Anti-Angiogenic Effects of Phytochemicals on miRNA Regulating Breast Cancer Progression

Several phytochemicals have been identified for their role in modifying miRNA regulating tumor progression. miRNAs modulate the expression of several oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes including the genes that regulate tumor angiogenesis. Hypoxia inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1α) signaling is a central axis that activates oncogenic signaling and acts as a metabolic switch in endothelial cell (EC) driven tumor angiogenesis. Tumor angiogenesis driven by metabolic reprogramming of EC is crucial for tumor progression and metastasis in many different cancers, including breast cancers, and has been linked to aberrant miRNA expression profiles. In the current article, we identify different miRNAs that regulate tumor angiogenesis in the context of oncogenic signaling and metabolic reprogramming in ECs and review how selected phytochemicals could modulate miRNA levels to induce an anti-angiogenic action in breast cancer. Studies involving genistein, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and resveratrol demonstrate the regulation of miRNA-21, miRNA-221/222 and miRNA-27, which are prognostic markers in triple negative breast cancers (TNBCs). Modulating the metabolic pathway is a novel strategy for controlling tumor angiogenesis and tumor growth. Cardamonin, curcumin and resveratrol exhibit their anti-angiogenic property by targeting the miRNAs that regulate EC metabolism. Here we suggest that using phytochemicals to target miRNAs, which in turn suppresses tumor angiogenesis, should have the potential to inhibit tumor growth, progression, invasion and metastasis and may be developed into an effective therapeutic strategy for the treatment of many different cancers where tumor angiogenesis plays a significant role in tumor growth and progression.

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Iron-Bound Lipocalin-2 from Tumor-Associated Macrophages Drives Breast Cancer Progression Independent of Ferroportin

Metabolites ◽

10.3390/metabo11030180 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (3) ◽

pp. 180

Author(s):

Christina Mertens ◽

Matthias Schnetz ◽

Claudia Rehwald ◽

Stephan Grein ◽

Eiman Elwakeel ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Tumor Progression ◽

Tumor Cells ◽

Cancer Progression ◽

Lung Metastases ◽

Expression Profiles ◽

The Cancer Genome Atlas ◽

Lipocalin 2 ◽

Tumor Associated Macrophages

Macrophages supply iron to the breast tumor microenvironment by enforced secretion of lipocalin-2 (Lcn-2)-bound iron as well as the increased expression of the iron exporter ferroportin (FPN). We aimed at identifying the contribution of each pathway in supplying iron for the growing tumor, thereby fostering tumor progression. Analyzing the expression profiles of Lcn-2 and FPN using the spontaneous polyoma-middle-T oncogene (PyMT) breast cancer model as well as mining publicly available TCGA (The Cancer Genome Atlas) and GEO Series(GSE) datasets from the Gene Expression Omnibus database (GEO), we found no association between tumor parameters and Lcn-2 or FPN. However, stromal/macrophage-expression of Lcn-2 correlated with tumor onset, lung metastases, and recurrence, whereas FPN did not. While the total iron amount in wildtype and Lcn-2−/− PyMT tumors showed no difference, we observed that tumor-associated macrophages from Lcn-2−/− compared to wildtype tumors stored more iron. In contrast, Lcn-2−/− tumor cells accumulated less iron than their wildtype counterparts, translating into a low migratory and proliferative capacity of Lcn-2−/− tumor cells in a 3D tumor spheroid model in vitro. Our data suggest a pivotal role of Lcn-2 in tumor iron-management, affecting tumor growth. This study underscores the role of iron for tumor progression and the need for a better understanding of iron-targeted therapy approaches.

