scholarly journals A Cell Culture Chip with Transparent, Micropillar-Decorated Bottom for Live Cell Imaging and Screening of Breast Cancer Cells

Micromachines ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 93
Author(s):  
Menekse Ermis ◽  
Ezgi Antmen ◽  
Ozgur Kuren ◽  
Utkan Demirci ◽  
Vasif Hasirci

In the recent years, microfabrication technologies have been widely used in cell biology, tissue engineering, and regenerative medicine studies. Today, the implementation of microfabricated devices in cancer research is frequent and advantageous because it enables the study of cancer cells in controlled microenvironments provided by the microchips. Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in women, and the way breast cancer cells interact with their physical microenvironment is still under investigation. In this study, we developed a transparent cell culture chip (Ch-Pattern) with a micropillar-decorated bottom that makes live imaging and monitoring of the metabolic, proliferative, apoptotic, and morphological behavior of breast cancer cells possible. The reason for the use of micropatterned surfaces is because cancer cells deform and lose their shape and acto-myosin integrity on micropatterned substrates, and this allows the quantification of the changes in morphology and through that identification of the cancerous cells. In the last decade, cancer cells were studied on micropatterned substrates of varying sizes and with a variety of biomaterials. These studies were conducted using conventional cell culture plates carrying patterned films. In the present study, cell culture protocols were conducted in the clear-bottom micropatterned chip. This approach adds significantly to the current knowledge and applications by enabling low-volume and high-throughput processing of the cell behavior, especially the cell–micropattern interactions. In this study, two different breast cancer cell lines, MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7, were used. MDA-MB-231 cells are invasive and metastatic, while MCF-7 cells are not metastatic. The nuclei of these two cell types deformed to distinctly different levels on the micropatterns, had different metabolic and proliferation rates, and their cell cycles were affected. The Ch-Pattern chips developed in this study proved to have significant advantages when used in the biological analysis of live cells and highly beneficial in the study of screening breast cancer cell–substrate interactions in vitro.

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thandi Mqoco ◽  
André Stander ◽  
Anna-Mart Engelbrecht ◽  
Anna M Joubert

Current chemotherapeutic agents have many side effects and are toxic to normal cells, providing impetus to identify agents that can effectively eliminate tumorigenic cells without damaging healthy cells. The aim of this study was to examine whether combining a novel BRD4 inhibitor, ITH-47, with the antimitotic estradiol analogue, ESE-15-ol, would have a synergistic effect on inhibiting the growth of two different breast cancer cell lines in vitro. Our docking and molecular dynamics studies showed that compared to JQ1, ITH-47 showed a similar binding mode with hydrogen bonds forming between the ligand nitrogens of the pyrazole, ASN99, and water of the BRD4 protein. Data from cell growth studies revealed that the GI50 of ITH-47 and ESE-15-ol after 48 hours of exposure was determined to be 15 μM and 70 nM, respectively, in metastatic MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. In tumorigenic MCF-7 breast cancer cells, the GI50 of ITH-47 and ESE-15-ol was 75 μM and 60 nM, respectively, after 48 hours of exposure. Furthermore, the combination of 7.5 μM and 14 nM of ITH-47 and ESE-15-ol, respectively, resulted in 50% growth inhibition of MDA-MB-231 cells resulting in a synergistic combination index (CI) of 0.7. Flow cytometry studies revealed that, compared to the control, combination-treated MDA-MB-231 cells had significantly more cells present in the sub-G1 phase and the combination treatment induced apoptosis in the MDA-MB-231 cells. Compared to vehicle-treated cells, the combination-treated cells showed decreased levels of the BRD4, as well as c-Myc protein after 48 hours of exposure. In combination, the selective BRD4 inhibitor, ITH-47, and ESE-15-ol synergistically inhibited the growth of MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells, but not of the MCF-7 cell line. This study provides evidence that resistance to BRD4 inhibitors may be overcome by combining inhibitors with other compounds, which may have treatment potential for hormone-independent breast cancers.


