Pure drug nano-assemblies: A facile carrier-free nanoplatform for efficient cancer therapy

Nanoparticulate drug delivery systems (Nano-DDSs) have emerged as possible solution to the obstacles of anticancer drug delivery. However, the clinical outcomes and translation are restricted by several drawbacks, such as low drug loading, premature drug leakage and carrier-related toxicity. Recently, pure drug nano-assemblies (PDNAs), fabricated by the self-assembly or co-assembly of pure drug molecules, have attracted considerable attention. Their facile and reproducible preparation technique helps to remove the bottleneck of nanomedicines including quality control, scale-up production and clinical translation. Acting as both carriers and cargos, the carrier-free PDNAs have an ultra-high or even 100% drug loading. In addition, combination therapies based on PDNAs could possibly address the most intractable problems in cancer treatment, such as tumor metastasis and drug resistance. In the present review, the latest development of PDNAs for cancer treatment is overviewed. First, PDNAs are classified according to the composition of drug molecules, and the assembly mechanisms are discussed. Furthermore, the co-delivery of PDNAs for combination therapies is summarized, with special focus on the improvement of therapeutic outcomes. Finally, future prospects and challenges of PDNAs for efficient cancer therapy are spotlighted.

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.

Multi-omics approaches identify

Autophagy is a critical cellular homeostatic mechanism, and its dysfunction is linked to invasive breast carcinoma (BRCA). Recently, several omics methods have been applied to explore autophagic regulators in BRCA; however, more reliable and robust approaches for identifying crucial regulators and druggable targets remain to be discovered. Thus, we report here the results of multi-omics approaches to identify potential autophagic regulators in BRCA, including gene expression (EXP), DNA methylation (MET) and copy number alterations (CNAs) from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Newly identified candidate genes, such as

Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of quinazolin-4(3H)-one derivatives co-targeting poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 and bromodomain containing protein 4 for breast cancer therapy

@#This study was aimed to design the first dual-target small-molecule inhibitor co-targeting poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP1) and bromodomain containing protein 4 (BRD4), which had important cross relation in the global network of breast cancer, reflecting the synthetic lethal effect. A series of new BRD4 and PARP1 dual-target inhibitors were discovered and synthesized by fragment-based combinatorial screening and activity assays that together led to the chemical optimization. Among these compounds, 19d was selected and exhibited micromole enzymatic potencies against BRD4 and PARP1, respectively. Compound 19d was further shown to efficiently modulate the expression of BRD4 and PARP1. Subsequently, compound 19d was found to induce breast cancer cell apoptosis and stimulate cell cycle arrest at G1 phase. Following pharmacokinetic studies, compound 19d showed its antitumor activity in breast cancer susceptibility gene 1/2 (BRCA1/2) wild-type MDA-MB-468 and MCF-7 xenograft models without apparent toxicity and loss of body weight. These results together demonstrated that a highly potent dual-targeted inhibitor was successfully synthesized and indicated that co-targeting of BRD4 and PARP1 based on the concept of synthetic lethality would be a promising therapeutic strategy for breast cancer.

Recent advances in drug delivery systems for targeting cancer stem cells

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a subpopulation of cancer cells with functions similar to those of normal stem cells. Although few in number, they are capable of self-renewal, unlimited proliferation, and multi-directional differentiation potential. In addition, CSCs have the ability to escape immune surveillance. Thus, they play an important role in the occurrence and development of tumors, and they are closely related to tumor invasion, metastasis, drug resistance, and recurrence after treatment. Therefore, specific targeting of CSCs may improve the efficiency of cancer therapy. A series of corresponding promising therapeutic strategies based on CSC targeting, such as the targeting of CSC niche, CSC signaling pathways, and CSC mitochondria, are currently under development. Given the rapid progression in this field and nanotechnology, drug delivery systems (DDSs) for CSC targeting are increasingly being developed. In this review, we summarize the advances in CSC-targeted DDSs. Furthermore, we highlight the latest developmental trends through the main line of CSC occurrence and development process; some considerations about the rationale, advantages, and limitations of different DDSs for CSC-targeted therapies were discussed.

