Effect of Chaihu Guizhitang on Triple-negative Breast Cancer Cells： Based on HIF-1α/VEGFA Signaling Pathway / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of Chaihu Guizhitang on triple-negative breast cancer （TNBC） cells based on hypoxia-inducible factor-1α （HIF-1α）/vascular endothelial growth factor A （VEGFA） signaling pathway. MethodTNBC xenograft model was established and the cells were randomized into model group， capecitabine group （0.2 mg·kg-1）， Chaihu Guizhitang low-dose group， medium-dose group， and high-dose group （10.62， 21.23， 42.46 g·kg-1）， with 10 mice in each group. After 21 days of medication， the content of tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） in serum was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. The expression of HIF-1α mRNA was detected by real-time fluorogenic quantitative polymerase chain reaction （real-time PCR）. Immunohistochemistry （IHC） was employed to detect the expression of HIF-1α， TNF-α， and VEGFA in tumor tissues， and CD34 staining to examine the angiogenesis in tumor tissues. Microvessel density （MVD） was calculated， and the protein expression of HIF-1α， VEGFA， and epidermal growth factor receptor （EGFR） in tumor tissues was measured by Western blot. ResultCompared with the model group， the rest four groups showed low levels of TNF-α （P<0.01）， HIF-1α mRNA （P<0.01）， expression of HIF-1α， TNF-α， VEGFA， and CD34 in cells， and MVD （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and low protein levels of HIF-1α， VEGFA， and EGFR （P<0.01）. Compared with capecitabine group， medium-dose and high-dose Chaihu Guizhitang decreased the level of TNF-α （P<0.01）， HIF-1α mRNA （P<0.01）， expression of HIF-1α， TNF-α， and VEGFA in cells （P<0.01）， CD34 expression， MVD， and protein levels of HIF-1α， VEGFA， and EGFR （P<0.01）. ConclusionChaihu Guizhitang may inhibit the angiogenesis in TNBC cells by regulating the expression of HIF-1α/VEGFA signaling pathway， thus exerting anti-tumor effect.

Expression of long non-coding RNA FRAPT in triple-negative breast cancer and its biological significance / 中国生物制品学杂志

@#Objective To investigate the expression of long non-coding RNA FRAPT(lncRNA FRAPT) in triple-negative breast cancer(TNBC) cells and analyze its effects on proliferation,cell cycle and drug resistance of TNBC cells.Methods Using scRNASeqDB and TCGA on-line bioinformatics database,the expression of lncRNA FRAPT in TNBC and its correlation with prognosis were detected;TNBC cell line MDA-MB-231 was transfected with si-lncRNA FRAPT and si-Ctrl(negative control) by using Lipofectamine~(TM) 2000 respectively,of which the proliferation and cell cycle changes after transfection were detected by SRB test and flow cytometry,and the drug resistance to chemotherapy drug paclitaxel(PTX)was detected.Results The expression of lncRNA FRAPT was up-regulated in TNBC tissues and cells,and its high expression was positively correlated with the poor prognosis of TNBC patients(Hazard Ratio=1.66,P=0.047).Silencing lncRNA FRAPT significantly inhibited the proliferation of TNBC cells,with the cell cycle arrested in G1 phase,while increased the sensitivity of TNBC cells to PTX.Conclusion LncRNA FRAPT was highly expressed in TNBC and related to tumor prognosis-Silencing lncRNA FRAPT inhibited proliferation and cell cycle of TNBC,and increased the sensitivity to chemotherapy drug PTX.

Caracterização funcional do gene codificador de proteína CD14 e do gene não codificador de proteína LINC01133 em linhagens celulares humanas de câncer de mama triplo negativo / Functional characterization of the CD14 protein-coding gene and the non-protein-coding LINC01133 gene in triple negative human breast cancer cell lines

