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HER2 drives Mucin-like 1 to control proliferation in breast cancer cells. Oncogene 2016; 35:4225-34. [PMID: 26725324 PMCID: PMC4996539 DOI: 10.1038/onc.2015.487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2015] [Revised: 10/22/2015] [Accepted: 11/14/2015] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Mucin-like 1 (MUCL1) was first identified as a breast-specific gene over a decade
ago. Based on its highly restricted mRNA expression in breast tissue and
continued expression during breast tumorigenesis and progression, MUCL1 is an
attractive tumor-associated antigen and a potential therapeutic target. However,
very little is known about the cellular location, biological functions and
regulation of the MUCL1 protein, which will have a major impact on its
druggability. Here we describe our efforts to fully characterize the cellular
localization of MUCL1, investigate its regulation by key breast cancer oncogenes
such as human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) and discover its
functional roles in breast cancer. Although some mucins are membrane bound, our
data indicate that MUCL1 is secreted by some breast cancer cells, whereas others
only express high levels of intracellular MUCL1. MUCL1 expression is highest in
HER2-amplified breast tumors and inhibiting HER2 activity in tumor cells
resulted in a decreased MUCL1 expression. In-depth investigation demonstrated
that phosphoinositide3-kinase/Akt pathway, but not Ras/MEK pathway,
controls MUCL1 expression downstream of HER2. Phenotypic assays revealed a
strong dependence of HER2-positive cells on MUCL1 for cell proliferation. We
further identified the mechanism by which MUCL1 regulates cell growth. Knockdown
of MUCL1 induced a G1/S phase arrest concomitant with decreased cyclin D and
increased p21 and p27 levels. Finally, we investigated the impact of MUCL1 loss
on kinase signaling pathways in breast cancer cells through phospho-kinase array
profiling. MUCL1 silencing abrogated phospho-focal adhesion kinase (FAK), Jun
NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) and c-Jun signals, but not
extracellular signal-regulated kinase or Akt pathway activities, thereby
pointing to FAK/JNK pathway as the downstream effector of MUCL1 signaling.
We are the first to identify an important role for MUCL1 in the proliferation of
breast cancer cells, probably mediated via the FAK/JNK signaling pathway.
Taken together, these data suggest a potential utility for therapeutic targeting
of this protein in breast cancer.
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Shi G, Cui W, Mukthavaram R, Liu YT, Simberg D. Binding and isolation of tumor cells in biological media with perfluorocarbon microbubbles. Methods 2013; 64:102-7. [PMID: 23974072 PMCID: PMC3841068 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2013.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2013] [Revised: 07/31/2013] [Accepted: 08/08/2013] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
With the emerging interest in personalized medicine, there is strong demand for new technologies for clinical sample interrogation. Exfoliated tumor cells in variety of pathological samples (e.g., blood, bone marrow, urine) could provide invaluable information for diagnosis and prognosis of cancers. Here we describe a detailed method for capture and isolation of tumor cells in medium, blood, or large issue buffy coat using EpCAM-targeted buoyant microbubbles (MBs). Perflorohexane gas lipid shell MBs were prepared with emulsification method and conjugated with antibody as described by us before [25]. The binding of EpCAM-targeted MBs to A549 (human lung carcinoma) and 4T1 (mouse breast carcinoma) cells spiked into BSA/PBS or blood was more than 90%, which was comparable with commercial anti-EpCAM immunomagnetic beads (DynaBeads). Anti-EpCAM MBs efficiently (75-82%) isolated BxPC3 pancreatic tumor cells spiked into medium, blood or a buffy coat, within 15-30 min of incubation. We discuss MB parameters and experimental conditions critical to achieve efficient cells binding and isolation. In conclusion, MB-assisted cell isolation is a promising method for rapid enrichment of cells and biomarkers from biological samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guixin Shi
- Solid Tumor Therapeutics Program, Moores UCSD Cancer Center, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
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Oloomi M, Bouzari S, Mohagheghi MA, Khodayaran-Tehrani H. Molecular markers in peripheral blood of Iranian women with breast cancer. CANCER MICROENVIRONMENT 2012; 6:109-16. [PMID: 22828927 DOI: 10.1007/s12307-012-0118-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2012] [Accepted: 07/10/2012] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
A biomarker is a quantifiable laboratory measure of a disease specific biologically relevant molecule that can act as an indicator of a current or future disease state. The purpose of this study is to detect the expression of RNA biomarkers using Cytokeratin 19 (CK-19), Mammaglobin (MAM), Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), Mucin (MUC), C-Myc, erb-B2, a proliferation marker (Ki-67), Epidermal growth factor receptor (Her2/neu) and Estrogen receptor (ER) in Iranian women who were diagnosed with breast cancer. In this study, 90 samples; 60 cancer patients and 30 healthy controls were considered. 73.4 % patients were in stage I/II and 26.6 % were in stage III/IV. Patients were selected prior to the administration of any adjuvant systemic therapy. Total RNA extraction was obtained from peripheral blood of each patient and healthy control. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method was used for detection of mRNA of the selected biomarkers of circulating breast cancer cells in blood. Molecular characterization is assessed as a method for early detection of breast cancer. For this purpose, eleven specific primers were selected and RT-PCR was used. The data of RT-PCR revealed that expression of MUC1, CK19, CEA, MAM, erbB-2, Ki67 and C-Myc biomarkers were significantly different between breast cancer patients and healthy controls. On the other hand, ERα, ERβ and Her2 markers were not significantly different between the two mentioned groups. Biomarkers detection of breast cancer patients could be assessed as a diagnostic factor and its potential for conveying as a prognostic factor require further studies, with a larger number of patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mana Oloomi