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Selective inhibition of EZH2 by ZLD1039 blocks H3K27methylation and leads to potent anti-tumor activity in breast cancer

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/srep20864 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

Xuejiao Song ◽

Tiantao Gao ◽

Ningyu Wang ◽

Qiang Feng ◽

Xinyu You ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Tumor Growth ◽

Cancer Progression ◽

Selective Inhibition ◽

Breast Cancers ◽

H3k27 Methylation ◽

Molecule Inhibitor ◽

Orally Bioavailable ◽

Tumor Growth And Metastasis ◽

Induced Apoptosis

Abstract Enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) is a candidate oncogenic driver due to its prevalent overexpression and aberrant repression of tumor suppressor genes in diverse cancers. Therefore, blocking EZH2 enzyme activity may present a valid therapeutic strategy for the treatment of cancers with EZH2 overexpression including breast cancers. Here, we described ZLD1039 a potent, highly selective, and orally bioavailable small molecule inhibitor of EZH2, which inhibited breast tumor growth and metastasis. ZLD1039 considerably inhibited EZH2 methyltransferase activity with nanomolar potency, decreased global histone-3 lysine-27 (H3K27) methylation, and reactivated silenced tumor suppressors connected to increased survival of patients with breast cancer. Comparable to conditional silencing of EZH2, its inhibition by ZLD1039 decreased cell proliferation, cell cycle arrest, and induced apoptosis. Comparably, treatment of xenograft-bearing mice with ZLD1039 led to tumor growth regression and metastasis inhibition. These data confirmed the dependency of breast cancer progression on EZH2 activity and the usefulness of ZLD1039 as a promising treatment for breast cancer.

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Nuclear Receptor-Mediated Metabolic Reprogramming and the Impact on HR+ Breast Cancer

Cancers ◽

10.3390/cancers13194808 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (19) ◽

pp. 4808

Author(s):

Shaimaa Hussein ◽

Pooja Khanna ◽

Neha Yunus ◽

Michael L. Gatza

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Tumor Progression ◽

Hormone Receptor ◽

Metabolic Reprogramming ◽

Metabolic Energy ◽

Biological Macromolecules ◽

Breast Cancers ◽

Metabolic Processes ◽

Therapeutic Implications ◽

The Impact

Metabolic reprogramming enables cancer cells to adapt to the changing microenvironment in order to maintain metabolic energy and to provide the necessary biological macromolecules required for cell growth and tumor progression. While changes in tumor metabolism have been long recognized as a hallmark of cancer, recent advances have begun to delineate the mechanisms that modulate metabolic pathways and the consequence of altered signaling on tumorigenesis. This is particularly evident in hormone receptor positive (HR+) breast cancers which account for approximately 70% of breast cancer cases. Emerging evidence indicates that HR+ breast tumors are dependent on multiple metabolic processes for tumor progression, metastasis, and therapeutic resistance and that changes in metabolic programs are driven, in part, by a number of key nuclear receptors including hormone-dependent signaling. In this review, we discuss the mechanisms and impact of hormone receptor mediated metabolic reprogramming on HR+ breast cancer genesis and progression as well as the therapeutic implications of these metabolic processes in this disease.

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The Role of the BH4 Cofactor in Nitric Oxide Synthase Activity and Cancer Progression: Two Sides of the Same Coin

International Journal of Molecular Sciences ◽

10.3390/ijms22179546 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 22 (17) ◽

pp. 9546

Author(s):

Diego Assis Gonçalves ◽

Miriam Galvonas Jasiulionis ◽

Fabiana Henriques Machado de Melo

Keyword(s):