Dentre os subtipos de câncer de mama, o triplo negativo (TNBC) é o que apresenta as maiores taxas de mortalidade, sendo, portanto, considerado um enorme desafio para a clínica. O uso de moléculas como marcadores tumorais vem auxiliando o clínico no diagnóstico, no prognóstico e, até mesmo, no tratamento do TNBC, sendo essenciais na redução de suas altas taxa de mortalidade. No entanto, um pequeno grupo de marcadores tumorais são validados na prática clínica, estimulando à busca por novos alvos, e sua caracterização funcional, como forma de se entender a Biologia desta doença. Assim, o objetivo deste trabalho é caracterizar funcionalmente o gene codificador de proteína CD14 e o gene não codificador de proteína LINC01133 em linhagens celulares humanas de TNBC, no intuito de descobrir o papel destas moléculas na progressão tumoral. Na primeira parte deste trabalho, analisou-se a expressão do CD14 frente à um painel de linhagens celulares que representam os diferentes subtipos dos tumores mamários. O CD14 exibiu elevados níveis de expressão nas linhagens nãotumorigênicas MCF10A e MCF12A e baixos níveis na linhagem triplo negativa Hs578T. A partir destes resultados, o CD14 foi superexpresso na linhagem Hs578T. Ensaios de caracterização funcional mostraram que a superexpressão do CD14 reduziu a capacidade migratória e invasiva das células, efeito que foi hipoteticamente relacionado ao aumento da expressão da E-caderina. No entanto, observou-se aumento no potencial tumorigênico, levando-nos a sugerir seu envolvimento num possível mecanismo utilizado pelas células para compensar a significativa redução do potencial migratório e invasivo. Os resultados obtidos indicam que o nível basal de expressão do CD14 observado na linhagem Hs578T é importante, podendo contribuir para a desenvolvimento primário do tumor, atuando como um oncogene. Na segunda parte deste trabalho, analisou-se a expressão de 10 RNAs longos não codificadores (lncRNAs), frente ao mesmo painel de linhagens descritoanteriormente. Dentre estes, o lncRNA LINC01133 exibiu baixos níveis de expressão nas linhagens não-tumorigênicas MCF10A e MCF12A e elevados níveis na linhagem triplo negativa Hs578T, sendo, então, escolhido como alvo de estudo. A partir destes resultados, decidimos superexpressar, de forma indutível, o LINC01133 na linhagem MCF10A e nocautear este gene, via sistema CRISPR/Cas9, na linhagem Hs578T. Ensaios de caracterização funcional mostraram que a superexpressão do LINC01133 na linhagem MCF10A reduziu a proliferação celular e inibiu o crescimento de colônias dependente de ancoragem, mas, em contrapartida, aumentou o crescimento de colônias independente de ancoragem e a capacidade migratória e invasiva destas células. No entanto, sugerimos que isto não seja suficiente para tornar estas células tumorigênicas e metastáticas. Por outro lado, o nocauteamento do LINC01133 na linhagem triplo negativa Hs578T aumentou de forma considerável todos os parâmetros de malignidade analisados. Baseado nos dados obtidos, sugerimos que o elevado nível de expressão do LINC01133 na linhagem Hs578T é importante na regulação negativa de processos relacionados com a progressão tumoral, atuando com um supressor tumoral. Os dados obtidos em nosso estudo contribuem para o enriquecimento de informações relacionadas à Biologia do TNBC, auxiliando, desta forma, no desenvolvimento de potenciais protocolos clínicos e terapêuticos utilizandos estes biomarcadores

Among the breast cancer subtypes, the triple negative (TNBC) displays the highest mortality rates, being, therefore, considered a major challenge for the clinic. The use of molecules as tumor markers has helped clinicians in the diagnosis, prognosis and even in treatment of TNBC, being essential in reducing its high mortality rate. However, a small group of tumor markers is validated in clinical practice, stimulating the search for new targets, and their functional characterization, as a way to understand the biology of this disease. Thus, the aim of this work is to functionally characterize the CD14 protein-coding gene and the non-protein-coding LINC01133 gene in human TNBC cell lines, in order to probe into the role of these molecules in tumor progression. In the first part of this work, the expression of CD14 was analyzed in a panel of cell lines that represent the different subtypes of breast tumors. High expression levels of CD14 were observed in the non-tumorigenic MCF10A and MCF12A lineages and low levels in the triple negative Hs578T lineage. Based on these results, CD14 was overexpressed in the Hs578T lineage. Functional characterization assays showed that CD14 overexpression reduced the migratory and invasive capacity of cells, an effect that was hypothetically related to increased E-cadherin expression. However, increased in the tumorigenic potential was observed, leading us to suggest its involvement in a possible mechanism used by cells to compensate for the significant reduction in the migratory and invasive potential. The results obtained indicate that CD14 expression basal level observed in the Hs578T lineage may be important to contribute to the primary development of tumor, thus acting as an oncogene. In the second part of this work, the expression of 10 long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) was analyzed against the same lineage panel described above. Among these, the LINC01133 lncRNA exhibited low expression levels in the non-tumorigenic MCF10A and MCF12A lineages and high levels in the triple negative Hs578T lineage, being, then, chosen as a target for this study. Based on these results, we decided toinducibly overexpress LINC01133 in the MCF10A lineage and knockout this gene, via the CRISPR/Cas9 system, in the Hs578T lineage. Functional characterization assays showed that overexpression of LINC01133 in the MCF10A lineage reduced cell proliferation and inhibited anchorage-dependent colony growth, but, on the other hand, increased anchorage-independent colony growth and the migratory and invasive capacity of these cells. However, we suggest that this is not sufficient to render these cells tumorigenic and metastatic. On the other hand, the knockout of LINC01133 in the triple negative Hs578T lineage considerably increased all the analyzed malignancy parameters. Based on the results obtained, we suggest that the high expression level of LINC01133 in the Hs578T lineage is important for down-regulation of processes related to tumor progression, acting as a tumor suppressor. The data obtained in our study contribute to the enrichment of information related to TNBC Biology, thus assisting in the development of potential clinical and therapeutic protocols using these biomarkers

