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Where Do Bone-Targeted Agents RANK in Breast Cancer Treatment?

ABSTRACT: Breast cancer cells preferentially metastasise to the skeleton, owing, in part, to the fertile environment provided by bone. Increased bone turnover releases growth factors that promote tumour cell growth. In turn, tumour cells release factors that stimulate further bone turnover, resulting in a vicious cycle of metastasis growth and bone destruction. The RANK-RANK ligand (RANKL) pathway plays a key role in this cycle, and inhibition of RANKL using the fully-human monoclonal antibody denosumab, has demonstrated efficacy in delaying skeletal complications associated with bone metastases in three phase 3 trials. Preclinical studies suggest that the RANKL pathway also plays a role in breast cancer tumourigenesis and migration to bone. In a subgroup analysis of the negative Adjuvant Zoledronic Acid to Reduce Recurrence (AZURE) trial, the bisphosphonate zoledronic acid showed potential for improving survival in patients who were postmenopausal; however, a prospective study in this patient population is required to validate this observation. Ongoing trials are examining whether adjuvant blockade of the RANKL pathway using denosumab can prevent disease recurrence in patients with high-risk breast cancer. These are building on analogous studies that have shown that denosumab improves bone metastasis-free survival in prostate cancer and suggested that it confers an overall survival benefit in non-small-cell lung cancer.

SUBMITTER: von Moos R

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4470230 | biostudies-other | 2013 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other

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Where Do Bone-Targeted Agents RANK in Breast Cancer Treatment?

von Moos Roger R Haynes Ian I

Journal of clinical medicine 20130828 3

Breast cancer cells preferentially metastasise to the skeleton, owing, in part, to the fertile environment provided by bone. Increased bone turnover releases growth factors that promote tumour cell growth. In turn, tumour cells release factors that stimulate further bone turnover, resulting in a vicious cycle of metastasis growth and bone destruction. The RANK-RANK ligand (RANKL) pathway plays a key role in this cycle, and inhibition of RANKL using the fully-human monoclonal antibody denosumab, ...[more]

PMID: 26237064

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Project description:Skeletal metastases are an incurable complication afflicting the majority of patients who die from advanced breast cancer. They are most often osteolytic, characterized by net bone destruction and suppressed new bone formation. Life expectancy from first diagnosis of breast cancer bone metastases is several years, during which time skeletal-related events - including pain, fracture, hypercalcemia, and spinal cord compression - significantly degrade quality of life. The bone marrow niche can also confer hormonal and chemo-resistance. Most treatments for skeletal metastases target bone-destroying osteoclasts and are palliative. Recent results from the Breast cancer trials of Oral Everolimus-2 trial suggest that agents such as the mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitor everolimus may have efficacy against breast cancer bone metastases in part via stimulating osteoblasts as well as by inhibiting tumor growth. Selective estrogen receptor modulators similarly inhibit growth of estrogen receptor-positive breast cancers while having positive effects on the skeleton. This review discusses the future role of bone-anabolic agents for the specific treatment of osteolytic breast cancer metastases. Agents with both anti-tumor and bone-anabolic actions have been tested in the setting of multiple myeloma, a hematological malignancy that causes severe osteolytic bone loss and suppression of osteoblastic new bone formation. Stimulation of osteoblast activity inhibits multiple myeloma growth - a strategy that might decrease breast cancer burden in osteolytic bone metastases. Proteasome inhibitors (bortezomib and carfilzomib) inhibit the growth of myeloma directly and are anabolic for bone. Drugs with limited anti-tumor activity but which are anabolic for bone include intermittent parathyroid hormone and antibodies that neutralize the WNT inhibitors DKK1 and sclerostin, as well as the activin A blocker sotatercept and the osteoporosis drug strontium ranelate. Transforming growth factor-beta inhibitors have little tumor antiproliferative activity but block breast cancer production of osteolytic factors and are also anabolic for bone. Some of these treatments are already in clinical trials. This review provides an overview of agents with bone-anabolic properties, which may have utility in the treatment of breast cancer metastatic to the skeleton.

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Where Do Bone-Targeted Agents RANK in Breast Cancer Treatment?

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Where Do Bone-Targeted Agents RANK in Breast Cancer Treatment?

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