS21P, SFRS4). Conclusions: Our results with an increase in cells bearing stem cell markers, and increased MS formation of residual tumors provide the first strong clinical evidence for the existance of therapy-resistant cancer stem cells. Post-transcriptional regulation may play a crucial role in modifying gene function involved in cancer stem cell self-renewal. Clinical trials targeting these newly identified pathways may eradicate residual disease and improved cure rates for many breast cancer patients. [Table: see text]

scholarly journals A Systematic Review to Clarify the Prognostic Values of CD44 and CD44+CD24- Phenotype in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Patients: Lessons Learned and The Road Ahead

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahdi Abdoli Shadbad ◽  
Negar Hosseinkhani ◽  
Zahra Asadzadeh ◽  
Afshin Derakhshani ◽  
Noora Karim Ahangar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Stem Cells ◽  
Stem Cell ◽  
Cancer Stem Cells ◽  
Cancer Stem Cell ◽  
Triple Negative Breast Cancer ◽  
Triple Negative ◽  
Cell Phenotype ◽  
Stem Cell Markers ◽  
Advanced Tumor Stage

As a unique population of tumor bulk, cancer stem cells have been implicated in tumor relapse and chemoresistance in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Therefore, understanding the phenotype of cancer stem cells can pave the way for introducing novel molecular targeted therapies for treating TNBC patients. Preclinical studies have identified CD44+CD24-/low as a cancer stem cell phenotype; however, clinical studies have reported seemingly controversial results regarding the prognostic values of CD44 and CD44+CD24-/low phenotype in TNBC patients. To critically review the clinicopathological significance and prognostic values of CD44 and CD44+CD24-/low phenotype in TNBC patients, the Scopus, Embase, PubMed, and Web of Science databases were systematically searched to obtain the relevant records published before 20 October 2020. Based on nine included studies, CD44 and CD44+CD24-/low phenotype are associated with inferior prognosis in TNBC patients. Moreover, these cancer stem cell markers have been associated with advanced tumor stage, tumor size, higher tumor grade, tumor metastasis, and lymphatic involvement in TNBC patients. Our evidence has also indicated that, unlike the treatment-naïve TNBC patients, the tumoral cells of chemoradiotherapy-treated TNBC patients can upregulate the CD44+CD24-/low phenotype and establish an inverse association with androgen receptor (AR), leading to the inferior prognosis of affected patients. In summary, CD44 and CD44+CD24-/low phenotype can be utilized to determine TNBC patients’ prognosis in the pathology department as a routine practice, and targeting these phenotypes can substantially improve the prognosis of TNBC patients.

scholarly journals Moonlighting Role of PEDF in Breast Cancer

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carmen Gil-Gas ◽  
Marta Sánchez-Díez ◽  
Paloma Honrubia-Gómez ◽  
Jose Luis Sánchez-Sánchez ◽  
Carmen Belen Alvarez-Simón ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Stem Cells ◽  
Stem Cell ◽  
Cancer Stem Cells ◽  
Cancer Patient ◽  
In Vitro Culture ◽  
Screening Tests ◽  
Stem Cell Markers ◽  
Self Renewal

Abstract Background: Breast cancer is the leading cause of death among females in developed countries. Although the implementation of screening tests and the development of new therapies has increased the probability of remission, relapse rates still remain high. Numerous studies have indicated the connection between cancer initiating cells and slow cellular cycle cells, identified by their capacity to retain long labelling (LT+). Methods: We have designed a transgenic protein consisting in the C-terminal part of this protein, which acts by blocking endogenous PEDF in culture cell assays. Present work is based in doses-response in vitro assays as well as flow cytometry analysis of surface markers and cell cycle kinetic study of the tumour initiating cells.Results: In this study we show that this type of cells is present not only in cancer cell lines but also in cancer cells from patients with metastatic and advanced stage tumours. We also present new assays showing how stem cell self-renewal modulating proteins, such as PEDF, can modify the properties, expression of markers, and carcinogenicity of cancer stem cells. This protein has been involved in self-renewal in adult stem cells and has been described as anti-tumoral because of its anti-angiogenic effect. However, we show that PEDF enhances resistance in breast cancer patient cells in vitro culture by favoring a slow cellular cycle population (LT+). The PEDF signalling pathway could be a useful tool for controlling cancer stem cells self-renewal, and therefore control patient relapse. Conclusions: We demonstrate that it is possible to interfere with the self-renewal capacity of cancer stem cells, induce anoikis in vivo, and reduce resistance against Docetaxel treatment in cancer patient cells in vitro culture. We have also demonstrated that this PEDF modified protein produces a significant decrease in cancer stem cell markers. All these properties make this protein a potential application in clinical cancer therapies via co-administration with chemotherapy for relapse cancer treatment.

scholarly journals miR-142-3p attenuates breast cancer stem cell characteristics and decreases radioresistance in vitro