Immunohistochemical Survey of Invasive Ductal Carcinoma of the Breast, using ER, PR, HER2 and KI-67 biomarkers, in Uyo, Nigeria

Background: Breast's Invasive Ductal Carcinoma (IDC), which is the commonest type of malignancy in females worldwide, can be characterized using immunohistochemistry in view of personalized cancer therapy. In this study, we aimed to determine the pattern of immunohistochemical profiles of IDC using oestrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), human epidermal growth factor 2 receptor (HER2) and proliferative index (Ki-67) biomarkers in our tertiary healthcare facility in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria given the dearth of its data in our environment. Materials and methods: We carried out a retrospective hospital-based immunohistochemical study of archival IDC tissue blocks over a four- and half-year period. Using systematic random sampling method, 64 formalin fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) IDC tissue blocks were selected for this study. We carried out immunohistochemical evaluation using ER, PR, HER2 and Ki-67 biomarkers. Subsequently, we presented the results and classification schemes as text, tables, graphs, and photomicrographs. Results: We found that the proportion of expressions were ER-negative (88.7%), PR-negative (87.3%), HER2-negative (68.3%) and Ki-67 (<20%) being 83.6% respectively. The immunohistochemical-based classification which was done using combined immunohistochemical profiles of ER/PR/HER2 and ER/PR/HER2/Ki-67 biomarkers respectively, revealed five immunohistochemical-based subtypes. These subtypes were ER-positive luminal A (ER+/±PR+/HER2-) [5.56%], ER-positive luminal B (ER+/±PR+/HER2+) [5.56%], HER2-overexpression (ER-/±PR+/HER2+) [16.66%], Triple negative (ER-/PR-/HER2-) [66.67%] and Unclassified subtypes (ER-/PR+/HER2-) [5.56%]. Furthermore, these five subtypes were further subcategorized into low (Ki-67 <20%) and high (Ki-67 ≥20%) proliferation subtypes accordingly. Conclusion: The commonest pattern of immunohistochemical profile expression of IDC in Uyo was found to be the Triple negative subtype.

Postoperative Survival of Triple Negative Breast Cancer Patients After High Exposure to Traditional Chinese Medicine： A Cohort Study / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To evaluate the 3-year survival outcomes of postoperative patients after high exposure to traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） for triple negative breast cancer （TNBC）. Method:The complete 3-year follow-up data of 150 postoperative patients with stage I–III TNBC were retrospectively analyzed. All the patients received routine western medical treatments （surgery， chemotherapy， and/or radiotherapy） according to the National Comprehensive Cancer Network （NCCN） clinical practice guidelines in oncology as well as TCM. According to the degree of exposure to TCM， they were divided into the high- and low-exposure cohorts， with the oral administration of Chaihu Longmu Decoction with or without anti-cancer Chinese patent medicine for at least six months annually， or 18 months or more in the three years as the inclusion criterion for the former cohort. The metastatic sites of recurrent TNBC and the recurrent metastasis/death time were observed in both cohorts to compare the disease-free survival （DFS） and overall survival （OS）. The influences of onset age， pathological type， histopathological grade， vascular invasion， clinical stage， and exposure to TCM on survival were subjected to statistical analysis， followed by the observation of adverse effects. Result:There was no significant difference in the metastatic sites between the two cohorts （<italic>P</italic>>0.05）. The high-exposure cohort had a longer 3-year DFS than the low-exposure cohort， and the 3-year DFS rate in the high-exposure cohort was increased by 16.9% （χ²=6.995， <italic>P</italic>=0.008） as compared with that in the low-exposure cohort， exhibiting a significant difference （<italic>P</italic><0.05）. As revealed by the Cox proportional-hazards model， patients in the low-exposure cohort had a 3.724-fold as high risk of recurrent metastasis as that in the high-exposure cohort （95%CI 1.399~9.915）. There was no significant difference in the 3-year OS between the two cohorts （<italic>P</italic>>0.05）. The overall incidence of adverse effects in both groups was 7.3%， mainly manifested as gastrointestinal discomfort. Conclusion:High exposure to TCM contributes to reducing postoperative recurrence and metastasis and prolonging DFS.

