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Salvati A, Gigantino V, Nassa G, Mirici Cappa V, Ventola GM, Cracas DGC, Mastrocinque R, Rizzo F, Tarallo R, Weisz A, Giurato G. Global View of Candidate Therapeutic Target Genes in Hormone-Responsive Breast Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21114068. [PMID: 32517194 PMCID: PMC7312026 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21114068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2020] [Revised: 05/29/2020] [Accepted: 06/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer (BC) is a heterogeneous disease characterized by different biopathological features, differential response to therapy and substantial variability in long-term-survival. BC heterogeneity recapitulates genetic and epigenetic alterations affecting transformed cell behavior. The estrogen receptor alpha positive (ERα+) is the most common BC subtype, generally associated with a better prognosis and improved long-term survival, when compared to ERα-tumors. This is mainly due to the efficacy of endocrine therapy, that interfering with estrogen biosynthesis and actions blocks ER-mediated cell proliferation and tumor spread. Acquired resistance to endocrine therapy, however, represents a great challenge in the clinical management of ERα+ BC, causing tumor growth and recurrence irrespective of estrogen blockade. Improving overall survival in such cases requires new and effective anticancer drugs, allowing adjuvant treatments able to overcome resistance to first-line endocrine therapy. To date, several studies focus on the application of loss-of-function genome-wide screenings to identify key (hub) “fitness” genes essential for BC progression and representing candidate drug targets to overcome lack of response, or acquired resistance, to current therapies. Here, we review the biological significance of essential genes and relative functional pathways affected in ERα+ BC, most of which are strictly interconnected with each other and represent potential effective targets for novel molecular therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annamaria Salvati
- Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Genomics, Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry ‘Scuola Medica Salernitana’, University of Salerno, 84081 Baronissi (SA), Italy; (A.S.); (V.G.); (G.N.); (V.M.C.); (F.R.); (R.T.)
| | - Valerio Gigantino
- Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Genomics, Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry ‘Scuola Medica Salernitana’, University of Salerno, 84081 Baronissi (SA), Italy; (A.S.); (V.G.); (G.N.); (V.M.C.); (F.R.); (R.T.)
| | - Giovanni Nassa
- Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Genomics, Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry ‘Scuola Medica Salernitana’, University of Salerno, 84081 Baronissi (SA), Italy; (A.S.); (V.G.); (G.N.); (V.M.C.); (F.R.); (R.T.)
| | - Valeria Mirici Cappa
- Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Genomics, Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry ‘Scuola Medica Salernitana’, University of Salerno, 84081 Baronissi (SA), Italy; (A.S.); (V.G.); (G.N.); (V.M.C.); (F.R.); (R.T.)
| | | | | | | | - Francesca Rizzo
- Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Genomics, Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry ‘Scuola Medica Salernitana’, University of Salerno, 84081 Baronissi (SA), Italy; (A.S.); (V.G.); (G.N.); (V.M.C.); (F.R.); (R.T.)
| | - Roberta Tarallo
- Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Genomics, Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry ‘Scuola Medica Salernitana’, University of Salerno, 84081 Baronissi (SA), Italy; (A.S.); (V.G.); (G.N.); (V.M.C.); (F.R.); (R.T.)
| | - Alessandro Weisz
- Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Genomics, Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry ‘Scuola Medica Salernitana’, University of Salerno, 84081 Baronissi (SA), Italy; (A.S.); (V.G.); (G.N.); (V.M.C.); (F.R.); (R.T.)
- CRGS—Genome Research Center for Health, University of Salerno Campus of Medicine, 84081 Baronissi (SA), Italy
- Correspondence: (A.W.); (G.G.); Tel.: +39-089-965043 (A.W.); +39-089-968286 (G.G.)
| | - Giorgio Giurato
- Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Genomics, Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry ‘Scuola Medica Salernitana’, University of Salerno, 84081 Baronissi (SA), Italy; (A.S.); (V.G.); (G.N.); (V.M.C.); (F.R.); (R.T.)
- Correspondence: (A.W.); (G.G.); Tel.: +39-089-965043 (A.W.); +39-089-968286 (G.G.)
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