Tumor Biology ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 40 (8) ◽  
pp. 101042831879188 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabian M Troschel ◽  
Nicolas Böhly ◽  
Katrin Borrmann ◽  
Timo Braun ◽  
Alexander Schwickert ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Stem Cells ◽  
Stem Cell ◽  
Cancer Stem Cells ◽  
Cancer Stem Cell ◽  
Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction ◽  
Breast Cancer Stem Cell ◽  
Stem Cell Markers ◽  
Western Blots ◽  
Mammosphere Formation

Effectively targeting cancer stem cells, a subpopulation of tumorigenic, aggressive, and radioresistant cells, holds therapeutic promise. However, the effects of the microRNA miR-142-3p, a small endogenous regulator of gene expression on breast cancer stem cells, have not been investigated. This study identifies the influence of miR-142-3p on mammary stemness properties and breast cancer radioresistance to establish its role in this setting. miR-142-3p precursor transfection was performed in MDA-MB-468, HCC1806, and MCF-7 cells, and stem cell markers CD44, CD133, ALDH1 activity and mammosphere formation were measured. β-catenin, the canonical wnt signaling effector protein, was quantified by Western blots and cell fluorescence assays both in miR-142-3p–overexpressing and anti–miR-142-3p–treated cells. Radiation response was investigated by colony formation assays. Levels of BRCA1, BRCA2, and Bod1 in miR-142-3p–overexpressing cells as well as expression of miR-142-3p, Bod1, KLF4, and Oct4 in sorted CD44+/CD24–/low cells were determined by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. miR-142-3p overexpression resulted in a strong decline in breast cancer stem cell characteristics with a decrease in CD44, CD133, ALDH1, Bod1, BRCA2, and mammosphere formation as well as reduced survival after irradiation. miR-142-3p expression was strongly reduced in sorted CD44+/CD24–/low stem cells, while Bod1, Oct4, and KLF4 were overexpressed. β-catenin levels strongly decreased after miR-142-3p overexpression, but not after anti–miR-142-3p treatment. We conclude that miR-142-3p downregulates cancer stem cell characteristics and radioresistance in breast cancer, mediated by a reduced role of β-catenin in miR-142-3p–overexpressing cells. miR-142-3p might therefore help to target cancer stem cells.

scholarly journals Notch1 regulates breast cancer stem cell function via a non-canonical cleavage-independent pathway

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lufei Sui ◽  
Suming Wang ◽  
Roberto K. Rodriguez ◽  
Danielle Sim ◽  
Nandita Bhattacharya ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Stem Cells ◽  
Stem Cell ◽  
Cancer Stem Cells ◽  
Cancer Stem Cell ◽  
Notch Signaling ◽  
Triple Negative ◽  
Cell Function ◽  
Breast Cancer Stem Cells ◽  
Tumor Initiation

AbstractCurrent treatment of triple negative breast cancer patients is hindered by a high incidence of chemoresistance (30-50%). The prevailing theory is that resistance and subsequent recurrence is driven by cancer stem cells. Unfortunately, the functional characterization of cancer stem cells at the molecular level is still incomplete. We show here, that within the canonical breast cancer stem cell population, a subset of cells characterized by high Notch1 expression possesses the tumor-initiating property associated with cancer stem cells. Moreover, the tumor initiating property of these high Notch1-expressing breast cancer stem cells is mediated by a cleavage independent Notch signaling pathway culminating in the repression of SIRT1. Of note, the Notch1-mediated repression of SIRT1 is required not only for tumor initiation, but also for chemoresistance in breast cancer stem cells. Strikingly, inhibition of SIRT1 obviates the requirement for Notch1, marking the first example of conferring cancer stem cell function by inhibiting the activity of a single protein. We also demonstrate that progenitor-like mammary epithelial cells, which possess both luminal and basal properties, are also characterized by high Notch1 expression and repression of SIRT1 via the non-canonical pathway. These findings provide the first functional mechanistic requirements for tumor initiation by breast cancer stem cells and suggest that activation of the non-canonical Notch1 pathway is hardwired into tumor-initiating progenitor cells and thus a prerequisite for tumor initiation.Statement of SignificanceWe demonstrate that chemoresistant and tumor-initiating properties of breast cancer stem cells are driven by repression of SIRT1 via non-canonical Notch signaling, suggesting a novel therapeutic strategy for triple negative breast cancer.

Integrin α6 (CD49f), The Microenvironment and Cancer Stem Cells

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (5) ◽  
pp. 428-436 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriele D. Bigoni-Ordóñez ◽  
Daniel Czarnowski ◽  
Tyler Parsons ◽  
Gerard J. Madlambayan ◽  
Luis G. Villa-Diaz
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Stem Cell ◽  
Cancer Stem Cells ◽  
Cancer Stem Cell ◽  
The Self ◽  
Self Renewal ◽  
Terminal Disease

Cancer is a highly prevalent and potentially terminal disease that affects millions of individuals worldwide. Here, we review the literature exploring the intricacies of stem cells bearing tumorigenic characteristics and collect evidence demonstrating the importance of integrin &#945;6 (ITGA6, also known as CD49f) in cancer stem cell (CSC) activity. ITGA6 is commonly used to identify CSC populations in various tissues and plays an important role sustaining the self-renewal of CSCs by interconnecting them with the tumorigenic microenvironment.