1997 ◽  
Vol 82 (6) ◽  
pp. 1790-1798 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rama Natarajan ◽  
Robert Esworthy ◽  
Wei Bai ◽  
Jia-Li Gu ◽  
Sharon Wilczynski ◽  
...  

Abstract The interaction of growth factors, such as epidermal growth factor (EGF) with their receptors, on breast cancer cells can lead to the hydrolysis of phospholipids and release of fatty acids, such as arachidonic acid, which can be further metabolized by the lipoxygenase (LO) pathway. Several LO products have been shown to stimulate oncogenes and have mitogenic and chemotactic effects. In this study, we have evaluated the regulation of 12-LO activity and expression in breast cancer cells and tissues. Leukocyte-type 12-LO messenger RNA (mRNA) expression was studied by a specific RT-PCR method in matched, normal, uninvolved and cancer-involved breast tissue RNA samples from six patients. In each of these six patients, the cancer-involved section showed a much higher level of 12-LO mRNA than the corresponding normal section. 12-LO mRNA levels also were greater in two breast cancer cell lines, MCF-7 and COH-BR1, compared with the nontumorigenic breast epithelial cell line, MCF-10F. The growth of the MCF-7 cells was significantly inhibited by two specific LO blockers but not by a cyclooxygenase blocker. Treatment of serum-starved MCF-7 cells with EGF for 4 h led to a dose-dependent increase in the formation of the 12-LO product, 12-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid. EGF treatment also increased the levels of the leukocyte-type 12-LO protein expression at 24 h. These results suggest that activation of the 12-LO pathway may play a key role in basal and EGF-induced breast cancer cell growth.


Author(s):  
Xiaodan Zhu ◽  
Lu Zhao ◽  
Jianliang You ◽  
Yiqun Ni ◽  
Zhipeng Wei ◽  
...  

Number 3 Prescription (WD-3) is an herbal remedy used in traditional Chinese medicine that has been shown to improve the outcomes of patients with advanced colon and gastric cancers. This study aimed to investigate the effect of WD-3 on proliferation, glycolysis, and hexokinase 2 expression in breast cancer cells. Four breast cancer cell lines (MDA-MB-231, BT-549, MCF-7, and MCF-7/ADR-RES) were treated with different concentrations of WD-3 compared with blank control (phosphate-buffered saline). Each of the breast cancer cell lines was also divided into WD-3, paclitaxel, and blank control group. Cell proliferation and morphology were assessed by MTT assay, nuclear Hoechst 33258 staining, or immunofluorescence. Apoptosis was analyzed by flow cytometry. High performance liquid chromatography was used for measurement of ATP, ADP, and AMP. Hexokinase 2 expression was analyzed by Western blot and quantitative reverse transcription PCR. WD-3 inhibited proliferation and increased apoptosis in all four breast cancer cell lines, in a dose-dependent manner. ATP and EC (energy charge) were significantly decreased in WD-3-treated BT-549 and MDA-MB-231 cells. WD-3 significantly downregulated the protein and mRNA expression of hexokinase II in BT-549 cells, however, not in the other three breast cancer cell lines. Our findings indicate that WD-3 targets the glycolytic pathway in breast cancer cells to exert its antitumor activity.


Author(s):  
Norma Lizeth Galindo-Alvarez ◽  
Humberto L. Mendoza-Figueroa ◽  
Martha Cecilia Rosales-Hernández ◽  
Norbert Bakalara ◽  
José Correa-Basurto

Background: A preliminary study of the biotransformation by cytochrome P450 enzymes (CYP) of N-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-2-propylpentanamide (HO-AAVPA), an HDAC inhibitor, led to the synthesis of two hydroxylated derivatives: N-(2,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-2-propylpentanamide (5a) and N-(2,5-dihydroxyphenyl)-2-propylpentanamide (5b). Objective: The study aims to evaluate the anti-proliferative activity of these di-hydroxylated derivatives in breast cancer cell lines. Methods: MTT assays were conducted in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cell lines. Additionally, in silico studies were carried out to evaluate the affinity of these derivatives with the HDAC1 enzyme. Results: Results showed that only 5b possess an enhanced anti-proliferative effect in breast cancer cell lines MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231. Docking studies revealed that the presence of hydroxyl groups, as well as the position of the additional hydroxyl groups, could have an impact on HDAC1 affinity and could explain the lack of activity of compound 5a. Conclusion: A priori, these results hypothesize that anti-proliferative activity of 5b could be related to HDAC1 inhibition and thus anti-proliferative activity in breast cancer cells.


