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Wang K, Hackney JR, Siegal GP, Wei S. RANKLed by the Complexity of Signaling in Breast Cancer Metastasis to the Brain. Clin Breast Cancer 2020; 20:e569-e575. [PMID: 32381383 DOI: 10.1016/j.clbc.2020.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2020] [Revised: 03/17/2020] [Accepted: 04/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Receptor activator of nuclear factor κB (RANK) and its ligand, RANKL, are essential for mammary gland development and play a vital role in breast carcinogenesis. RANKL-RANK signaling also drives thermoregulation and modulates inflammatory activation in the brain. The expression of RANKL in primary breast cancer (BC) has been negatively associated with brain metastases, while significantly higher levels of RANK are seen in BC with brain metastases. We examined the expression of RANK and RANKL in BC metastasis to the brain. PATIENTS AND METHODS We examined the expression of RANK and RANKL in 40 cases of BC metastasis to the brain. RESULTS RANK was variably expressed in BC cells but minimally expressed in the adjacent brain parenchyma. In contrast, the expression of RANKL was minimal in metastatic BC but highly variable in tumoral stroma. RANKL expression in normal brain stroma obtained during autopsy was negligible. Histologic grade and BC subtypes were not significantly associated with RANK expression in metastatic BC. A significant negative correlation between RANK in metastatic BC and RANKL in tumoral stroma was identified (P < .001). CONCLUSION RANK expressed by primary BC and RANKL detected in the tumor microenvironment together participate in cancer development, while the same principle may operate at distant sites. Further investigation is necessary to provide additional insight into the role of the RANKL-RANK pathway in BC progression and to investigate the potential efficacy of therapeutic strategies targeting these molecules in BC metastasis to the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Wang
- Department of Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
| | - James R Hackney
- Department of Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
| | - Gene P Siegal
- Department of Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
| | - Shi Wei
- Department of Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL.
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Risk factors for breast cancer brain metastases: a systematic review. Oncotarget 2020; 11:650-669. [PMID: 32110283 PMCID: PMC7021234 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.27453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2019] [Accepted: 01/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Brain metastasis (BM) is an increasingly common and devastating complication of breast cancer (BC). Methods: A systematic literature search of EMBASE and MEDLINE was conducted to elucidate the current state of knowledge on known and novel prognostic factors associated with 1) the risk for BCBM and 2) the time to brain metastases (TTBM). Results: A total of 96 studies involving institutional records from 28 countries were identified. Of these, 69 studies reported risk factors of BCBM, 46 factors associated with the TTBM and twenty studies examined variables for both outcomes. Young age, estrogen receptor negativity (ER-), overexpression of human epidermal factor (HER2+), and higher presenting stage, histological grade, tumor size, Ki67 labeling index and nodal involvement were consistently found to be independent risk factors of BCBM. Of these, triple-negative BC (TNBC) subtype, ER-, higher presenting histological grade, tumor size, and nodal involvement were also reported to associate with shorter TTBM. In contrast, young age, hormone receptor negative (HR-) status, higher presenting stage, nodal involvement and development of liver metastasis were the most important risk factors for BM in HER2-positive patients. Conclusions: The study provides a comprehensive and individual evaluation of the risk factors that could support the design of screening tools and interventional trials for early detection of BCBM.
