Project description:Analyze TGF-beta pathway transcriptional regulation in breast cancer stem cells with different responses upon TGF-beta pathway activation. Total RNA from four breast cell lines grown as mammospheres treated with recombinant TGF-beta or a TGF-beta receptor I inhibitor was used in the analysis.
Project description:Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) comprises a key component in the tumor microenvironment. It is reported that TGF-β can be pro-tumorigenic or anti-tumorigenic depending on various contexts. Some of the triple negative breast cancers highly express TGF-β, but pro-tumorigenic function of TGF-β in triple negative breast cancer cells is not fully known. Therefore, we analyzed genome-wide gene expression changes after stimulation with TGF-β in a triple negative breast cancer cell line, Hs578T cells.
Project description:TGF-betas have complex roles in tumorigenesis, with context-dependent effects that can either suppress or promote tumor progression. Our goal was to use integrated genomic approaches in a model of human breast cancer progression to identify core TGF-beta-regulated genes that specifically reflect the tumor suppressor activity of TGF-beta. The model consisted of the non-tumorigenic MCF10A (“M1”), the premalignant MCF10AT1k.cl2 (“M2”), the early malignant MCF10Ca1h (“M3”) and the highly malignant, metastatic MCF10Ca1a.cl1 (“M4”) cell lines. We have previously shown that tumor suppressor activity of TGF-beta is dependent on Smad3, and is lost in M4 cells. To identify how TGF-beta/Smad3 targets change with cancer progression, we performed promoter-wide Smad3 ChIP-chip on all four cell lines of the breast cancer progression model (M1-M4), following treatment with TGF-beta or vehicle control.
Project description:RATIONALE: Measuring levels of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) in the blood of patients with epithelial cancers (head and neck, lung, breast, colorectal, and prostate) may help doctors predict how patients will respond to treatment with radiation therapy.
PURPOSE: This research study is measuring levels of TGF-beta in patients with epithelial cancers who are undergoing radiation therapy.