Nitric Oxide ◽

Nitric Oxide Synthase ◽

Tumor Progression ◽

Cancer Progression ◽

Control Cell ◽

Metabolic Reprogramming ◽

Main Function ◽

Oncogenic Signaling ◽

Oxide Synthase

Cancer development is associated with abnormal proliferation, genetic instability, cell death resistance, metabolic reprogramming, immunity evasion, and metastasis. These alterations are triggered by genetic and epigenetic alterations in genes that control cell homeostasis. Increased reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS, RNS) induced by different enzymes and reactions with distinct molecules contribute to malignant transformation and tumor progression by modifying DNA, proteins, and lipids, altering their activities. Nitric oxide synthase plays a central role in oncogenic signaling modulation and redox landscape. Overexpression of the three NOS isoforms has been found in innumerous types of cancer contributing to tumor growth and development. Although the main function of NOS is the production of nitric oxide (NO), it can be a source of ROS in some pathological conditions. Decreased tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) cofactor availability is involved in NOS dysfunction, leading to ROS production and reduced levels of NO. The regulation of NOSs by BH4 in cancer is controversial since BH4 has been reported as a pro-tumoral or an antitumoral molecule. Therefore, in this review, the role of BH4 in the control of NOS activity and its involvement in the capabilities acquired along tumor progression of different cancers was described.

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Matrix Stiffness Modulates Metabolic Interaction between Human Stromal and Breast Cancer Cells to Stimulate Epithelial Motility

Metabolites ◽

10.3390/metabo11070432 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (7) ◽

pp. 432

Author(s):

Iván Ponce ◽

Nelson Garrido ◽

Nicolás Tobar ◽

Francisco Melo ◽

Patricio C. Smith ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Cancer Cells ◽

Cancer Progression ◽

Stromal Cells ◽

Glucose Transporter ◽

Lactate Production ◽

Resonance Energy ◽

Metabolic Reprogramming ◽

Dependent Manner ◽

Functional Link

Breast tumors belong to the type of desmoplastic lesion in which a stiffer tissue structure is a determinant of breast cancer progression and constitutes a risk factor for breast cancer development. It has been proposed that cancer-associated stromal cells (responsible for this fibrotic phenomenon) are able to metabolize glucose via lactate production, which supports the catabolic metabolism of cancer cells. The aim of this work was to investigate the possible functional link between these two processes. To measure the effect of matrix rigidity on metabolic determinations, we used compliant elastic polyacrylamide gels as a substrate material, to which matrix molecules were covalently linked. We evaluated metabolite transport in stromal cells using two different FRET (Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer) nanosensors specific for glucose and lactate. Cell migration/invasion was evaluated using Transwell devices. We show that increased stiffness stimulates lactate production and glucose uptake by mammary fibroblasts. This response was correlated with the expression of stromal glucose transporter Glut1 and monocarboxylate transporters MCT4. Moreover, mammary stromal cells cultured on stiff matrices generated soluble factors that stimulated epithelial breast migration in a stiffness-dependent manner. Using a normal breast stromal cell line, we found that a stiffer extracellular matrix favors the acquisition mechanistical properties that promote metabolic reprograming and also constitute a stimulus for epithelial motility. This new knowledge will help us to better understand the complex relationship between fibrosis, metabolic reprogramming, and cancer malignancy.

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The Role of Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts in Tumor Progression

Cancers ◽

10.3390/cancers13061399 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (6) ◽

pp. 1399

Author(s):

Rushikesh S. Joshi ◽

Samanvi S. Kanugula ◽

Sweta Sudhir ◽

Matheus P. Pereira ◽

Saket Jain ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cancer Treatment ◽

Tumor Progression ◽

Cancer Progression ◽

Immune Cell ◽

Systemic Disease ◽

Genomic Medicine ◽

Therapeutic Targets ◽

Therapy Resistance ◽

Cancer Associated Fibroblasts ◽

Breast Cancers

In the era of genomic medicine, cancer treatment has become more personalized as novel therapeutic targets and pathways are identified. Research over the past decade has shown the increasing importance of how the tumor microenvironment (TME) and the extracellular matrix (ECM), which is a major structural component of the TME, regulate oncogenic functions including tumor progression, metastasis, angiogenesis, therapy resistance, and immune cell modulation, amongst others. Within the TME, cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) have been identified in several systemic cancers as critical regulators of the malignant cancer phenotype. This review of the literature comprehensively profiles the roles of CAFs implicated in gastrointestinal, endocrine, head and neck, skin, genitourinary, lung, and breast cancers. The ubiquitous presence of CAFs highlights their significance as modulators of cancer progression and has led to the subsequent characterization of potential therapeutic targets, which may help advance the cancer treatment paradigm to determine the next generation of cancer therapy. The aim of this review is to provide a detailed overview of the key roles that CAFs play in the scope of systemic disease, the mechanisms by which they enhance protumoral effects, and the primary CAF-related markers that may offer potential targets for novel therapeutics.