Regulatory Effect of Huadu Sanyinfang on PI3K/Akt/NF-κB Pathway in Triple-negative Breast Cancer Patients with Qi-deficiency Constitution： An Exploration Based on Differential Expression of miRNA / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To explore the regulatory effect of Huadu Sanyinfang on phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase（PI3K）/protein kinase B（Akt）/transcription factor nuclear factor-<italic>κ</italic>B （NF-<italic>κ</italic>B） in triple-negative breast cancer （TNBC） patients with qi-deficiency constitution based on the differential expression of miRNA. Method:Based on previous research results， this study conducted the bioinformatics analysis to predict the target genes responsible for regulating the differential expression of miRNA between patients with qi-deficiency constitution and those with moderate constitution， which were intersected with TNBC target genes. The resulting intersection targets were then subjected to Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes （KEGG） pathway enrichment analysis and protein-protein interaction （PPI） network analysis to obtain the key pathways and target genes for differentially expressed miRNA in regulating TNBC. TNBC patients with Qi-deficiency constitution were treated with Huadu Sanyinfang for three years after they completed the standard Western medical treatment. The peripheral blood of the patients was sampled before and after medication for detecting gene expression in the key pathways. Result:The comparison between patients with Qi-deficiency constitution and those with moderate constitution revealed 49 differentially expressed miRNAs （16 up-regulated and 33 down-regulated）， which regulated 1 445 TNBC target genes. As demonstrated by PPI and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis， the key genes were mainly tumor protein p53 （TP53）， Akt1， epidermal growth factor receptor （EGFR）， mitogen-activated protein kinase 3 （MAPK3）， vascular endothelial growth factor A （VEGRA）， and tumor necrosis factor （TNF）. The key pathways included PI3K/Akt， MAPK， and RAS signaling pathways. A total of 11 TNBC patients with qi-deficiency constitution were enrolled. Compared with the situations before treatment， the expression levels of p105 subunit of NF-κB （NF-<italic>κ</italic>B1） and Akt1 in the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway were down-regulated after medication， while the levels of catalytic subunit alpha of PI3K （PIK3CA） and B-cell lymphoma-xL （Bcl-xL） were up-regulated. The differences in NF-<italic>κ</italic>B1 and Akt1 expression were statistically significant. Conclusion:Huadu Sanyinfang is able to affect the gene expression of PI3K/Akt/NF-<italic>κ</italic>B signaling pathway in TNBC patients with Qi-deficiency constitution. Specifically， it down-regulates NF-<italic>κ</italic>B1 and Akt1 expression and up-regulates PIK3CA and Bcl-xL.

Roles of miRNA and IncRNA in triple-negative breast cancer / 浙江大学学报（英文版）（B辑：生物医学和生物技术）

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is currently the most malignant subtype of breast cancer without effective targeted therapies, which makes its pathogenesis an important target for research. A growing number of studies have shown that non-coding RNA (ncRNA), including microRNA (miRNA) and long non-coding RNA (lncRNA), plays a significant role in tumorigenesis. This review summarizes the roles of miRNA and lncRNA in the progression, diagnosis, and neoadjuvant chemotherapy of TNBC. Aberrantly expressed miRNA and lncRNA are listed according to their roles. Further, it describes the multiple mechanisms that lncRNA shows for regulating gene expression in the nucleus and cytoplasm, and more importantly, describes lncRNA-regulated TNBC progression through complete combining with miRNA at the post-transcriptional level. Focusing on miRNA and lncRNA associated with TNBC can provide new insights for early diagnosis and treatment—they can be targeted in the future as a novel anticancer target of TNBC.

miR-28-3p promotes the malignant biological behaviors of triple negative breast cancer MDA-MB-468 cells via inhibiting BIN1 / 中国肿瘤生物治疗杂志

