Target For Basal-like Breast Cancer Research Articles

Identifying CEACAM1 as a potential prognostic biomarker for basal-like breast cancer by bioinformatics analysis and in vitro experiments.

Background: Carcinoembryonic antigen related cell adhesion molecule-1 (CEACAM1) is a very important intercellular adhesion molecule, and its prognostic relevance to breast cancer (BC), especially basal-like breast cancer (BLBC), remains poorly understood. Methods: CEACAM1 mRNA expression data for BC were sourced from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox regression analysis were used to evaluate the prognostic relationship between CEACAM1 expression and BC. Signaling pathways associated with CEACAM1 were analysed using Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis. Moreover, cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8), flow cytometry, transwell and wound-healing assays were employed to identify the biological functions of CEACAM1 in BLBC. Results: CEACAM1 was correlated with overall survival (OS) of BLBC patients. Compared with the subgroup with better prognosis, the levels of CEACAM1 mRNA expression were significantly lower in the subgroup of BLBC with poorer prognosis. Both univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis suggested that down-regulation of CEACAM1 expression may be an independent factor for poor prognosis in BLBC patients. GSEA and KEGG analysis revealed that CEACAM1 was negatively related with signaling pathways including extracellular matrix (ECM) receptor interaction, focal adhesion, and cell adhesion. The results of in vitro experiments indicated that CEACAM1 not only induced apoptosis of BLBC cells, but also inhibited the invasive and metastatic ability of cancer cells. Conclusions: CEACAM1 may contribute to improving the OS of BLBC patients due to its ability to inhibit the proliferation and metastasis of cancer cells. Therefore, CEACAM1 could be used as a potential prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target in BLBC.

Transcription factor E2F8 is a therapeutic target in the basal-like subtype of breast cancer.

Tumorigenesis in breast cancers usually accompanied by the dysregulation of transcription factors (TFs). Abnormal amplification of TFs leads aberrant expression of its downstream target genes. However, breast cancers are heterogeneous disease with different subtypes that have distinguished clinical behaviours, and the identification of prognostic TFs may enable to provide diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer based on subtypes, especially in Basal-like breast cancer. The RNA-sequencing was performed to screen differential TFs in breast cancer subtypes. The GEPIA dataset analysis was used to analyze the genes expression in invasive breast carcinoma. The expression of MYBL2, HOXC13, and E2F8 was verified by qRT-PCR assay in breast cancers. The depiction analysis of co-expressed proteins was revealed using the STRING datasets. The cellular infiltration level analysis by the TISIDB and TIMER databases. The transwell assay was performed to analyze cellular migration and invasion. CCK-8 assay was used to evaluate cellular drug susceptibility for docetaxel treatment. Predicted targeted drugs in breast cancers by GSCA Lite database online. Kaplan-Meier plotter suggested that high expression of both E2F8 and MYBL2 in Basal-like subtype had a poor relapse-free survival. Functional enrichment results identified that apoptosis, cell cycle, and hormone ER pathway were represented the crucial regulation pathways by both E2F8 and MYBL2. In the meantime, database analysis indicated that high expression of E2F8 responded to chemotherapy, while those patients of high expression of MYBL2 responded to endocrinotherapy, and a positive correlation between the expression of E2F8 and PD-L1/CTLA4. Our cell line experiments confirmed the importance of E2F8 and MYBL2 in proliferation and chemotherapy sensitivity, possibly, the relationship with PD-L1. Additionally, we also observed that the up-regulation of E2F8 was accompanied with higher enrichments of CD4+ T cells and CD8+ T cells in breast cancers. Taken together, our findings elucidated a prospective target in Basal-like breast cancer, providing underlying molecular biomarkers for the development of breast cancer treatment.