Applying artificial intelligence for cancer immunotherapy

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a general term that refers to the use of a machine to imitate intelligent behavior for performing complex tasks with minimal human intervention, such as machine learning; this technology is revolutionizing and reshaping medicine. AI has considerable potential to perfect health-care systems in areas such as diagnostics, risk analysis, health information administration, lifestyle supervision, and virtual health assistance. In terms of immunotherapy, AI has been applied to the prediction of immunotherapy responses based on immune signatures, medical imaging and histological analysis. These features could also be highly useful in the management of cancer immunotherapy given their ever-increasing performance in improving diagnostic accuracy, optimizing treatment planning, predicting outcomes of care and reducing human resource costs. In this review, we present the details of AI and the current progression and state of the art in employing AI for cancer immunotherapy. Furthermore, we discuss the challenges, opportunities and corresponding strategies in applying the technology for widespread clinical deployment. Finally, we summarize the impact of AI on cancer immunotherapy and provide our perspectives about underlying applications of AI in the future.

Economic evaluation of the SP142 versus 22C3 PD-L1 assays in the treatment of atezolizumab plus nab-paclitaxel for patients with advanced triple negative breast cancer in the Brazilian private healthcare systemp / Avaliação econômica dos testes de PD-L1 SP142 versus 22C3 no tratamento com atezolizumabe mais nab-paclitaxel em pacientes com câncer de mama triplo-negativo avançado no sistema de saúde suplementar no Brasil

Objective: The aim of the study was to demonstrate the economic impact of two PD-L1 immunohistochemistry (IHC) assays, SP142 versus 22C3, in the treatment with atezolizumab plus nab-paclitaxel in patients with advanced triple negative breast cancer (aTNBC) in the Brazilian private healthcare system (BPHS). Methods: The study performed two analyses: one per patient and other of the potential population projected for the BPHS (budget impact analysis). Data of progressionfree survival and overall survival were extracted from a post hoc analysis of the IMpassion130 trial to develop a partitioned-survival model to simulate the economic impact of the treatment with atezolizumab plus nab-paclitaxel guided by the SP142 and 22C3 assays on patients with aTNBC. The analyses included only direct costs that were based on CBHPM (Classificação Brasileira Hierarquizada de Procedimentos Médicos) and CMED (Câmara de Regulação do Mercado de Medicamentos) PF18% tables. A univariate sensitivity analysis was performed with the parameters varying ± 20%. Results: The study has demonstrated that the SP142 assay has the potential to save ­BRL 179,730 with the treatment of atezolizumab plus nab-paclitaxel per patient with aTNBC in five years. Conclusion: The SP142 assay can optimize the use of atezolizumab plus nab-paclitaxel avoiding its prescription in patients who will not have a significant clinical improvement.

Objetivo: O objetivo do estudo foi demonstrar o impacto econômico de dois testes de imuno-histoquímica, SP142 versus 22C3, no tratamento com atezolizumabe + nab-paclitaxel em pacientes com câncer de mama triplo-negativo avançado (CMTNa) no sistema de saúde suplementar (SSS) no Brasil. Métodos: O estudo realizou duas análises: uma por paciente e outra na população potencial projetada para o SSS (análise de impacto no orçamento). Dados de sobrevida livre de progressão e de sobrevida global foram extraídos da análise post hoc do estudo IMpassion130 para o desenvolvimento de um modelo de sobrevida particionado que simulasse o impacto econômico do tratamento com atezolizumabe + nab-paclitaxel direcionado pelos testes SP142 e 22C3 em pacientes com CMTNa. A análise considerou somente os custos diretos baseados nas tabelas CBHPM (Classificação Brasileira Hierarquizada de Procedimentos Médicos) e CMED (Câmara de Regulação do Mercado de Medicamentos) PF18%. Uma análise de sensibilidade univariada foi realizada variando os parâmetros em ± 20%. Resultados: O estudo demonstrou que o teste SP142 apresenta um potencial de economia de -179.730 reais (BRL) no tratamento de atezolizumabe + nab-paclitaxel por paciente com CMTNa em cinco anos. Conclusão: O uso do teste SP142 possibilita otimizar o uso de atezolizumabe + nab-paclitaxel evitando a sua prescrição em pacientes que não irão se beneficiar de forma significativa.

