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Query: UMLS:C0278488 (metastatic breast cancer)
 7,812 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Withanolides are C(28) steroidal lactones isolated from plants that exhibit potent anti-cancer activity. The chemokine receptor CCR7 is important for lymphatic invasion of cancer cells and is overexpressed in metastatic breast cancer cells. A bioactive withanolide tubocapsanolide A (Tubo A) suppressed NF-kappaB-mediated CCR7 expression in breast cancer cells and attenuated their migration toward lymphatic endothelial cells. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assay confirmed that binding of NF-kappaBto the consensus site localized at the -398/-389 of human CCR7 promoter was repressed by Tubo A. Tubo A inhibited IkappaB kinase (IKK) and p38 kinase and downstream mitogen and stress-activated protein kinase 1 (MSK1) activity to reduce IkappaB degradation and to suppress NF-kappaB activation. Co-expression of IKK and MSK1 fully rescued Tubo A-induced inhibition. In addition, ectopic expression of transforming growth factor-beta-activating kinase (TAK1), the common upstream kinase of IKK and MSK1, also completely reversed the inhibition by Tubo A. Most importantly, Tubo A reduced NF-kappaB activation, CCR7 expression, and lymph node metastasis of breast cancer in vivo. We conclude that Tubo A inhibits TAK1 to repress NF-kappaB-induced CCR7 expression in breast cancer cells and suggest that Tubo A may be useful for the prevention of lymphatic invasion of breast cancer cells.
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PMID:Tubocapsanolide A inhibits transforming growth factor-beta-activating kinase 1 to suppress NF-kappaB-induced CCR7. 1904 61

A growing body of evidence indicates that interactions between neoplastic cells and tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) in the tumor microenvironment (TME) are crucial in promoting tumor cell invasion and progression. Macrophages have an ambiguous role in these processes as this M1 phenotype correlates with tumoricidal capacity, whereas TAMs of M2 phenotype exert tumor-promoting effects. In this study, we provide evidence that interactions between mouse breast tumor cells and TAMs remodel the TME, leading to the upregulation of Fra-1, a member of the FOS family of transcription factor. In turn, this proto-oncogene initiates activation of the IL-6/JAK/Stat3 signaling pathway. This creates a malignant switch in breast tumor cells, leading to increased release of proangiogenic factors MMP-9, vascular endothelial growth factor and transforming growth factor-beta from tumor cells and intensified invasion and progression of breast cancer. Proof of the concept for the crucial role played by transcription factor Fra-1 in regulating these processes was established by specific knockdown of Fra-1 with small interfering RNA, which resulted in a marked suppression of tumor cell invasion, angiogenesis and metastasis in a mouse breast cancer model. Such a strategy could eventually lead to future efficacious treatments of metastatic breast cancer.
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PMID:The role of proto-oncogene Fra-1 in remodeling the tumor microenvironment in support of breast tumor cell invasion and progression. 1996 54

A recent Cell publication demonstrates that the secreted antagonist of transforming growth factor-beta ligands, Coco, can re-activate previously dormant metastatic breast cancer cells specifically in the lung by inhibiting bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling. The authors provided evidence for a connection between Coco/BMP signaling and molecular and cellular traits of cancer stem cells. Their findings represent a significant advance in our understanding of metastatic dormancy, an extremely important clinical issue that remains understudied. Equally as important, this study also opens interesting avenues for future research.
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PMID:BMP/Coco antagonism as a deterministic factor of metastasis dormancy in lung. 2332 Jun 13

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) programs require the expression of a variety of so-called master regulators of EMT, including members of the Snail, Zeb, and Twist transcription factor families. Teleologically, the requirement for such a diverse group of 'master regulators' seems evolutionarily cumbersome, and emerging evidence indicates that these transcription factors do in fact mediate unique and specialized functions, suggesting the existence of higher-order 'masters' that truly direct and coordinate EMT programs. Accordingly, Tiwari and colleagues recently delineated an elegant pathway wherein transforming growth factor-beta stimulates Sox4 expression, which induces that of the histone methyltransferase, Ezh2, thereby reprogramming the epigenome to elicit EMT programs and metastasis of breast cancers. This viewpoint highlights Sox4 as a 'new' master of EMT programs and metastatic breast cancer.
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PMID:Sox4, EMT programs, and the metastatic progression of breast cancers: mastering the masters of EMT. 2376 1

In view of the fact that insufficiency in immune response often correlates with poor prognosis, research in recent years has focused on the task of describing the precise status and function of the immune system and its possible effect on cancer patients. Although more than two thirds of treated patients respond to endocrine therapy, most patients with metastatic breast cancer develop a resistance to it. Estrogen modulates angiogenesis, partially through its effects on vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). It also appears that transforming growth factor-beta (TGF beta) could be another factor contributing to this resistance. TGF beta is a highly immunosuppressive factor that inhibits natural and specific immunity against tumors and stimulates the production of VEGF. The purpose of the study was to monitor immune responses in patients with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer who were resistant to hormone therapy. The examination of cellular components (CD4, CD8, HLA-DR, NK cells) and humoral immunity (IgG, IgG subclasses, IgA, IgM,). TGF beta and VEGF production were monitored with special attention, along with an analysis of the changes that occurred during the hormonal treatment. 68 patients included in the research project were implemented with routine cancer treatment with endocrine therapy. Basic parameters (the histological type and grade, the degree of expression of estrogen receptors (ER) and progesterone receptors (PR), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), and the proliferative marker) were established. Patients were evaluated by a cancer clinical immunologist to exclude immune disorders, allergic or autoimmune origin. TGF beta and VEGF were measured by ELISA and antitumor cellular immunity (CD4, CD8) was measured by flow cytometry. Patients who failed in the first line of hormone therapy treatment were considered as resistant to hormone therapy.Depression in cellular immunity was found especially in patients with resistance to endocrine therapy. In addition, immunoglobulin plasma levels were decreased (mainly IgG4 subtype). Most patients showed clinical symptoms of immunodeficiency (frequent infections of respiratory or urinary tract, herpetic infections). Significant increases in TGF beta and VEGF plasma were also detected.The correlation of these factors with resistance to hormonal therapy and the state of anticancer immunity could be helpful in the task of predicting resistance to hormonal therapy and could contribute to the selection of targeted immune therapy in cancer patients in the future.
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PMID:Cellular and humoral immunodeficiency in breast cancer patients resistant to hormone therapy. 2419 14