A feedforward circuit between KLF5 and lncRNA KPRT4 contributes to basal-like breast cancer

Basal-like breast cancer (BLBC) is the most aggressive subtype of breast cancer with a poor prognosis. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play critical roles in human cancers. Krüppel-like Factor 5 (KLF5) is a key oncogenic transcription factor in BLBC. However, the underlying mechanism of mutual regulation between KLF5 and lncRNA remains largely unknown. Here, we demonstrate that lncRNA KPRT4 promotes BLBC cell proliferation in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, KLF5 directly binds to the promoter of KPRT4 to promote KPRT4 transcription. Reciprocally, KPRT4 recruits the YB-1 transcription factor to the KLF5 promoter by interacting with YB-1 at its 5′ domain and forming an RNA-DNA-DNA triplex structure at its 3′ domain, resulting in enhanced transcription of KLF5 and ultimately establishing a feedforward circuit to promote cell proliferation. Moreover, the antisense oligonucleotide (ASO)-based therapy targeting KPRT4 substantially attenuated tumor growth in vivo. Clinically, the expression levels of YB-1, KLF5 and KPRT4 are positively correlated in clinical breast specimens. Together, our data suggest that KPRT4 is a major molecule for BLBC progression and that the feedforward circuit between KLF5 and KPRT4 may represent a potential therapeutic target in BLBC.

CIP2A Interacts with TopBP1 and Drives Basal-Like Breast Cancer Tumorigenesis.

Basal-like breast cancers (BLBC) are characterized by defects in homologous recombination (HR), deficient mitotic checkpoint, and high-proliferation activity. Here, we discover CIP2A as a candidate driver of BLBC. CIP2A was essential for DNA damage-induced initiation of mouse BLBC-like mammary tumors and for survival of HR-defective BLBC cells. CIP2A was dispensable for normal mammary gland development and for unperturbed mitosis, but selectively essential for mitotic progression of DNA damaged cells. A direct interaction between CIP2A and a DNA repair scaffold protein TopBP1 was identified, and CIP2A inhibition resulted in enhanced DNA damage-induced TopBP1 and RAD51 recruitment to chromatin in mammary epithelial cells. In addition to its role in tumor initiation, and survival of BRCA-deficient cells, CIP2A also drove proliferative MYC and E2F1 signaling in basal-like triple-negative breast cancer (BL-TNBC) cells. Clinically, high CIP2A expression was associated with poor patient prognosis in BL-TNBCs but not in other breast cancer subtypes. Small-molecule reactivators of PP2A (SMAP) inhibited CIP2A transcription, phenocopied the CIP2A-deficient DNA damage response (DDR), and inhibited growth of patient-derived BLBC xenograft. In summary, these results demonstrate that CIP2A directly interacts with TopBP1 and coordinates DNA damage-induced mitotic checkpoint and proliferation, thereby driving BLBC initiation and progression. SMAPs could serve as a surrogate therapeutic strategy to inhibit the oncogenic activity of CIP2A in BLBCs. SIGNIFICANCE: These results identify CIP2A as a nongenetic driver and therapeutic target in basal-like breast cancer that regulates DNA damage-induced G2-M checkpoint and proliferative signaling.

The miR-5694/AF9/Snail Axis Provides Metastatic Advantages and a Therapeutic Target in Basal-like Breast Cancer

Epigenetic deregulation, especially mutagenesis or the abnormal expression of epigenetic regulatory factors (ERFs), plays an important role in malignant tumorigenesis. To screen natural inhibitors of breast cancer metastasis, we adopted small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) to transiently knock down 591 ERF-coding genes in luminal breast cancer MCF-7 cells and found that depletion of AF9 significantly promoted MCF-7 cell invasion and migration. A mouse model of metastasis further confirmed the suppressive role of AF9 in breast cancer metastasis. RNA profiling revealed enrichment of AF9 targets genes in the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Mechanistically, tandem mass spectrometry showed that AF9 interacts with Snail, which hampers Snail transcriptional activity in basal-like breast cancer (BLBC) cells. AF9 reconstitutes an activated state on the promoter of Snail, which is a master regulator of EMT, and derepresses genes by recruiting CBP or GCN5. Additionally, microRNA-5694 (miR-5694) targeted and degraded AF9 messenger RNA (mRNA) in BLBC cells, further enhancing cell invasion and migration. Notably, AF9 and miR-5694 expression in BLBC clinical samples correlated inversely. Hence, miR-5694 mediates downregulation of AF9 and provides metastatic advantages in BLBC. Restoring expression of the metastasis suppressor AF9 is a possible therapeutic strategy against metastatic breast cancer.