- Molecular Biology Unit, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Pasteur Ave., 13164, Tehran, Iran,
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Valladares-Ayerbes M, Iglesias-Díaz P, Díaz-Prado S, Ayude D, Medina V, Haz M, Reboredo M, Antolín S, Calvo L, Antón-Aparicio LM. Diagnostic accuracy of small breast epithelial mucin mRNA as a marker for bone marrow micrometastasis in breast cancer: a pilot study. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 2009; 135:1185-95. [PMID: 19221791 DOI: 10.1007/s00432-009-0559-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2008] [Accepted: 01/29/2009] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Detection of isolated tumour cells (ITC) in the blood or minimal deposits in distant organs such as bone marrow (BM) could be important to identify breast cancer patients at high risk of relapse or disease progression. PCR amplification of tissue or tumour selective mRNA is the most powerful analytical tool for detection of this micrometastasis. We have evaluated for the first time, the diagnostic accuracy of small breast epithelial mucin (SBEM) as a potential marker for BM micrometastasis in breast cancer. METHODS A nested RT-PCR assay for detection of SBEM mRNA was compared with immunocytochemistry (ICC) with anticytokeratin AE1/AE3 antibody in paired samples obtained from the BM of breast cancer patients. Associations of SBEM mRNA detection in BM and clinical and pathological parameters were evaluated. SBEM mRNA status and time to breast cancer progression were analysed using Kaplan-Meyer curves. RESULTS Fifty stages I-IV breast cancer female patients were prospectively included in our study. SBEM specific transcript was found in BM in 26% of the patients. Detection rate was similar to the percentage of patients with ITCs detected using ICC (24%). SBEM mRNA in BM aspirates were significantly associated with presence of clinically active disease, including locally advanced and metastatic patients (47%, P = 0.021) and tumours with positive hormonal receptors (36.7%, P = 0.035). In addition association with Her2/neu over-expression (44.4%, P = 0.051) and low proliferating tumours (36%, P = 0.067) were close to significant levels. When we analysed time to breast cancer progression adjusting for grade or hormone receptor status, presence of SBEM mRNA in BM defines distinct prognostic groups. CONCLUSIONS SBEM might represent a suitable marker for molecular detection of ITCs in BM in breast cancer patients. Analysis of prognostic value for SBEM mRNA-based assay should take into account the heterogeneity and different molecular subtypes of breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Valladares-Ayerbes
- Medical Oncology Department, La Coruña University Hospital, Servicio Gallego de Salud, CP 15006 La Coruña, Spain.
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Backus J, Laughlin T, Wang Y, Belly R, White R, Baden J, Justus Min C, Mannie A, Tafra L, Atkins D, Verbanac KM. Identification and characterization of optimal gene expression markers for detection of breast cancer metastasis. J Mol Diagn 2005; 7:327-36. [PMID: 16049304 PMCID: PMC1867547 DOI: 10.1016/s1525-1578(10)60561-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Sentinel lymph node (SLN) status is highly predictive of overall axillary lymph node involvement in breast cancer. Historically, SLN-positive patients have undergone axillary lymph node dissection in a second surgery. Intraoperative SLN analysis could reduce the cost and complications of a second surgery; however, existing histopathological methods lack standardization and exhibit poor sensitivity. Rapid molecular methods may lead to improved intraoperative diagnosis of SLN metastasis. In this study, we used a genome-wide gene expression analysis of breast and other tissues to identify seven putative markers for detecting breast cancer metastasis. We assessed the utility of these markers for identifying clinically actionable metastases in lymph nodes through reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction analysis of SLNs from 254 breast cancer patients. Polymerase chain reaction signals were compared to pathology on a per-patient basis. The optimal two-gene combination, mammaglobin and cytokeratin 19, detected clinically actionable metastasis in breast SLNs with 90% sensitivity and 94% specificity. Application of stringent criteria for identifying presumptive hematoxylin- and eosin-positive samples increased sensitivity and specificity to 91 and 97%, respectively. This study represents the first comprehensive demonstration of the utility of gene expression markers for detecting clinically actionable breast metastases. An intraoperative molecular assay using these markers has the potential to significantly reduce second surgeries for patients undergoing SLN dissection.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Backus
- Veridex, LLC, P.O. Box 4920, 33 Technology Drive, Warren, NJ 07059, USA.
