Project description:This study examines the therapeutic plausibility of using universal methyl group donor S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) to block breast cancer development, growth, and metastasis. cancer. Anti-tumor and anti-metastatic activity of SAM was evaluated through a series of studies in vitro using two different human breast cancer cell lines and in vivo using a MDA-MB-231 xenograft model of breast cancer. The data shown in this array is obtained from control and SAM-treated MDA-MB-231 cell lines.
Project description:S-adenosylmethionine represents a potent inhibitor of cancer cell proliferation, migration and invasion in vitro. The reason remains unclear. Here, we examined if treatment with exogenous SAM is capable of causing alterations in the methylation of the histone markers H3K4me3 and H3K27me3, which are both known to be important in the initiation and progression of prostate cancer.
Project description:Interactions with the extracellular matrix (ECM) through integrin adhesion receptors provide cancer cells with physical and chemical cues that act in concert with growth factors to support survival and proliferation. Preclinical studies testing beta1 integrin antagonists in (breast) cancer models have shown inhibition of tumor growth and sensitization to radio- or chemotherapy and these strategies are currently evaluated in clinical trials. Here, we show that disruption of beta1 integrin-mediated ECM adhesion attenuates breast tumor growth but dissemination to the lungs from such small tumors can be markedly enhanced. beta1 integrin downregulation induces compensatory upregulation of beta3 integrins, but increased beta3 expression does not lead to enhanced lung metastasis. Instead, beta1 integrin downregulation in human and mouse triple negative, E-cadherin positive breast cancer cells elicits a switch from collective invasion to individual cell migration in 3D ECM. This involves alterations in the TGFbeta-BMP signaling network shifting the balance between miR-200 and ZEB, which causes a block in E-cadherin transcription. The switch is fully reversible: restored beta1 expression reinstates E-cadherin expression and cell cohesion. Moreover, restoring the network at the level of TGFbetaR, ZEB/miR-200 balance, or E-cadherin, restores cohesion and prevents the induction of lung metastasis without affecting tumor growth. These findings reveal that integrin-mediated ECM-attachments regulate a signaling network in control of epithelial characteristics that suppress metastatic spread. This raises concerns with respect to the use of beta1 integrins as cancer drug targets
Project description:<p>Metabolic reprogramming in malignant cells is a hallmark of cancer that relies on augmented glycolytic metabolism to support their growth, invasion and metastasis. However, the impact of global adipose metabolism on tumor growth and the drug development by targeting adipose metabolism remain largely unexplored. Here we show that a therapeutic paradigm of drugs is effective for treating various cancer types by browning adipose tissues. Mirabegron, a clinically available drug for overactive bladders, displays potent anticancer effects in various animal cancer models, including untreatable cancers such as pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and hepatocellular carcinoma, via the browning of adipose tissues. Genetic deletion of the uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1), a key thermogenic protein in adipose tissues, ablates the anticancer effect. Similarly, the removal of brown adipose tissue (BAT), which is responsible for non-shivering thermogenesis, attenuates the anticancer activity of mirabegron. These findings demonstrate that mirabegron represents a paradigm of anticancer drugs with a distinct mechanism for the effective treatment of multiple cancers.</p>
Project description:Long non-coding RNAs have been implicated in many of the hallmarks of cancer. We previously annotated lncRNA152 (lnc152; a.k.a. DRAIC) and demonstrated its roles in proliferation, cell cycle progression, and regulation of the estrogen signaling pathway in breast cancer cells. Herein, we found that lnc152 is highly upregulated in luminal breast cancers, but is downregulated in triple-negative breast cancers (TNBC). Using a set of complementary experimental approaches, we found that knockdown of lnc152 promotes cell migration and invasion in luminal breast cancer cell lines. In contrast, ectopic expression of lnc152 inhibits growth, migration, invasion, and angiogenesis in TNBC cell lines. In xenograft studies in mice, lnc152 inhibited the growth and metastasis of TNBC cells. Transcriptome analysis of the xenografts indicated that lnc152 downregulates genes regulating cancer-related phenotypes, including angiogenesis. Using RNA-pull down assays coupled with LC-MS/MS analysis, we identified RBM47, a known tumor suppressor protein in breast cancer, as a lnc152-interacting protein. We found that lnc152 suppresses the aggressive phenotypes of TNBC cells by regulating the expression of RBM47. Collectively, our results demonstrate that lnc152 is an angiogenesis-inhibiting tumor suppressor that attenuates the aggressive cancer-related phenotypes found in TNBC.