MiR-221/222 promote epithelial-mesenchymal transition by targeting Notch3 in breast cancer cell lines

Basal-like breast cancer (BLBC) is an aggressive subtype with a strong tendency to metastasize. Due to the lack of effective chemotherapy, BLBC has a poor prognosis compared with luminal subtype breast cancer. MicroRNA-221 and -222 (miR-221/222) are overexpressed in BLBC and associate with metastasis as well as poor prognosis; however, the mechanisms by which miR-221/222 function as oncomiRs remain unknown. Here, we report that miR-221/222 expression is inversely correlated with Notch3 expression in breast cancer cell lines. Notch3 is known to be overexpressed in luminal breast cancer cells and inhibits epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT). We demonstrate that miR-221/222 target Notch3 by binding to its 3′ untranslated region and suppressing protein translation. Ectopic expression of miR-221/222 significantly promotes EMT, whereas overexpression of Notch3 intracellular domain attenuates the oncogenic function of miR-221/222, suggesting that miR-221/222 exerts its oncogenic role by negatively regulating Notch3. Taken together, our results elucidated that miR-221/222 promote EMT via targeting Notch3 in breast cancer cell lines suggesting that miR-221/222 can serve as a potential therapeutic target in BLBC.

Evaluation of FOXC1 as a therapeutic target for basal-like breast cancer.

Basal-like breast cancer (BLBC) is a malignant carcinoma with aggressive motility and rapid growth. Accounting for 15% of breast cancers, BLBC often exhibits a poor prognosis and tends to metastasize to the brain and lungs. Because most BLBC display a triple-negative phenotype (ER-, PR-, and HER2-), conventional cytotoxic chemotherapy remains the only treatment option despite poor success and high rate of relapse. The overexpression of the forkhead-box transcription factor C1 (FOXC1) was recently identified as a biomarker of BLBC. Increased expression of FOXC1 was linked to excessive mobility and growth of BLBC cell lines, suggesting FOXC1 as a therapeutic target. In this study, siRNA-mediated knockdown of FOXC1 was confirmed to decrease the proliferation rate, migration, and invasion in a model BLBC-like cell line (4T1). 4T1 and 4T1-∆FOXC1 cells lacking FOXC1 expression (generated by CRISPR/Cas9) were used to evaluate the effects of FOXC1 expression in an orthotopic murine model of BLBC. No statistically significant difference in tumor volume was observed between 4T1 and 4T1-∆FOXC1 tumors. Furthermore, tumors metastasized to the liver and lungs to a similar degree regardless of FOXC1 expression. These data suggest that, despite positive results in vitro, FOXC1 may not be a promising therapeutic target for BLBC.

Doublecortin-like kinase 1 is a novel biomarker for prognosis and regulates growth and metastasis in basal-like breast cancer

Doublecortin like kinase 1 (DCLK1) was observed overexpressed in several types of human cancers, and played a functional role in tumorigenicity, but little is known about the biological function of DCLK1 in basal-like breast cancer. In our results, the expressions of DCLK1 mRNA and protein were elevated in basal-like breast cancer tissues and cell lines. DCLK1 high-expression associated with clinical stage, lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis and histological grade. DCLK1 high-expression was an independent unfavorable prognostic factor for basal-like breast cancer patients. The biological experiments suggested knockdown of DCLK1 induced inhibition of basal-like breast cancer cells proliferation, migration and invasion. In conclusion, DCLK1 serves as a prognostic biomarker for basal-like breast cancer and a potential therapeutic target for basal-like breast cancer.