@# Objective: To study the miR-28-3p expression in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) tissues and cell lines, and explore its effect on the malignant biological behaviors of MDA-MB-468 cells. Methods： ：Tumor tissues and matched para-cancerous tissues were collected from 83 TNBC patients, who underwent tumor resection and pathological confirmation in the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University between Jan. 2013 and Jan. 2014. TNBC cell lines (MDA-MB-468, HCC-1937, MDA-MB-231, MDA-MB436, MDA-MB-453) and human normal breast epithelial cell line MCF10A were also used in this study. qPCR was used to detect the expression of miR-28-3p in above mentioned tissues and cell lines. The correlation between miR-28-3p expression and clinical parameters was analyzed.After transfection with miR-28-3p inhibitor, the proliferation, apoptosis, invasion and migration ability of MDA-MB468 cells were detected with CCK-8, Flow cytometry, Transwell and Wound-healing experiment, respectively. And Western blotting was used to examine the protein expression of bridging integrator-1 (BIN1) in MDA-MB-468 cells. Bioinformatics BIN1 tool waere used to predict the target gene of miR-28-3p. Luciferase reporter gene assay was performed to validate the regulatory effect of miR-28-3p on BIN1. Results: The expression of miR-28-3p in TNBC tissues and cell lines was higher than that in matched paracancerous tissues and MCF10Acells (all P<0.01), respectively.Among the total 83 TNBC tissues, 56 (67.47%) showed high miR-28-3p expression. High expressionofmiR-28-3pwascloselycorrelated with the Ki-67 expression, tumor size and TNM stage (all P<0.05 or P<0.01). Compared with miR-NC group, transfection of miR-28-3p inhibitor significantly decreased the proliferation, invasion and migration of MDA-MB-468 cells while increased the apoptosis rate (all P<0.05 or P<0.01). Luciferase reporter gene assay confirmed that BIN1 was a target gene of miR-28-3p, and miR-28-3p inhibitor could up-regulate BIN1 expression in MDA-MB-468 cells (P<0.05). Conclusion: miR-28-3p is highly expressed in TNBC tissues and cell lines. miR-28-3p inhibitor up-regulates the expression of BIN1 to inhibit the proliferation, invasion and migration ability while promote the apoptosis of MDA-MB-468 cells.

miR-200c regulates malignant biological behaviors of triple negative breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells via targeting cell energy metabolism and multiple signaling pathways / 中国肿瘤生物治疗杂志

@#Objective: To investigate the effects of miR-200c on the proliferation, apoptosis and migration of triple negative breast cancer cell (TNBC) MDA-MB-231 and its metabolism-related molecular mechanism. Methods: miR-200c-231 (MDA-MB-231 overexpressing miR-200c) cells, miR-NC-231 (MDA-MB-231 transfected with miRNA-negative control) and the corresponding transplanted tumor models in nude mice were used as the study subjects. qPCR was used to detect the content of miR-200c and other related genes in cells and transplanted tumor tissues. The number of Ki67 positive cells in tumor tissue was analyzed by immunohistochemistry. The migration and apoptosis of cells were examined by Transwell chamber method and Flow cytometry, respectively. The expressions of proteins associated with proliferation, migration, and metabolism related signaling pathways in cells and tissues were confirmed by Western blotting. The changes of oxygen consumption rate (OCR), extracellular acidification rate (ECAR) and metabolic phenotype were detected by Seahorse energy metabolism detector. UPLC/LTQ-Orbitrap-MStechniquewasusedtoprofilethedifference of metabolites in cells. Results: The content of miR-200c in miR-200c-231cellswassignificantlyhigherthanthatinmiR-NC-231cells.Themass ofmiR-200c-231transplantedtumornotablydecreased,andthenumberofKi67positivecellsintumortissuesalsodecreasedsignificantly. The migration ability of miR-200c-231 cells decreased and the apoptosis rate increased (all P<0.01), accompanied with declined expressionsofZEB1/2,Vimentin,cyclinD1andincreasedexpressionofcleavedPARP(P<0.05orP<0.01),aswellasdecreasedphosphorylation leverofSTAT1/3andNF-κBbutincresedphosphorylationleverofCAMP(allP<0.05).OverexpressionofmiR-200cinMDA-MB-231cells increasedOCRandthecontentof10antitumor metabolites, but decreased ECAR and tryptophan 2,3-plus dioxidase (TDO2) expression (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Conclusion: miR-200c targeting TDO2 elevates the level of intracellular anticancer metabolites in TNBC MDAMB-231 cells, promotes the transformation from glycolysis to aerobic respiration phenotype, and inactivates STAT3 and NF-κB pathyway but activates cAMPpathway TNBC MDA-MB-231 cells, thus affects the malignant biological behaviors of MDA-MB-231 cells.

Sulforaphene kills triple negative breast cancer MDA-MB-468 and MDA-MA-231 cells by blocking STAT3 signaling pathway / 中国肿瘤生物治疗杂志