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INPP4B promotes PI3Kα-dependent late endosome formation and Wnt/β-catenin signaling in breast cancer

Nature Communications ◽

10.1038/s41467-021-23241-6 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Samuel J. Rodgers ◽

Lisa M. Ooms ◽

Viola M. J. Oorschot ◽

Ralf B. Schittenhelm ◽

Elizabeth V. Nguyen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Tumor Growth ◽

Breast Cancer Cells ◽

Triple Negative ◽

Akt Signaling ◽

Late Endosome ◽

Breast Cancers ◽

Lysosomal Degradation ◽

Late Endosomes ◽

Mrna And Protein Expression

AbstractINPP4B suppresses PI3K/AKT signaling by converting PI(3,4)P2 to PI(3)P and INPP4B inactivation is common in triple-negative breast cancer. Paradoxically, INPP4B is also a reported oncogene in other cancers. How these opposing INPP4B roles relate to PI3K regulation is unclear. We report PIK3CA-mutant ER+ breast cancers exhibit increased INPP4B mRNA and protein expression and INPP4B increased the proliferation and tumor growth of PIK3CA-mutant ER+ breast cancer cells, despite suppression of AKT signaling. We used integrated proteomics, transcriptomics and imaging to demonstrate INPP4B localized to late endosomes via interaction with Rab7, which increased endosomal PI3Kα-dependent PI(3,4)P2 to PI(3)P conversion, late endosome/lysosome number and cargo trafficking, resulting in enhanced GSK3β lysosomal degradation and activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Mechanistically, Wnt inhibition or depletion of the PI(3)P-effector, Hrs, reduced INPP4B-mediated cell proliferation and tumor growth. Therefore, INPP4B facilitates PI3Kα crosstalk with Wnt signaling in ER+ breast cancer via PI(3,4)P2 to PI(3)P conversion on late endosomes, suggesting these tumors may be targeted with combined PI3K and Wnt/β-catenin therapies.

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Stromal CCL5 Promotes Breast Cancer Progression by Interacting with CCR3 in Tumor Cells

International Journal of Molecular Sciences ◽

10.3390/ijms22041918 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 22 (4) ◽

pp. 1918

Author(s):

Mio Yamaguchi ◽

Kiyoshi Takagi ◽

Koki Narita ◽

Yasuhiro Miki ◽

Yoshiaki Onodera ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Breast Carcinoma ◽

Tumor Progression ◽

Tumor Cells ◽

Cancer Progression ◽

Stromal Cells ◽

Human Breast Carcinoma ◽

Breast Cancer Patients ◽

Breast Carcinomas ◽

Human Breast

Chemokines secreted from stromal cells have important roles for interactions with carcinoma cells and regulating tumor progression. C-C motif chemokine ligand (CCL) 5 is expressed in various types of stromal cells and associated with tumor progression, interacting with C-C chemokine receptor (CCR) 1, 3 and 5 expressed in tumor cells. However, the expression on CCL5 and its receptors have so far not been well-examined in human breast carcinoma tissues. We therefore immunolocalized CCL5, as well as CCR1, 3 and 5, in 111 human breast carcinoma tissues and correlated them with clinicopathological characteristics. Stromal CCL5 immunoreactivity was significantly correlated with the aggressive phenotype of breast carcinomas. Importantly, this tendency was observed especially in the CCR3-positive group. Furthermore, the risk of recurrence was significantly higher in the patients with breast carcinomas positive for CCL5 and CCR3 but negative for CCR1 and CCR5, as compared with other patients. In summary, the CCL5-CCR3 axis might contribute to a worse prognosis in breast cancer patients, and these findings will contribute to a better understanding of the significance of the CCL5/CCRs axis in breast carcinoma microenvironment.