Forkhead box C1 promoter upstream transcript, a novel long non-coding RNA, regulates proliferation and migration in basal-like breast cancer.

Recent studies have shown that long non‑coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have crucial regulating roles in carcinogenesis. Forkhead box C1 (FOXC1) is an important cancer‑associated gene in basal‑like breast cancer (BLBC). In the present study, a novel lncRNA, FOXC1 promoter upstream transcript (FOXCUT) was investigated in BLBC patients using polymerase chain reaction analysis. The results showed that the expression of FOXCUT and FOXC1 were positively correlated. When the expression of FOXCUT was downregulated by small interfering RNA, the expression of FOXC1 was similarly reduced. Furthermore, in MDA‑MB‑231 and MDA‑MB‑468 breast cancer cells, knockdown of FOXCUT markedly inhibited cell proliferation and migration in vitro. In conclusion, FOXCUT lncRNA may be functionally involved in the tumor progression of BLBCs through the regulation of its paired mRNA, FOXC1, demonstrating that FOXCUT may serve as a novel biomarker and therapeutic target in BLBCs.

Abstract P6-04-08: Cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2) as a therapeutic target in basal-like breast cancer

Abstract Introduction: Basal-like breast cancer is frequently associated with triple negative phenotype, and there is a need for novel therapeutic strategies for this patient population. Inhibitors of cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2) have been suggested to block both MAPK and PI3K signalling and have a high potential for activity in basal-like breast cancer (Lin 1993, Wen 2013). In this study, we compared the expression of PLA2G4A between luminal B and basal-like breast cancer, both in patient-derived xenograft models (PDX) and human cancer tissue. In addition, we studied the effect of the novel cPLA2 inhibitor AVX235 on tumor growth in a basal-like PDX model. Materials and methods: Tumor tissue specimens were obtained from PDX models (n = 26) and a clinical breast cancer biobank (n = 32). Gene expression analysis was carried out on Agilent 8×60K microarrays. The expression of 54 genes directly involved in choline metabolism was examined. Differential expression of choline genes between basal-like and luminal B tumors was calculated by subtraction of log2 expression values. Mice carrying bilateral MAS98.12 basal-like xenografts (Bergamaschi 2009) were treated with the cPLA2 inhibitor AVX235 (30 mg/kg i.p. daily for 7 days then every second day for 14 days, n = 6) or drug-free vehicle (control group, n = 6). Results: The PDX models were subtyped into basal-like (n = 19) and luminal B (n = 7) subtypes based on the expression of 500 intrinsic genes [Sørlie 2003]. For the human cancer tissue, there were 18 basal-like and 14 luminal B tumors. There was a significant correlation between differential choline gene expression in basal-like vs luminal B tumors in PDX models and human cancer tissue (p<1.3*10−12). Both in PDX models (p<0.04) and human cancer tissue (p<0.0003), PLA2G4A was significantly higher expressed in basal-like than luminal B tumors. Treatment with AVX235 markedly reduced the growth rate of MAS98.12 xenografts compared to controls. After 19 treatmment days, the mean tumor volume (normalised to volume at start of treatment) in the treatment group was 36% of the tumor volume in the control group, the difference being statistically significant (p = 0.023). No signs of treatment-related adverse effects were observed. Conclusion: PLA2G4A is higher expressed in basal-like than in luminal B breast cancer. Treatment with the cPLA2 inhibitor AVX235 significantly inhibits tumor growth. These data suggest that cPLA2 inhibitors may be of particular value in treatment of basal-like breast cancer.