Blood ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 116 (21) ◽  
pp. 2089-2089
Author(s):  
Gheath Alatrash ◽  
Elizabeth Mittendorf ◽  
Anna Sergeeva ◽  
Pariya Sukhumalchandra ◽  
Na Qiao ◽  
...  

Abstract Abstract 2089 The human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-A2 restricted nonapeptide PR1 (VLQELNVTV) was shown to be immunogenic in leukemia. A phase I/II clinical trial has been initiated with PR1 peptide vaccine and to date has demonstrated clinical efficacy, including complete remission and immunologic responses in patients with acute (AML) and chronic (CML) myeloid leukemia, as well as myelodysplastic syndrome. PR1 is derived from the serine proteases proteinase-3 (P3) and neutrophil elastase (NE), which are normally found within neutrophil azurophil granules and are released into the inflammatory milieu. We have shown that P3 and NE are taken up and cross presented by antigen presenting cells and that their cross presentation elicits PR1 immunity. Because P3 and NE are present in breast cancer biopsies, we hypothesized that P3/NE may be taken up by breast cancer cells and cross presented to PR1-CTL. We recently demonstrated that the breast cancer cell lines MDA-MB-231, MDA-MB-453, MCF-7 and HER18 do not endogenously express NE and that NE is taken up by these cell lines. In this report, using PCR, western blot and flow cytometry, we show that P3 also is NOT endogenously expressed by the breast cancer cell lines MDA-MB-231, MDA-MB-453, MCF-7 or HER18. Using confocal microscopy, we demonstrate that P3 is taken up by these breast cancer cell lines within 10 minutes of pulsing and localizes to LAMP-2 containing lysosomal vesicles by 4 hours, suggesting its processing for presentation by (HLA)-I (i.e. HLA-A2). Using 8F4, the novel PR1-HLA-A2 monoclonal antibody, we show that PR1 is cross presented from P3 by 3 of 4 HLA-A2+ breast cancer cell lines (MDA-MB-231, MDA-MB-453-A2+, MCF-7), and from NE by 1 of 4 breast cancer cell lines (MDA-MB-231). Next, we studied whether PR1 presentation made cells susceptible to PR1-specific killing by PR1-CTL and the 8F4 monoclonal antibody. We show that following 12-hour pulsing of the MDA-MB-231 cell line with NE or P3, PR1 CTLs killed up to 31% and 38% of the NE- or P3-pulsed breast cancer cells respectively, vs. <1% of ovalbumin (ova)-pulsed MDA-MB-231cells. Additionally, in a complement mediated cytotoxicity assay using 8F4 antibody, pulsing of MDA-MB-231 cells with P3 led to 60% cytotoxicity (vs. 40% in ova-pulsed cells). In conclusion, this study shows that 1) PR1 is cross presented by breast cancer cells following uptake of soluble P3 and NE and 2) PR1 expression makes breast cancer a target of PR1-specific immunotherapy. If uptake of P3 or NE, present in the inflammatory milieu of other solid tumors, also leads to PR1 cross presentation, then PR1-based immunotherapy may be useful to treat other non-hematopoietic tumors. These results support a new paradigm linking inflammation and innate immunity to adaptive immune responses to cancer. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


