Metochalcone induces senescence-associated secretory phenotype via JAK2/STAT3 pathway in breast cancer

Breast and lung cancers are the leading causes of mortality and most frequently diagnosed cancers in women and men,respectively,worldwide.Although the antitumor activity of chalcones has been extensively studied,the molecular mechanisms of isoliquiritigenin analog 2',4',4-trihydroxychalcone(metochalcone;TEC)against carcinomas remain less well understood.In this study,we found that TEC inhibited cell proliferation of breast cancer BT549 cells and lung cancer A549 cells in a concentration-dependent manner.TEC induced cell cycle arrest in the S-phase,cell migration inhibition in vitro,and reduced tumor growth in vivo.Moreover,transcriptomic analysis revealed that TEC modulated the activity of the JAK2/STAT3 and P53 pathways.TEC triggered the senescence-associated secretory phenotype(SASP)by repressing the JAK2/STAT3 axis.The mechanism of metochalcone against breast cancer depended on the induction of SASP via deactivation of the JAK2/STAT3 pathway,highlighting the potential of chalcone in senescence-inducing therapy against carcinomas.

Local dose-dense chemotherapy for triple-negative breast cancer via minimally invasive implantation of 3D printed devices

Dose-dense chemotherapy is the preferred first-line therapy for triple-negative breast cancer(TNBC),a highly aggressive disease with a poor prognosis.This treatment uses the same drug doses as conventional chemotherapy but with shorter dosing intervals,allowing for promising clinical outcomes with intensive treatment.However,the frequent systemic administration used for this treatment results in systemic toxicity and low patient compliance,limiting therapeutic efficacy and clinical benefit.Here,we report local dose-dense chemotherapy to treat TNBC by implanting 3D printed devices with timeprogrammed pulsatile release profiles.The implantable device can control the time between drug releases based on its internal microstructure design,which can be used to control dose density.The device is made of biodegradable materials for clinical convenience and designed for minimally invasive implantation via a trocar.Dose density variation of local chemotherapy using programmable release enhances anti-cancer effects in vitro and in vivo.Under the same dose density conditions,device-based chemotherapy shows a higher anticancer effect and less toxic response than intratumoral injection.We demonstrate local chemotherapy utilizing the implantable device that simulates the drug dose,number of releases,and treatment duration of the dose-dense AC(doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide)regimen preferred for TNBC treatment.Dose density modulation inhibits tumor growth,metastasis,and the expression of drug resistance-related proteins,including p-glycoprotein and breast cancer resistance protein.To the best of our knowledge,local dose-dense chemotherapy has not been reported,and our strategy can be expected to be utilized as a novel alternative to conventional therapies and improve anti-cancer efficiency.

ACSL3 regulates breast cancer progression via lipid metabolism reprogramming and the YES1/YAP axis

Objective:Mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation is a metabolic pathway whose dysregulation is recognized as a critical factor in various cancers,because it sustains cancer cell survival,proliferation,and metastasis.The acyl-Co A synthetase long-chain(ACSL)family is known to activate long-chain fatty acids,yet the specific role of ACSL3 in breast cancer has not been determined.Methods:We assessed the prognostic value of ACSL3 in breast cancer by using data from tumor samples.Gain-of-function and lossof-function assays were also conducted to determine the roles and downstream regulatory mechanisms of ACSL3 in vitro and in vivo.Results:ACSL3 expression was notably downregulated in breast cancer tissues compared with normal tissues,and this phenotype correlated with improved survival outcomes.Functional experiments revealed that ACSL3 knockdown in breast cancer cells promoted cell proliferation,migration,and epithelial±mesenchymal transition.Mechanistically,ACSL3 was found to inhibitβ-oxidation and the formation of associated byproducts,thereby suppressing malignant behavior in breast cancer.Importantly,ACSL3 was found to interact with YES proto-oncogene 1,a member of the Src family of tyrosine kinases,and to suppress its activation through phosphorylation at Tyr419.The decrease in activated YES1 consequently inhibited YAP1 nuclear colocalization and transcriptional complex formation,and the expression of its downstream genes in breast cancer cell nuclei.Conclusions:ACSL3 suppresses breast cancer progression by impeding lipid metabolism reprogramming,and inhibiting malignant behaviors through phospho-YES1 mediated inhibition of YAP1 and its downstream pathways.These findings suggest that ACSL3 may serve as a potential biomarker and target for comprehensive therapeutic strategies for breast cancer.

Anti-PD1 antibody and not anti-LAG-3 antibody improves the antitumor effect of photodynamic therapy for treating metastatic breast cancer