@# Objective：To investigate the role and mechanism of chromosomal region maintenance 1 (CRM1) inhibitor sulforaphene (LFS-01) in killing triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells by inhibiting signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) signaling pathways. Methods: Whether LFS-01 could combine with the NES pocket of CRM1 was verified by molecular dynamics simulation techniques. The killing activity of LFS-01 on four different breast cancer cell lines was detected by CCK-8 method. TNBC MDA-MB-468 and MDA-MB-231 cells were treated with different concentrations of LFS-01, and the intracellular localization of CRM1 cargo protein STAT3 and protein with NES sequence was detected by immunofluorescence; WB was used to detect the effect of LFS-01 on the expression of STAT-3 signaling pathway and its downstream proteins; WB, cellular immunofluorescence and transmission electron microscopy were adopted to detect the occurrence of autophagy; the effect of LFS-01 on cell cycle and apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry. Results: Molecular dynamics simulations showed that LFS-01 can bind to the NES pocket of CRM1, indicating that it may structurally affect the latter's protein transport function. LFS-01 could specifically kill TNBC MDA-MB-468 and MDA-MB-231 cells. STAT3 and NES-tagged proteins were mainly blocked in the nucleus of TNBC cells after the treatment with 10 μmol/L LFS-01, while they were evenly distributed in the cytoplasm in the control group. The expressions of phosphorylated STAT3 protein, Bcl-xL and Cylin D1 were decreased in MDA-MB-468 and MDA-MB-231 cells with the increase of LFS-01 dose and the prolongation of treatment time; the expression of autophagy marker protein LC3B increased, and highdensity, multi-layered autophagosomes appeared at the same time; cell cycle arrest was observed in S phase and apoptosis rate was significantly increased (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Conclusion: LFS-01 blocks the export of CRM1 carrier protein, thereby inhibiting the activation of STAT3 signaling pathway and promoting autophagy, cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in TNBC MDA-MB-468 and MDAMB-231 cells.

Exosome-mediated Let-7a inhibits malignant biological behaviors of triple-negative breast cancer cells by down-regulating MYC expression / 中国肿瘤生物治疗杂志

@#Objective: To investigate the role of exosome (EXO) transporting Let-7a to regulate MYC gene in the malignant biological behaviors of triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) cell, and to explore the underlying mechanism. Methods: After the completion of cell culture, the gene and protein expressions of MYC and Let-7a in TNBC MDA-MB-231cells were detected by qPCR and WB, respectively. Recombinant lenti-virus vector carrying Let-7a and Crisper/Cas-9 system with MYC knockdown were transfected into MDA-MB-231 cells; MTT assay, Transwell assay and Scratch healing assay were performed to examine the proliferation, invasion and migration of MDA-MB-231 cells. Luciferase activity assay was performed to validate the binding between MYC and Let-7a. EXO was isolated and identified by transmission electron microscopy and WB assay in wild-type and Let-7a over-expressed MDA-MB-231 cells, respectively. After co-incubation of two types of EXO and MDA-MB-231 cells, the effects of Let-7a on biological behaviors of MDAMB-231 cells via EXO were detected by qPCR, WB, MTT and Transwell etc. Results: Let-7a was negatively correlated with MYC in breast cancer tissues and cell lines (all P<0.05); MYC promoted while Let-7a inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion of breast cancer cells (all P<0.01); Let-7a silenced MYC by acting on 3'UTR of MYC gene, thereby reducing the expression of MYC protein (P<0.05); Let-7a was enveloped by EXO and transported to cancer cells, there by inhibiting the proliferation, migration and invasion of MDA-MB-231 cells. Conclusion: EXO some mediated Let-7a silences MYC gene by acting on its 3'UTR region, thus inhibiting the proliferation, migration and invasion of MDA-MB-231 cells.

miR-520d over-expression reverses chemotherapy resistance of TNBC via inhibiting autophagy protein Beclin1 / 中国肿瘤生物治疗杂志

@# Objective: To investigate the role and molecular mechanism of miR-520d in reversing the chemoresistance of triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) by regulating autophagy. Methods: Docetaxel (Doc) resistant cell lines MDA-MB-231/Doc and MDA-MB468/Doc were constructed by using human TNBC cell lines MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-468 as parental cells, and the cells were divided into blank group (parental cells), control group (drug-resistant group), and miR-520d over-expression group. The expression levels of miR-520d in cells of the blank and drug-resistant groups were detected by qPCR. The Doc-sensitivity of resistant cells over-expressing miR-520d was detected by MTT assay.After MDC staining, the generation of autophagosome in cells was observed under fluorescence microscopy; the number of miR-520d over-expressed resistant cells with positive LC3 expression was observed under confocal microscopy. The luciferase reporter gene assay was used to verify the targeting relationship between miR-520d and Beclin1. The effect of miR-520d mimics on the expression of autophagy-associated protein Beclin1, and LC3Ⅰ, LC3Ⅱ in cells was detected by WB assay. Results: The results of qPCR showed that the expression of miR-520d in the drug-resistant TNBC cells was significantly lower than that of normal cells (P<0.01). In drug-resistant cells over-expressing miR-520d, the Doc-sensitivity was significantly improved, while the autophagy activity was significantly reduced (all P<0.01).At the same time, luciferase experiments demonstrated that Beclin1 was a possible target molecule of miR-520d (P<0.05). WB results showed that the combination of docetaxel and miR-520d mimics reduced the LC3-II/I ratio and the expression of autophagy protein Beclin1 in drug-resistant TNBC cells (all P<0.05). Conclusion: The regulation of miR-520d levels may alter the expression of autophagy protein Beclin1, thereby reversing Doc chemotherapy resistance in TNBC cells.