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Wan X, Song Y, Fang H, Xu L, Che X, Wang S, Zhang X, Zhang L, Li C, Fan Y, Hou K, Li Z, Wang X, Liu Y, Qu X. RANKL/RANK promotes the migration of gastric cancer cells by interacting with EGFR. Clin Transl Med 2020; 9:3. [PMID: 31933009 PMCID: PMC6957613 DOI: 10.1186/s40169-019-0249-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2019] [Accepted: 12/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The incidence and mortality rates of gastric cancer (GC) rank in top five among all malignant tumors. Chemokines and their receptor-signaling pathways reportedly play key roles in the metastasis of malignant tumor cells. Receptor activator of nuclear factor κB ligand (RANKL) is a member of the tumor necrosis factor family, with strong chemokine-like effects. Some studies have pointed out that the RANKL/RANK pathway is vital for the metastasis of cancer cells, but the specific mechanisms in GC remain poorly understood. Results This study reports original findings in cell culture models and in patients with GC. Flow cytometry and western blotting analyses showed that RANK was expressed in BGC-823 and SGC-7901 cells in particular. Chemotaxis experiments and wound healing assay suggested that RANKL spurred the migration of GC cells. This effect was offset by osteoprotegerin (OPG), a decoy receptor for RANKL. RANKL contributed to the activation of human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER) family pathways. The lipid raft core protein, caveolin 1 (Cav-1), interacted with both RANK and human epidermal growth factor receptor-1(EGFR). Knockdown of Cav-1 blocked the activation of EGFR and cell migration induced by RANKL. Moreover, RANK-positive GC patients who displayed higher levels of EGFR expression had poor overall survival. Conclusions In summary, we confirmed that with the promotion of RANKL, RANK and EGFR can form complexes with the lipid raft core protein Cav-1, which together promote GC cell migration. The formation of the RANK-Cav-1-EGFR complex provides a novel mechanism for the metastasis of GC. These observations warrant confirmation in independent studies, in vitro and in vivo. They also inform future drug target discovery research and innovation in the treatment of GC progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xing Wan
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, China
| | - Yongxi Song
- Department of Surgical Oncology, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, China
| | - Honghong Fang
- Jining No.1 People's Hospital, Shandong, 272011, China
| | - Ling Xu
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, China
| | - Xiaofang Che
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, China
| | - Shuo Wang
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, China
| | - Xiaomeng Zhang
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, China
| | - Lingyun Zhang
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, China
| | - Ce Li
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, China
| | - Yibo Fan
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, China
| | - Kezuo Hou
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, China
| | - Zhi Li
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, China
| | - Xueqing Wang
- School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Perth, Australia
| | - Yunpeng Liu
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, China.
| | - Xiujuan Qu
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, China.
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Zhang X, Song Y, Song N, Zhang Y, Zhang L, Wang Y, Wang Z, Qu X, Liu Y. RANKL/RANK pathway abrogates cetuximab sensitivity in gastric cancer cells via activation of EGFR and c-Src. Onco Targets Ther 2017; 10:73-83. [PMID: 28123301 PMCID: PMC5229171 DOI: 10.2147/ott.s110918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Overexpression of EGFR is commonly seen in gastric cancer (GC). However, patients with GC show resistance to anti-EGFR treatments. RAS mutations are rare in GC and cannot explain de novo resistance to EGFR treatments. Therefore, it is particularly important to explore the mechanisms of resistance to anti-EGFR treatments. The RANKL activates the EGFR pathway in osteoclasts, and the RANK is expressed in gastric carcinoma. Whether the RANKL/RANK pathway has an effect on the EGFR pathway in GC remains unknown. Expressions of EGFR and RANK in GC tissues were detected using immunohistochemical staining. Nineteen patients (28%) showed high-level RANKL expression, and 33 patients (48%) showed high-level RANK expression. There was a positive correlation between expression of EGFR and RANK (P<0.001). In an in vitro study, RANKL induced activation of the EGFR pathway and further abrogated cetuximab sensitivity in GC cells. Knockdown of RANK or use of the RANKL inhibitor enhanced cetuximab effect by decreasing RANKL-induced EGFR activation. Furthermore, we showed that c-SRC mediated the EGFR activation induced by the RANKL/RANK pathway and that c-SRC inhibitor reversed the suppression of RANKL on the effect of cetuximab. In conclusion, our results suggest that in GC cells, the RANKL/RANK pathway activates the EGFR pathway and thereby causes resistance to anti-EGFR treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaomeng Zhang
- Department of Medical Oncology; Key Laboratory of Anticancer Drugs and Biotherapy of Liaoning Province, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, People's Republic of China
| | - Yongxi Song
- Department of Surgical Oncology and General Surgery
| | - Na Song
- Department of Medical Oncology; Key Laboratory of Anticancer Drugs and Biotherapy of Liaoning Province, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, People's Republic of China
| | - Ye Zhang
- Department of Medical Oncology; Key Laboratory of Anticancer Drugs and Biotherapy of Liaoning Province, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, People's Republic of China
| | - Lingyun Zhang
- Department of Medical Oncology; Key Laboratory of Anticancer Drugs and Biotherapy of Liaoning Province, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, People's Republic of China
| | - Yan Wang
- Department of Medical Oncology; Key Laboratory of Anticancer Drugs and Biotherapy of Liaoning Province, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, People's Republic of China
| | | | - Xiujuan Qu
- Department of Medical Oncology; Key Laboratory of Anticancer Drugs and Biotherapy of Liaoning Province, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, People's Republic of China
| | - Yunpeng Liu
- Department of Medical Oncology; Key Laboratory of Anticancer Drugs and Biotherapy of Liaoning Province, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, People's Republic of China
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