Analyzing The Role Of Phytochemicals In Targeting Drug Transporter Protein Abcc6 Using Molecular Docking And Molecular Dynamics Simulations

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive breast cancer subtype that lacks hormonal receptors. This reduces the therapeutic options for TNBC patients creating more focus on chemotherapy. Drug resistance has posed as a major hurdle in treating TNBC patients. Deregulation of drug transporter proteins is one of major factors that cause resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs. In this study, ABCC6 a drug transporter protein that is found dysregulated in several resistant cancer cells has been docked with natural compounds or phytochemicals with known anti-cancer activities. Subtrifloralactone G, a withanolide extracted from Deprea subtriflora is found to show highest binding energy with ABCC6 protein. Molecular dynamics simulations further prove the stability of the ABCC6 protein- Subtrifloralactone G ligand complex. ADMET analysis shows that phytochemical Subtrifloralactone G can be used as an anti-cancer therapeutic drug in treating resistant cancer cells. The study mainly focuses on the role of phytochemicals in treating resistant TNBC cells.

LncRNA XIST interacts with miR-454 to inhibit cells proliferation, epithelial mesenchymal transition and induces apoptosis in triple-negative breast cancer

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a one of the subtypes of breast cancer which accounts for approximately 10–20% of all breast cancers. LncRNA XIST (XIST) is reported to be dysfunctional in numerous tumortypes and is involved in the key pathways of cancer initiation, progression and metastasis. Thus, in the presentstudy, we explored the detailed molecular mechanism of XIST in TNBC. XIST was down-regulated in TNBCtissues and cell lines. Overexpressed XIST inhibited cell proliferation, epithelial mesenchymal transition(EMT) and induced apoptosis in vitro as well as suppressed TNBC tumor growth in vivo. MicroRNA (miR)-454 was up-regulated in TNBC tissues and cell lines. Knockdown of miR-454 inhibited TNBC progression bysuppressing cell proliferation, EMT and inducing cell apoptosis. Moreover, miR-454 was predicted andconfirmed to be a target of XIST, and rescue assay indicated that overexpressed miR-454 could reverse XISTrestoration mediated-anti-tumor effects on TNBC cells. In conclusion, XIST interacts with miR-454 to inhibitcells proliferation, EMT and induce apoptosis in TNBC, indicating a promising treatment strategy for TNBCpatients.

Afzelin inhibits migration of MDA-MB-231 cells by suppressing FAK expression and Rac1 activation

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) has the worst prognosis and the highest rate of metastasis among other types ofbreast cancer. These characteristics are supported by the dysregulation of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) and Rac1 whichare the key players of mesenchymal cell migration on TNBC. Afzelin is a secondary metabolite that is contained ina variety of plants. This study explored the anti-migration effect of afzelin and its interaction with FAK and Rac1 onthe highly invasive TNBC cell line, MDA-MB-231. Cell viability was assessed by 3-(4,5-dimethyl 2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay, and cell migration was evaluated using in vitro scratch assay. Rac1 activation wasanalyzed using the colorimetric assay, while vinculin and actin filaments were stained through immunofluorescence. Thequantity of total FAK and phosphorylated FAK tyr397 was detected by Western blotting. Afzelin decreased cell viabilityand inhibited two-dimensional cell migration in a dose-dependent manner. Under confocal laser scanning microscopy,vinculin localization at the cell edge demonstrated a reduction of focal adhesion formation by afzelin. Further explorationshowed that afzelin decreased FAK expression but did not affect FAK phosphorylation at tyr397. In addition, afzelindecreased Rac1-GTPase activation, which is a downstream effector of FAK. Taken together, these results suggest thatafzelin suppresses TNBC cell migration, through inhibition of FAK expression and Rac1-GTPase activation.

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.