Expression of PD-L1 in triple negative breast cancer tissues and its relationship with angiogenesis / 中国肿瘤生物治疗杂志

@# Objective: To investigate the expressions of programmed death ligand 1（PD-L1）in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and its correlation with angiogenesis. Methods: 120 cases of TNBC patients who underwent surgery in the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University from March 1, 2011 to June 1, 2012 were collected. The tumor tissues of patients were surgically resected and confirmed by pathology. PD-L1 protein expression in TNBC tissues of 120 patients was detected by tissue microarray combined with immunohistochemistry, and its relationship with various clinical indicators was analyzed. Blood vessels and lymphatic vessels were labeled withCD34andD2-40todetectmicrovesseldensity(MVD)andlymphaticvesseldensity(LVD)inTNBC.Results:Thepositiveexpression rate of PD-L1 in the tumor cells and interstitial infiltrating lymphocytes fromTNBC was 56.7% (68/120); No correlation was found between PD-L1 protein expression and the gender, age, histological grade, clinical stage, or tumor size of patients with TNBC (P>0.05), but related to the lymph node metastasis (P<0.05) and vascular thrombus (P<0.05). TNBC with high PD-L1 expression exhibited high incidence of lymph node metastasis and formation of vascular thrombus, and the expression of PD-L1 was positively correlated with MVD (r=0.500, P=0.02) as well as LVD (r=0.662, P=0.01). Log-Rank test showed that the survival time of TNBC patients with positive PD-L1 protein expression was significantly shorter than that of patients with negative expression (P<0.05). Cox multivariate analysis suggested that PD-L1 protein expression could be an independent prognostic factor for TNBC overall survival. Conclusion: PD-L1 plays an important role in TNBC angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis, and is closely related to TNBC invasion and metastasis; blocking PD1/PD-L1 signal pathway is expected to be an effective new strategy for TNBC treatment.

Progress of transcriptomics and proteomics in triple-negative breast cancer prognosis assessment / 中国肿瘤临床

s Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), a heterogeneous tumor that lacks the expression of estrogen receptor (ER), proges-terone receptor (PR), and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), is more aggressive and tends to recur or metastasize. In contrast to other breast cancer subtypes, no approved endocrine or targeted treatments exist for TNBC. Therefore, identification of the prognosis characteristisics and potential therapeutic targets of TNBC could facilitate early personalized treatment. Owing to the rapid development of various technologies, researchers are increasingly focusing on the integration of "big data" and biological sys-tems, which is referred to "omics," as means of resolving it . Here, we review the recent progress in transcriptomics and proteomics re-search on TNBC.

Axillary lymph node metastasis and prognosis of triple-negative invasive ductal breast cancer patients in different age groups / 中华内分泌外科杂志

Objective To investigate the metastasis and the prognosis of the axillary lymph nodes in triple-negative and invasive ductal breast cancer patients of different ages.Methods 321 female breast cancer patients diagnosed as triple-negative and invasive ductal carcinoma from Jan.1,2008 to Dec.31,2017 were selected as the samples,all of whom were treated with regular surgical treatment and postoperative radiotherapy and chemotherapy,and were divided into three groups according to their ages,including the younger group(＜40 years old),the middle age group (40 to 60 years old),and the elder group(≥60 years).We compared the metastasis of axillary lymph node,the disease-free survival rate after 1 to 5 years of the operations and the prognostic factors of the three groups.Results Among the 321 patients,there were 94 young patients,151 middle-aged patients and 76 elder patients.Among the three groups,the rate of axillary lymph nodes metastasis was the lowest in the elderly group(11.8％),the highest in the middle-aged group(17.2％)and middle in the young group(13.8％).The patients were followed up for 1 to 5 years.The recurrence rate of the young,middle-aged and elder groups was 56.4％,53.6％ and 17.1％ respectively.There was a significant difference between the three groups (P＜0.05).Conclusion ①he frequency of LN transfer in patients of TNBC is lower in the younger and the elder patients than in the middle-aged patients.②The younger patients of TNBC have a higher recurrence rate and poor prognosis,while the elder patients of TNBC have the lowest recurrence rate and good prognosis.(③The prognosis of TNBC may be related to metabolism,which,of course,needs to be further verified with the proof of blood and cell test.(④The younger patients of TNBC are more likely to suffer blood metastasis,and adjuvant systemic therapy in early period may be more beneficial than local radiotherapy and early axillary dissection.