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CBP/p300: Critical Co-Activators for Nuclear Steroid Hormone Receptors and Emerging Therapeutic Targets in Prostate and Breast Cancers

Cancers ◽

10.3390/cancers13122872 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (12) ◽

pp. 2872

Author(s):

Aaron R. Waddell ◽

Haojie Huang ◽

Daiqing Liao

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Prostate Cancer ◽

Tumor Growth ◽

Signaling Pathways ◽

Cell Cycle Progression ◽

Hormone Receptors ◽

Steroid Hormone Receptors ◽

Breast Cancers ◽

Creb Binding Protein ◽

Breast And Prostate Cancer

The CREB-binding protein (CBP) and p300 are two paralogous lysine acetyltransferases (KATs) that were discovered in the 1980s–1990s. Since their discovery, CBP/p300 have emerged as important regulatory proteins due to their ability to acetylate histone and non-histone proteins to modulate transcription. Work in the last 20 years has firmly established CBP/p300 as critical regulators for nuclear hormone signaling pathways, which drive tumor growth in several cancer types. Indeed, CBP/p300 are critical co-activators for the androgen receptor (AR) and estrogen receptor (ER) signaling in prostate and breast cancer, respectively. The AR and ER are stimulated by sex hormones and function as transcription factors to regulate genes involved in cell cycle progression, metabolism, and other cellular functions that contribute to oncogenesis. Recent structural studies of the AR/p300 and ER/p300 complexes have provided critical insights into the mechanism by which p300 interacts with and activates AR- and ER-mediated transcription. Breast and prostate cancer rank the first and forth respectively in cancer diagnoses worldwide and effective treatments are urgently needed. Recent efforts have identified specific and potent CBP/p300 inhibitors that target the acetyltransferase activity and the acetytllysine-binding bromodomain (BD) of CBP/p300. These compounds inhibit AR signaling and tumor growth in prostate cancer. CBP/p300 inhibitors may also be applicable for treating breast and other hormone-dependent cancers. Here we provide an in-depth account of the critical roles of CBP/p300 in regulating the AR and ER signaling pathways and discuss the potential of CBP/p300 inhibitors for treating prostate and breast cancer.

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Role of the NUDT Enzymes in Breast Cancer

International Journal of Molecular Sciences ◽

10.3390/ijms22052267 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 22 (5) ◽

pp. 2267

Author(s):

Roni H. G. Wright ◽

Miguel Beato

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Signaling Pathways ◽

Cancer Progression ◽

Breast Cancers ◽

Metastatic Colonization ◽

Hormone Receptor Positive ◽

Aggressive Cancer ◽

Cancer Types ◽

Metastatic Process

Despite global research efforts, breast cancer remains the leading cause of cancer death in women worldwide. The majority of these deaths are due to metastasis occurring years after the initial treatment of the primary tumor and occurs at a higher frequency in hormone receptor-positive (Estrogen and Progesterone; HR+) breast cancers. We have previously described the role of NUDT5 (Nudix-linked to moiety X-5) in HR+ breast cancer progression, specifically with regards to the growth of breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs). BCSCs are known to be the initiators of epithelial-to-mesenchyme transition (EMT), metastatic colonization, and growth. Therefore, a greater understanding of the proteins and signaling pathways involved in the metastatic process may open the door for therapeutic opportunities. In this review, we discuss the role of NUDT5 and other members of the NUDT family of enzymes in breast and other cancer types. We highlight the use of global omics data based on our recent phosphoproteomic analysis of progestin signaling pathways in breast cancer cells and how this experimental approach provides insight into novel crosstalk mechanisms for stratification and drug discovery projects aiming to treat patients with aggressive cancer.

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