Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT: Background
Clinical management of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients remain challenging because of the development of chemo-resistance. Identification of biomarkers for risk stratification of chemo-resistance and therapeutic decision-making to overcome such resistance is thus necessary.Methods
Retrospective analysis was performed to identify potential stratification biomarkers. The levels of ceramide kinase (CERK) was determined in breast cancer patients. The roles of CERK and its downstream signaling pathways were analysed using cellular and biochemical assays.Results
CERK upregulation was identified as a biomarker for chemotherapeutic response in TNBC. A?>?2-fold change in CERK (from tumor)/CERK (from normal counterpart) was significantly associated with chemo-resistance (OR?=?2.66, 95% CI 1.18-7.34), P?=?0.04. CERK overexpression was sufficient to promote TNBC growth and migration, and confer chemo-resistance in TNBC cell lines, although this resistance could be overcome via CERK inhibition. Mechanistic studies suggest that CERK mediates intrinsic resistance and inferior response to chemotherapy in TNBC by regulating multiple oncogenic pathways such as Ras/ERK, PI3K/Akt/mTOR, and RhoA.Conclusions
Our work provides an explanation for the heterogeneity of chemo-response across TNBC patients and demonstrates that CERK inhibition offers a therapeutic strategy to overcome treatment resistance.
SUBMITTER: Zhu S
PROVIDER: S-EPMC7802356 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jan
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Zhu Shan S Xu Yulin Y Wang Lijun L Liao Shichong S Wang Yuan Y Shi Manman M Tu Yi Y Zhou Yurong Y Wei Wen W
Cancer cell international 20210111 1
<h4>Background</h4>Clinical management of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients remain challenging because of the development of chemo-resistance. Identification of biomarkers for risk stratification of chemo-resistance and therapeutic decision-making to overcome such resistance is thus necessary.<h4>Methods</h4>Retrospective analysis was performed to identify potential stratification biomarkers. The levels of ceramide kinase (CERK) was determined in breast cancer patients. The roles of ...[more]