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Zehentner BK, Deme A, Toure P, Hawes SE, Brooks L, Feng Q, Hayes D, Zhang X, Persing DH, Critichlow CW, Houghton RL, Kiviat. NB. Mammaglobin as a novel breast cancer biomarker: multigene reverse transcription-PCR assay and sandwich ELISA. Clin Chem 2004; 50:2069-76. [PMID: 15375015 PMCID: PMC1482781 DOI: 10.1373/clinchem.2004.038687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to examine the potential usefulness of a mammaglobin multigene reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) assay and a mammaglobin sandwich ELISA as diagnostic tools in breast cancer. METHODS We studied peripheral blood samples from 147 untreated Senegalese women with biopsy-confirmed breast cancer and gathered patient information regarding demographic, and clinical staging of disease. The samples were tested for mammaglobin and three breast cancer-associated gene transcripts by a multigene real-time RT-PCR assay and for serum mammaglobin protein by a sandwich ELISA assay. RESULTS In 77% of the breast cancer blood samples, a positive signal was obtained in the multigene RT-PCR assay detecting mammaglobin and three complementary transcribed genes. Fifty samples from healthy female donors tested negative. Significant correlations were found between mammaglobin protein in serum, presence of mammaglobin mRNA-expressing cells in blood, stage of disease, and tumor size. Circulating mammaglobin protein was detected in 68% of the breast cancer sera, and was increased in 38% in comparison with a mixed control population. The RT-PCR assay and the ELISA for mammaglobin produced a combined sensitivity of 84% and specificity of 97%. CONCLUSION The ELISA and RT-PCR for mammaglobin and mammaglobin-producing cells could be valuable tools for diagnosis and prognosis of breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara K. Zehentner
- Corixa Corporation, Seattle, WA
- Corresponding author: Barbara K. Zehentner, Ph.D., Corixa Corporation, 1124 Columbia Street, Seattle, WA 98104, phone 206 753 5932, fax 206 754 5917, e-mail:
| | - Amadou Deme
- University of Dakar, Senegal, West Africa.University of Washington
| | - Papa Toure
- University of Dakar, Senegal, West Africa.University of Washington
| | - Stephen E. Hawes
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health and Community Medicine
| | | | - Qinghua Feng
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Seattle, WA
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Mitas M, Mikhitarian K, Hoover L, Lockett MA, Kelley L, Hill A, Gillanders WE, Cole DJ. Prostate-Specific Ets (PSE) factor: a novel marker for detection of metastatic breast cancer in axillary lymph nodes. Br J Cancer 2002; 86:899-904. [PMID: 11953821 PMCID: PMC2364139 DOI: 10.1038/sj.bjc.6600190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2001] [Revised: 01/07/2002] [Accepted: 01/09/2002] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Prostate Specific Ets factor is a recently identified transcriptional activator that is overexpressed in prostate cancer. To determine whether this gene is overexpressed in breast cancer, we performed a virtual Northern blot using data available online at the Cancer Genome Anatomy Project website. Ninety-five SAGE libraries were probed with a unique sequence tag to the Prostate Specific Ets gene. The results indicate that Prostate Specific Ets is expressed in 14 out of 15 breast cancer libraries (93%), nine out of 10 prostate cancer libraries (90%), three out of 40 libraries from other cancers (7.5%), and four out of 30 normal tissue libraries (13%). To determine the possibility that the Prostate Specific Ets gene is a novel marker for detection of metastatic breast cancer in axillary lymph nodes, quantitative real-time RT-PCR analyses were performed. The mean level of Prostate Specific Ets expression in lymph nodes containing metastatic breast cancer (n=22) was 410-fold higher than in normal lymph node (n=51). A receiver operator characteristic curve analysis indicated that Prostate Specific Ets was overexpressed in 18 out of 22 lymph nodes containing metastatic breast cancer (82%). The receiver operator characteristic curve analysis also indicated that the diagnostic accuracy of the Prostate Specific Ets gene for detection of metastatic breast cancer in axillary lymph nodes was 0.949. These results provide evidence that Prostate Specific Ets is a potentially informative novel marker for detection of metastatic breast cancer in axillary lymph nodes, and should be included in any study that involves molecular profiling of breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Mitas
- Department of Surgery, Suite 420, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA.
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