840 MET Overexpression in Subtypes of Invasive Breast Cancer –a Potential Therapeutic Target for Basal-like Breast Cancer

840 MET Overexpression in Subtypes of Invasive Breast Cancer –a Potential Therapeutic Target for Basal-like Breast Cancer

400 Met as a potential therapeutic target in basal-like breast cancer

Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is worldwide the sixth most lethal form of cancer occurring in women. More than one third of ovarian patients have ascites at the time of diagnosis and almost all of them have it when recurrence occurs. Although its effect on tumor cell microenvironment remains poorly understood, its presence is correlated with bad diagnosis. In previous studies, we proposed a novel glycan-based biomarker for the diagnosis of EOC, which showed an improved sensitivity and specificity at any stage of the disease and an improved discrimination between malignant and benign ovarian tumors. In this work, we report for the first time the N-glycome profiles of ascitic fluid from primary serous EOC patients and compare them with the serum N-glycomes of the same patients as well as of healthy controls. N-Glycans were digested from equivalent amount of ascites and serum from 18 EOC patients and from serum of 20 age-matched controls and measured by MALDI-TOF-MS. Ascites N-glycome showed increased antennarity, branching, sialylation and LewisX motives compared to healthy serum. In addition, a correlation was established between ascites volume and degree of sialylation.Malignant ascitic fluid is the build-up of large volumes of fluid in the peritoneal cavity secondary to cancer. At least one-third of ovarian cancer patients develop ascites, a generally voluminous fluid containing cells of tumor origin, in the course of cancer and almost all when recurrence occurs. The proteome of ascites is known to be as complex as that of serum and contains high amount of proteins shed from inflammatory cells as well as from tumor cells. Although many attempts have been made to provide molecular insight into the proteomic and peptidomic content of malignant ascites, no data about the N-glycome of the ascitic fluid fraction from cancer patients has been reported to date.In this study, the N-glycosylation profile of ascites from 20 patients suffering from epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) was analyzed by MALDI-TOF-mass spectrometry and compared to the pathologically modified N-glycan pattern obtained from serum of the same patients as well as to the pattern of serum from healthy individuals. Significant quantitative differences were observed in the ascites of EOC patients when compared to the serum of healthy subjects. The glycome of ascites shows typical features of inflammatory conditions, what was also found in the serum of patients suffering from EOC when compared to healthy serum. In addition, a correlation was established between ascites volume and degree of sialylation, showing that the high-volume ascites contains a higher amount of sialylated structures than the low-volume ascites.

Abstract 3742: FOXC1 is a potential prognostic marker with functional significance in basal-like breast cancer

Abstract Although basal-like breast cancer (BLBC) is a distinct molecular subtype, it has no defining gene or protein marker that can be used as the basis for therapy. Estrogen receptor (ER) and HER2 receptor guide treatment of luminal and HER2 breast cancer subtypes, respectively, but chemotherapy is still the only systemic treatment available for BLBC. In view of its poor clinical outcomes, high proliferation rates and preferential metastasis to the brain, there is an urgent need for effective targeted therapy of BLBC. In a previous study using cDNA microarray analyses and immunohistochemistry of archival breast cancer tissue specimens, we showed consistent and exclusive overexpression of FOXC1 in BLBC versus other molecular subtypes. FOXC1 overexpression was significantly associated with poor overall survival and brain metastasis. In the present study, we show that overexpression of FOXC1 in breast cancer cells with low endogenous FOXC1 levels increased cellular proliferation, migration, and invasion, and induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Knockdown of FOXC1 by shRNA in breast cancer cells with high endogenous FOXC1 expression had the opposite effect. Cell signaling studies showed that FOXC1 activated the NF-κB pathway by upregulating the peptidyl-prolyl isomerase Pin1 and downregulating the ubiquitin ligase SOCS-1. Pin1 binds to p65, inhibits the p65 interaction with IκBα, and thus enhances p65 nuclear localization and protein stability. SOCS-1 directly interacts with p65 and promotes its degradation. FOXC1 knockdown reduced p65 protein levels and NF-κB activity. The importance of the NF-κB pathway for FOXC1 function was confirmed by the increased sensitivity to NF-κB inhibitors in cells that overexpressed FOXC1. Because BLBC under-expresses ER, FOXC1 was inversely associated with ER, as expected. Interestingly, FOXC1 repressed ER transcription and activity via NF-κB signaling, and FOXC1 overexpression switched MCF-7 breast cancer cell growth from estrogen-dependent to estrogen-independent. This may explain why ER is not normally detected in BLBC. These results suggest that FOXC1 may be a specific diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for BLBC and may play an important role in regulating aggressive traits associated with BLBC. It might also serve as a potential molecular therapeutic target for BLBC. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3742.