2007 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 1114-1123 ◽  
Author(s):  
Asmaà Fritah ◽  
Cécile Saucier ◽  
Olivier De Wever ◽  
Marc Bracke ◽  
Ivan Bièche ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT WISP-2/CCN5 is an estrogen-regulated member of the “connective tissue growth factor/cysteine-rich 61/nephroblastoma overexpressed” (CCN) family of the cell growth and differentiation regulators. The WISP-2/CCN5 mRNA transcript is undetectable in normal human mammary cells, as well as in highly aggressive breast cancer cell lines, in contrast with its higher level in the breast cancer cell lines characterized by a more differentiated phenotype. We report here that knockdown of WISP-2/CCN5 by RNA interference in estrogen receptor alpha (ERα)-positive MCF-7 breast cancer cells induced an estradiol-independent growth linked to a loss of ERα expression and promoted epithelial-to-mesenchymal transdifferentiation. In contrast, forced expression of WISP-2/CCN5 directed MCF-7 cells toward a more differentiated phenotype. When introduced into the poorly differentiated, estrogen-independent, and invasive MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells, WISP-2/CCN5 was able to reduce their proliferative and invasive phenotypes. In a series of ERα-positive tumor biopsies, we found a positive correlation between the expression of WISP-2/CCN5 and ID2, a transcriptional regulator of differentiation in normal and transformed breast cells. We propose that WISP-2/CCN5 is an important regulator involved in the maintenance of a differentiated phenotype in breast tumor epithelial cells and may play a role in tumor cell invasion and metastasis.


Blood ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 124 (21) ◽  
pp. 5139-5139 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abhishek Dhawan ◽  
Jens Friedrichs ◽  
Laura Bray ◽  
Lorenz C. Hofbauer ◽  
Manja Wobus ◽  
...  

Abstract Introduction The bone marrow microenvironment regulates the self-renewal and differentiation of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs), through a network dependent on cell-cell interaction. This interaction is mediated by morphogens, the extracellular matrix and cell adhesion molecules expressed and secreted by various cell types in the HSPC niche. Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs), as the major cellular component, maintain the stemness properties of the niche. The microenvironment thus becomes conducive for HSPCs to remain quiescent, thereby enabling long term self-renewal. Therefore, the safe haven in the bone marrow microenvironment and its constituent cell types can be targeted during tumorigenesis, thus making the niche neoplastic. Dissemination of breast cancer cells into the bone marrow has been described even in the early stages of the disease. The present study focuses on the influence of breast carcinomas on the genetic and functional profile of mesenchymal and hematopoietic progenitor cells of the bone marrow niche. Methods In vitro coculture models of breast cancer cell lines- MDA-MB231, MCF-7 and primary MSCs derived from the bone marrow of healthy donors were used in the study. Atomic- force microscopy based single-cell force spectroscopy (AFM-SCFS) and fluorescence based assays were used for cell adhesion experiments. Hydrogel based culture systems were used for 3-dimensional cocultures of breast cancer cells and MSCs. Hypoxic and normoxic culture conditions (0.5% and 20% oxygen respectively) were used for the experiments. Results The breast cancer cell lines caused a significant reduction in HSPC adhesion to MSCs (88% by MDA-MB 231 cells; p<0.005 and 73% by MCF-7 cells; p<0.005). AFM-SCFS studies also indicated a higher binding force between breast cancer cells and MSCs, as compared to HSPCs (MDA-MB231 cells-0.13nN, MCF-7 cells-0.074nN and HSPCs-0.05nN). MDA-MB231and MCF-7 cells express Intercellular adhesion molecule-1(ICAM-1), which has been shown to promote breast cancer metastasis (Hanlon et al, 2002; Rosette et al, 2005; Schröder C. et al, 2011). There was a significant difference in reduction of HSPC adhesion towards MSCs by ICAM-1 knockdown (ICAM-1 KD) tumor cells as compared to MDA-MB231 cells (84.83% by MDA-MB231 cells versus 28.11% by ICAM-1KD tumor cells, p<0.001). AFM-SCFS studies also showed a reduced binding force between ICAM-1 KD tumor cells and MSCs as compared to MDA-MB231cells (MDA-MB231 cells-0.14nN versus ICAM-1-KD tumor cells-0.05nN, p value<0.001). ICAM-1 KD studies thus showed that reduction in HSPC adhesion to MSCs by breast cancer cells was mediated through ICAM-1 signaling. A cytokine array was performed to investigate if breast cancer cell lines affect the cytokine profile of MSCs. The array showed altered expression of growth factors- Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and Platelet derived growth factor–beta (PDGF-BB) (2.2 fold upregulation and 0.5 fold downregulation in breast cancer cells- MSC cocultures respectively). Based on the array, a bFGF-mediated increase in the proliferation of MSCs and breast cancer cells in coculture was observed. The bFGF upregulation also caused an increased migration of MDA-MB231 cells towards MSCs in a transwell migration assay. An upregulation in the phosphorylation status of Akt was observed in breast cancer cells – MSC cocultures, as a downstream effect of upregulated bFGF levels. The bFGF-mediated increase in the proliferation of breast cancer cells and MSCs in coculture was shown to be dependent on the activation of PI3K-Akt pathway. The bFGF- mediated increase in the migration of MDA-MB231 cells towards MSCs was also inhibited upon addition of the PI3K blocker. Interestingly, the breast cancer cells caused a reduction in osteoblastic differentiation of MSCs by downregulation of PDGF-BB. Studies with 3-dimensional cocultures of breast cancer cells and MSCs also showed a reduction in osteoblastic differentiation of MSCs. Furthermore, long-term cocultures of breast cancer cells, HSPCs and MSCs showed reduced support for primitive HSPCs in the neoplastic niche. Conclusions These findings indicate a perturbed HSPC niche upon tumor invasion. The possible role of altered cytokine expression, consecutive downstream signaling in niche activation and bone turnover will be further studied using in vitro and in vivo approaches to recapitulate tumor micrometastases to the HSPC niche. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