Project description:Introduction: The prognosis for patients with breast tumor metastases to brain is extremely poor. Identification of prognostic molecular markers of the metastatic process is critical for designing therapeutic modalities for reducing the occurrence of metastasis. Although ubiquitously present in most human organs, calcium-activated potassium (BK) channel is significantly upregulated in breast cancer cells. In this study we investigated the role of KCNMA1 gene, which encodes α subunit of KCa channels (BK channels) in breast cancer metastasis and invasion. Methods: We performed Global exon array to study the expression of KCNMA1 in metastatic breast cancer in brain, compared its expression in primary breast cancer and breast cancers metastatic to other organs, and validated the findings by RT-PCR. Immunohistochemistry was performed to study the expression and localization of α subunit of KCa channel protein in primary and metastatic breast cancer tissues and breast cancer cell lines. We performed matrigel invasion, transendothelial migration and membrane potential assays in established lines of normal breast cells (MCF-10A), non-metastatic breast cancer (MCF-7), non-brain metastatic breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-231), and brain-specific metastatic breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-361) to study whether KCa channel inhibition attenuates breast tumor invasion and metastasis using KCNMA1 knockdown with siRNA and biochemical inhibition with IBTX (Iberiotoxin). Results: The Global exon array and RT-PCR showed higher KCNMA1 expression in metastatic breast cancer in brain compared to metastatic breast cancers in other organs. Our results clearly show that metastatic breast cancer cells exhibit increased BK channel activity, leading to greater invasiveness and transendothelial migration, both of which could be attenuated by blocking KCNMA1. Conclusion: Determining the relative abundance of BK channel over expression in breast cancer metastatic to brain and the mechanism of its action in brain metastasis will provide a unique opportunity to identify and differentiate between low grade breast tumors that are at high risk for metastasis from those at low risk for metastasis. This distinction would in turn allow for the appropriate and efficient application of effective treatments while sparing patients with low risk for metastasis from the toxic side effects of chemotherapy.
Project description:Paracrine signals relayed between heterogenous cell types through small and large extracellular vesicles promote cancer cell growth, invasion and metastasis. Microplasts, also called as cytoplasts or cytokineplasts are large extracellular vesicles (0.5-11µm diameter) originating from migratory cells. Microplasts are known to be associated with invasive phenotypes of cancer cells and promote metastasis. Treatment with macrophage conditioned medium induces significant shedding of microplasts from MCF-7 breast adenocarcinoma cells. To characterise microplasts and to study their potential role in intercellular communication in cancer, we isolated microplasts derived from macrophage conditioned medium treated MCF-7 cells and investigated their protein cargo through LC-MSMS.
Project description:Our data demonstrate that altering the RMP of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells by manipulating potassium channels increases in vitro invasion, tumor growth, and metastasis, inducing changes in gene expression associated with cell adhesion. We describe a novel mechanism for RMP-mediated cell migration involving cadherin-11 and the MAPK pathway. Importantly, we identify a new treatment strategy for metastatic TNBC by repurposing FDA-approved potassium channel blockers. Our results provide an understanding of a mechanism by which the bioelectricity regulates cancer cell invasion and metastasis that can advance the development of a potential new class of TNBC therapeutics.
Project description:Our purpose is to identify candidate genes involved in the early steps of breast cancer metastasis and examine their pro-invasive functions both in vitro and in vivo. A percentage of bilateral breast cancers were clonally related based on copy number variation profiling. Whole exome sequencing and comparative sequence analysis revealed that a limited number of somatic mutations were acquired in this “breast to breast” metastasis. These mutations might promote breast cancer distant spread. The pro-invasive functions of a candidate metastasis gene were assessed in vitro by its abilities to promote proliferation, migration and invasion and in vivo as tumor xenografts in immunocompromised mice or a syngeneic orthotopic mouse breast cancer model. RNAseq analysis was performed to probe the transcription programs modulated by this candidate metastasis gene. SIVA1-D160N was one somatic mutation acquired in the breast to breast metastasis. Over-expression of SIVA1-D160N promoted migration and invasion of human MB-MDA-231 breast cancer cells in vitro, consistent with a dominant negative interfering function. When introduced via tail vein injection, 231 cells over-expressing SIVA1-D160N displayed enhanced distant spread on IVIS imaging. Over-expression of SIVA1-D160N promoted anchorage independent growth of mouse 4T1 breast cancer cells in vitro. When introduced orthotopically via mammary fat pad injection in syngeneic Balb/c mice, over-expression of SIVA1-D160N in 4T1 cells increased mammary gland tumor growth as well as liver metastasis. We conclude clonally related bilateral breast cancers represent a novel system to investigate metastasis and revealed a role of SIVA1-D160N in breast cancer metastasis.