Receptor de Andrógenos y Cáncer de Mama Triple Negativo: implicaciones clínicas y correlación con factores pronósticos y predictivos / Androgen Receptor and triple negative breast cancer: clinical implications and correlation with prognostic and predictive factors

Introducción El Cáncer de Mama Triple Negativo (cmtn) es un grupo heterogéneo, de dispar evolución y sin terapia blanco específica. En la actualidad, se postula al Receptor de Andrógenos (ra) como un prometedor biomarcador en cmtn. Objetivos En el presente estudio analizamos un grupo de pacientes con cmtn con el fin de definir la prevalencia del Receptor de Andrógenos en nuestra población y correlacionarla con factores pronósticos y predictivos. Material y método Se realizó un estudio retrospectivo de determinación de Receptor de Andrógenos por inmunohistoquímica sobre los tacos histológicos de pacientes con diagnóstico de cmtn. Se correlacionó su expresión con las características clinicopatológicas y el impacto en la sobrevida. Resultados Se analizaron 179 pacientes con cmtn, diagnosticadas desde el 1º de enero de 2008 al 31 de diciembre de 2014. El 34,02% de los tacos fueron positivos para ra por ihq. El ra se correlacionó inversamente con Ki 67 y citoqueratinas basales. No se encontró relación con la sobrevida global ni con la sobrevida libre de enfermedad. Conclusiones El rol biológico del Receptor de Andrógenos esta aún en discusión. El cmtn ra positivo se relaciona con menor proliferación celular y menor presencia de marcadores basales. El presente trabajo no demostró impacto en la sobrevida global y en la sobrevida libre de enfermedad. Se deberá seguir estudiando al ra por su gran potencial como blanco terapéutico

Introduction Triple Negative Breast Cancer (tnbc) is a heterogeneous group, with aggressive evolution and without a specific therapeutic target. The Androgen Receptor (ar) is being postulated as a promising biomarker in tnbc. Objectives In this study, we analyze a group of patients with tnbc aiming to define the prevalence of the ar in our population, and the correlation of ar expression with prognostic and predictive factors and its impact on prognosis. Materials and method A retrospective study of determination of ar by immunohistochemistry was done in histological samples of the patients with an invasive Triple Negative Breast Cancer diagnosis. We correlated its expression with clinicopathologic features and clinical outcome. Results 179 patients with tnbc diagnosed from January 2008 to December 2014, where analyzed. An 34.02% of the samples were positive for ar. The ar inversely correlated with Ki 67 and basal cytokeratin. There wasn't found a correlation with overall survival or disease free survival. Conclusions The biological role of the Androgen Receptor is still on discussion. The positive ar tnbc is linked with less cellular proliferation and less presence of basal markers. Although its role as a prognostic factor couldn't be revealed by this job, ar receptor must be investigated to determinated their potential role as treatment target.

Discovery of a small molecule targeting ULK1-modulated cell death of triple negative breast cancer in vitro and in vivo / 中国药理学与毒理学杂志

OBJECTIVE To discover a small molecule targeting ULK1-modulated cell death of triple negative breast cancer and exploreits potential mechanisms. METHODS ULK1 expression was analyzed by The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) analysis and tissue microarray (TMA) analysis. ULK1 agonist was designed by using in silico screening, as well as modified by chemical synthesis and screened by kinase and anti-proliferative activities. The amino acid residues that key to the activation site of LYN-1604 were determined by site-directed mutagenesis, as well as in vitro kinase assay and ADP-Glo kinase assay. The mechanisms of LYN-1604 induced cell death were investigated by fluores?cence microscope, western blotting, flow cytometry analysis, immunocytochemistry, as well as siRNA and GFP-mRFP-LC3 plasmid transfections. Potential ULK1 interactors were discovered by performing comparative microarray analysis and the therapeutic effect of LYN-1604 was assessed by xenograft breast cancer mouse model. RESULTS We found that ULK1 was remarkably downregulated in breast cancer tissue samples, especially in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). 32 candidate small molecules were synthesized, and we discovered a small molecule named LYN-1604 as the best candidate ULK1 agonist. Additionally, we identified that three amino acid residues (LYS50, LEU53 and TYR89) were key to the activation site of LYN-1604 and ULK1. Subsequently, we demonstrated that LYN-1604 could induce autophagy-associated cell death via ULK complex (ULK1-mATG13-FIP200-ATG101) in MDA-MB-231 cells. We also found that LYN-1604 induced cell death involved in ATF3, RAD21 and caspase 3, accompanied with autophagy and apoptosis. Moreover, we demonstrated that LYN-1604 had a good therapeutic potential on TNBC by targeting ULK1- modulated cell death in vivo. CONCLUSION We discovered a small molecule (LYN-1604) has therapeutic potential by targeting ULK1-modulated cell death associated with autophagy and apoptosis of TNBC in vitro and in vivo, which could be utilized as a new anti-TNBC drug candidate.