2020 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gulsum Abusoglu ◽  
Bahadir Ozturk

AbstractObjectivesStatic magnetic field (SMF) was previously in practice for the therapy of some diseases and it has been thought that it may be a reliable supportive technique. The aim of this study was to find out the synergistic effect of SMF administration with flavonoids in terms of apoptosis on breast cancer cell lines.Material and methodsThe effects of flavonoids on the proliferation of breast cancer cell lines were observed by MTT cell viability test. The cells were treated with SMF + hesperetin and SMF + quercetin. Apoptosis rates and Bax, Bcl-2 protein levels were detected by flow cytometer and Western Blot, respectively.ResultsCell lines were treated with quercetin and quercetin + SMF, substantial amount of cells [3.96, 4.86, 11.40% for MCF-7 and MDA MB-231 cell lines, respectively (p<0.001)] were mainly in the apoptotic phase. The apoptosis rates of hesperetin and hesperetin + SMF were 2.53, 6.06, 10.10% (p<0.001) for MCF-7 and MDA MB-231 cell lines, respectively. Bax:Bcl-2 ratios were significantly increased after flavonoids + SMF exposure (2.7 vs. 1.6 fold (p<0.0001) in hesperetin + SMF group and 1.8 vs. 1.3-fold (p<0.0001) in quercetin + SMF group for MCF-7 and MDA MB-231 cell lines, respectively.ConclusionsSMF might support the anti-cancer properties of flavonoids, on breast cancer cells via mitochondria-related apoptosis pathway.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiayao Qu ◽  
Jia Li ◽  
Yaming Zhang ◽  
Rongzhang He ◽  
Xiangting Liu ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Aberrant expression of Aldo-Keto reductase family 1 member B10 (AKR1B10) was associated with tumor size and metastasis of breast cancer in our published preliminary studies. However, little is known about the detailed function and underlying molecular mechanism of AKR1B10 in the pathological process of breast cancer. Methods The relationship between elevated AKR1B10 expression and the overall survival and disease-free survival of breast cancer patients was analyzed by Kaplan–Meier Plotter database. Breast cancer cell lines overexpressing AKR1B10 (MCF-7/AKR1B10) and breast cancer cell lines with knockdown of AKR1B10 (BT-20/shAKR1B10) were constructed to analyze the impact of AKR1B10 expression on cell proliferation and migration of breast cancer. The expression levels of AKR1B10 were detected and compared in the breast cancer cell lines and tissues by RT-qPCR, western blot and immunohistochemistry. The proliferation of breast cancer cells was monitored by CCK8 cell proliferation assay, and the migration and invasion of breast cancer cells was observed by cell scratch test and transwell assay. The proliferation- and EMT-related proteins including cyclinD1, c-myc, Survivin, Twist, SNAI1, SLUG, ZEB1, E-cadherin, PI3K, p-PI3K, AKT, p-AKT, IKBα, p-IKBα, NF-κB p65, p-NF-κB p65 were detected by western blot in breast cancer cells. MCF-7/AKR1B10 cells were treated with LY294002, a PI3K inhibitor, to consider the impact of AKR1B10 overexpression on the PI3K/AKT/NF-κB signal cascade and the presence of NF-κB p65 in nuclear. In vivo tumor xenograft experiments