scholarly journals NQO1 is Required for β-Lapachone-Mediated Downregulation of Breast-Cancer Stem-Cell Activity

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (12) ◽  
pp. 3813 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dong Kim ◽  
Je-Yoel Cho
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Stem Cells ◽  
Cell Proliferation ◽  
Stem Cell ◽  
Cancer Stem Cells ◽  
Cancer Stem Cell ◽  
Breast Cancer Stem Cell ◽  
Cancer Development ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Mammosphere Formation

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) exhibit self-renewal activity and give rise to other cell types in tumors. Due to the infinite proliferative potential of CSCs, drugs targeting these cells are necessary to completely inhibit cancer development. The β-lapachone (bL) compound is widely used to treat cancer development; however, its effect on cancer stem cells remain elusive. Thus, we investigated the effect of bL on mammosphere formation using breast-cancer stem-cell (BCSC) marker-positive cells, MDA-MB-231. MDA-MB-231 cells, which are negative for reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NAD(P)H):quinone oxidoreductase (NQO1) expression, were constructed to stably express NQO1 (NQO1 stable cells). The effect of bL on these cells was evaluated by wound healing and Transwell cell-culture chambers, ALDEFLUOR assay, and mammosphere formation assay. Here, we show that bL inhibited the proliferative ability of mammospheres derived from BCSC marker-positive cells, MDA-MB-231, in an NQO1-dependent manner. The bL treatment efficiently downregulated the expression level of BCSC markers cluster of differentiation 44 (CD44), aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 family member A1 (ALDH1A1), and discs large (DLG)-associated protein 5 (DLGAP5) that was recently identified as a stem-cell proliferation marker in both cultured cells and mammosphered cells. Moreover, bL efficiently downregulated cell proliferation and migration activities. These results strongly suggest that bL could be a therapeutic agent for targeting breast-cancer stem-cells with proper NQO1 expression.

A tri-metallic palladium complex with breast cancer stem cell potency

2020 ◽  
Vol 49 (14) ◽  
pp. 4211-4215
Author(s):  
Arvin Eskandari ◽  
Arunangshu Kundu ◽  
Alice Johnson ◽  
Sanjib Karmakar ◽  
Sushobhan Ghosh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Stem Cells ◽  
Stem Cell ◽  
Cancer Stem Cells ◽  
Cancer Stem Cell ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Palladium Complex ◽  
Breast Cancer Stem Cell ◽  
Metallic Palladium ◽  
Micromolar Range

A multi-nuclear, triangular-shaped palladium(ii) complex is shown to equipotently kill bulk cancer cells and cancer stem cells (CSCs) in the micromolar range.

The effect of BMI-1 inhibition on brain cancer stem cells.

2012 ◽  
Vol 30 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. e13543-e13543
Author(s):  
Monal Mehta ◽  
Atif J. Khan ◽  
Hatem E. Sabaawy ◽  
Bruce George Haffty
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Cell Death ◽  
Stem Cell ◽  
Cancer Stem Cells ◽  
Cell Lines ◽  
Brain Cancer ◽  
Insertion Site ◽  
Stem Cell Markers ◽  
Primary Cells ◽  
Self Renewal

e13543 Background: Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most frequent and deadly brain cancer. Despite tolerance doses of radiation, control of tumor growth within the brain remains a formidable failure. Since the identification of brain cancer stem cells (BCSCs), efforts are underway to target the pathways regulating these cells. The role of Bmi-1 (B-cell specific MMLV insertion site-1), a polycomb member of chromatin-remodeling complex, in BCSCs self-renewal was elucidated. Here we utilize shRNA targeting or pharmacological inhibition of Bmi-1 in GBM cell lines and primary cells as a radiosensitizer to examine the effects of combination therapy on cell death and BCSCs differentiation. Methods: Cells were pre-treated with a Bmi-1 inhibitor before being irradiated. Serial neurosphere assay, a measure of self-renewal potential, was employed to study the effects of radiation, Bmi-1 inhibition, or the combination on BCSCs. The efficacy of this combination on cell death was assessed with MTT and clonogenic assays. Next, the abilities of the inhibitor and radiation to induce differentiation in GBM cell lines and primary cells were quantified. Further, by utilizing a novel zebrafish orthotropic xenograft model, small molecules targeting Bmi-1 and other BCSC pathways can be identified, and used to predict response to combination therapies. Results: Targeting of Bmi-1 in combination with radiation, specifically as a radiosensitizer, induced significant cell death in GBM cells, and was five-fold more effective than radiation only. Importantly, the neurosphere forming ability of BCSCs was severely compromised when the cells were treated with the combination, indicating a potent effect on the stem cell constituency. These effects may be due to loss of BCSC self-renewal potential, increased differentiation, and/or apoptosis as cells treated with the combination exhibited decreased expression of neural stem cell markers and abnormal phenotypes compared to single treatment. Conclusions: Targeting of Bmi-1 may eliminate the subpopulation of radioresistant BCSCs. Bmi-1 inhibition when combined with radiotherapy might provide an effective therapy for GBM patients specifically through its effect on BCSCs by affecting their survival, proliferation, and stem cell features.

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