Antibody-based immunotherapy: targeting CSPG4 on human basal breast cancer stem cells.

Abstract Abstract #5046 Introduction: Basal-like breast cancer is associated with high grade, poor prognosis, and younger patient age. Because tumors are estrogen receptor (ER) and HER2 negative, effective targeted treatment for basal breast cancer remains elusive. The lack of efficacy of currently used chemotherapies may reflect their inability to eradicate cancer stem cells (CSC) within a basal breast tumor.
 Chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan 4 (CSPG4), a molecule initially identified in melanoma cells, is a cell surface antigen involved in migration and invasion of tumor cells. The rat homolog of the human CSPG4, named NG2, is expressed by progenitor cells in several types of tissues. Furthermore, NG2 expression is typically maximal when progenitor cells are mitotic and motile. As one important characteristic of cancer stem cells is their ability to migrate and metastasize, and both CSPG4 and NG2 play a role in tumor cell migration, we tested whether CSPG4 is expressed on cells with the CSC phenotype in ER negative/HER2 negative (basal-like) breast cancer, and can thus serve as a target for immunotherapy of breast CSC.
 Methods and Results: The mRNA levels of CSPG4 in ER- and Her2- breast cancer were compared to ER-/Her2+, ER+/Her2-, and ER+/Her2+ breast cancer using a publicly available, clinically annotated breast cancer data set. The gene expression level of CSPG4 was elevated in the ER- and Her2- subgroup when compared to ER-/Her2+ (Mann Whitney, p=0.03), ER+/Her2- (Mann Whitney, p=0.01), and ER+/Her2+ (Mann Whitney, p=0.06). These results suggest that CSPG4 expression is best correlated with the basal phenotype of breast cancer. Flow cytometric analysis showed that CSPG4 is expressed on CD44+, CD24-/lo cells in the human basal breast cancer cell lines, i.e., MDA-MD-231, MDA-MB-435, HS578T and SUM149, but is not detectable on the luminal breast cancer cell lines, i.e., MCF-7, SK-BR-3 and T-47D. Furthermore CSPG4 is expressed on the cell surface of putative breast CSC identified as lineage-negative (CD2,3,10,16,18,31,45,64,140b), CD44+, CD24-/lo cells in pleural effusions of 12 patients with breast cancer. Further, inoculation of flow cytometric sorted CD44+CD24-/low CSPG4+ cells from the MDA-MB-231-luciferease expressing cell line, to the mammary fat pads of immunodeficient mice, led to the development of tumors detected by whole-body bioluminescent reporter imaging 3 weeks after the injection. In contrast, inoculation of CD44+CD24-/low CSPG4- cells, sorted from the same cell line, did not generate tumors. More importantly, CSPG4-specific mAb significantly inhibited post-surgery tumor recurrence and lung metastases in SCID mice transplanted with the human basal breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-435, which has the putative breast CSC phenotype (CD44+, CD24-/lo) in more than 99% of cells.
 Conclusion: These results suggest that the CSPG4 is a potential new immunotherapeutic target for basal-like breast cancer and breast CSC. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2009;69(2 Suppl):Abstract nr 5046.