were used to observe the role of AKR1B10 in breast cancer growth in mice. Results AKR1B10 expression was significantly greater in breast cancer tissue compared to paired non-cancerous tissue. The expression of AKR1B10 positively correlated with lymph node metastasis, tumor size, Ki67 expression, and p53 expression, but inversely correlated with overall and disease-free survival rates. Gene Ontology analysis showed that AKR1B10 activity contributes to cell proliferation. Overexpression of AKR1B10 facilitated the proliferation of MCF-7 cells, and induced the migration and invasion of MCF-7 cells in vitro in association with induction of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Conversely, knockdown of AKR1B10 inhibited these effects in BT-20 cells. Mechanistically, AKR1B10 activated PI3K, AKT, and NF-κB p65, and induced nuclear translocation of NF-κB p65, and expression of proliferation-related proteins including c-myc, cyclinD1, Survivin, and EMT-related proteins including ZEB1, SLUG, Twist, but downregulated E-cadherin expression in MCF-7 cells. AKR1B10 silencing reduced the phosphorylation of PI3K, AKT, and NF-κB p65, the nuclear translocation of NF-κB p65, and the expression of proliferation- and migration-related proteins in BT-20 cells. LY294002, a PI3K inhibitor, attenuated the phosphorylation of PI3K, AKT, and NF-κB p65, and the nuclear translocation of NF-κB p65. In vivo tumor xenograft experiments confirmed that AKR1B10 promoted breast cancer growth in mice. Conclusions AKR1B10 promotes the proliferation, migration and invasion of breast cancer cells via the PI3K/AKT/NF-κB signaling pathway and represents a novel prognostic indicator as well as a potential therapeutic target in breast cancer.


Author(s):  
Vic Hart ◽  
Marco Silipo ◽  
Swapna Satam ◽  
Hannah Gautrey ◽  
John Kirby ◽  
...  

AbstractIn this study, two novel alternative splice variants of HER2, named HER2-PI9 and HER2-I12, were identified in breast cancer cell lines and breast tumour tissues. Whilst HER2-P19 arises from the inclusion of an 117 bp cassette-exon of intron 9 of HER2, HER2-I12 results from intron 12 inclusion. In silico analyses were performed to predict the amino acid sequences of these two HER2 novel variants. To confirm their protein expression, plasmid vectors were generated and transfected into the HER2 negative breast cancer cell line, MCF-7. Additionally, their functional properties in oncogenic signalling were confirmed. Expression of HER2-PI9 and HER2-I12 was successful and matched the in silico predictions. Importantly, these splice variants can modulate the phosphorylation levels of extracellular signal-related kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) and Akt/protein kinase B (Akt) signalling in MCF-7 breast cancer cells. Enhanced cellular proliferation, migration and invasion were observed in the case of the HER2-I12 expressing model. In human tissues and breast carcinoma tumours both variants were present. This study reveals two novel splice variants of HER2. Additionally, the potential biological activity for HER2-PI9 and HER2-I12 in breast cancer cells is also reported..


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document