Photodynamic therapy(PDT)has limited effects in treating metastatic breast cancer.Immune checkpoints can deplete the function of immune cells;however,the expression of immune checkpoints after PDT is unclear.This study investigates whether the limited e±cacy of PDT is due to upregulated immune checkpoints and tries to combine the PDT and immune checkpoint inhibitor to observe the e±cacy.A metastatic breast cancer model was treated by PDT mediated by hematoporphyrin derivatives(HpD-PDT).The anti-tumor effect of HpD-PDT was observed,as well as CD4þT,CD8þT and calreticulin(CRT)by immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence.Immune checkpoints on T cells were analyzed byflow cytometry after HpD-PDT.When combining PDT with immune checkpoint inhibitors,the antitumor effect and immune effect were assessed.For HpD-PDT at 100 mW/cm2 and 40,60 and 80 J/cm2,primary tumors were suppressed and CD4þT,CD8þT and CRT were elevated;however,distant tumors couldn't be inhibited and survival could not be prolonged.Immune checkpoints on T cells,especially PD1 and LAG-3 after HpD-PDT,were upregulated,which may explain the reason for the limited HpD-PDT effect.After PDT combined with anti-PD1 antibody,but not with anti-LAG-3 antibody,both the primary and distant tumors were signi-cantly inhibited and the survival time was prolonged,additionally,CD4þT,CD8þT,IFN-þCD4þT and TNF-þCD4þT cells were signi-cantly increased compared with HpD-PDT.HpD-PDT could not combat metastatic breast cancer.PD1 and LAG-3 were upregulated after HpD-PDT.Anti-PD1 antibody,but not anti-LAG-3 antibody,could augment the antitumor effect of HpD-PDT for treating metastatic breast cancer.

ROR2 promotes invasion and chemoresistance of triple-negative breast cancer cells by activating PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling

Objective:This study aimed to investigate the role of receptor tyrosine kinase-like orphan receptor 2(ROR2)in triple-negative breast cancer(TNBC).Methods:ROR2 expression in primary TNBC and metastatic TNBC tissues was analyzed by immunohistochemical staining and PCR.ROR2 expression in TNBC cell lines was detected by PCR and Western blot analysis.The migration,invasion and chemosensitivity of TNBC cells with overexpression or knockdown of ROR2 were examined.Results:ROR2 expression was high in metastatic TNBC tissues.ROR2 knockdown suppressed the migration,invasion and chemoresistance of TNBC cells.ROR2 overexpression in MDA-MB-435 cells promoted the migration,invasion,and chemoresistance.Moreover,ROR2 knockdown in HC1599 and MDA-MB-435 adriamycin-resistant cells enhanced chemosensitivity to adriamycin.ROR2 could activate PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling in TNBC cells.Conclusion:ROR2 is upregulated and promotes metastatic phenotypes of TNBC by activating PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling.

Automatic detection of breast lesions in automated 3D breast ultrasound with cross-organ transfer learning

Background Deep convolutional neural networks have garnered considerable attention in numerous machine learning applications,particularly in visual recognition tasks such as image and video analyses.There is a growing interest in applying this technology to diverse applications in medical image analysis.Automated three dimensional Breast Ultrasound is a vital tool for detecting breast cancer,and computer-assisted diagnosis software,developed based on deep learning,can effectively assist radiologists in diagnosis.However,the network model is prone to overfitting during training,owing to challenges such as insufficient training data.This study attempts to solve the problem caused by small datasets and improve model detection performance.Methods We propose a breast cancer detection framework based on deep learning(a transfer learning method based on cross-organ cancer detection)and a contrastive learning method based on breast imaging reporting and data systems(BI-RADS).Results When using cross organ transfer learning and BIRADS based contrastive learning,the average sensitivity of the model increased by a maximum of 16.05%.Conclusion Our experiments have demonstrated that the parameters and experiences of cross-organ cancer detection can be mutually referenced,and contrastive learning method based on BI-RADS can improve the detection performance of the model.

Inhibiting effect of Endostar combined with ginsenoside Rg3 on breast cancer tumor growth in tumor-bearing mice

Objective: To study the inhibiting effect of Endostar combined with ginsenoside Rg3 on breast cancer tumor growth in tumor-bearing mice. Methods: Female mice were selected as experimental animals, and breast cancer tumor-bearing mouse models were established and then divided into group A, B, C and D that respectively received saline, recombinant human endostatin, ginsenosides Rg3 and recombinant human endostatin combined with Rg3 intervention; 7 d, 14 d and 21 d after intervention, tumor tissue volume was measured; 21 d after intervention, mice were killed, tumor tissue was collected, and m RNA contents of angiogenesis molecules, invasion molecules, autophagy marker molecules and autophagy signaling pathway molecules were detected. Results: At 7 d, 14 d and 21 d after intervention, tumor tissue volume of group B, C and D was lower than that of group A, and tumor tissue volume of group D was lower than that of group B and C; m RNA contents of VEGFA, VEGFB, VEGFC, MMP2, MMP9, p62, m TOR, PI3 K, Akt, JNK and Beclin-1 in tumor tissue of group B, C and D were significantly lower than those of group A, and LC3-II/LC3-I was significantly higher than that of group A; m RNA contents of VEGFA, VEGFB, VEGFC, MMP2, MMP9, p62, m TOR, PI3 K, Akt, JNK and Beclin-1 in tumor tissue of group D were significantly lower than those of group B and C, and LC3-II/LC3-I was higher than that of group B and C. Conclusions: Endostar combined with ginsenoside Rg3 has stronger inhibiting effect on breast cancer tumor growth in tumor-bearing mice than single drug, and it can inhibit angiogenesis and cell invasion, and enhance cell autophagy.

SHP2 promotes proliferation of breast cancer cells through regulating Cyclin D1 stabilityviathe PI3K/AKT/GSK3β signaling pathway

Objective:The tyrosine phosphatase SHP2 has a dual role in cancer initiation and progression in a tissue type-dependent manner.Several studies have linked SHP2 to the aggressive behavior of breast cancer cells and poorer outcomes in people with cancer.Nevertheless,the mechanistic details of how SHP2 promotes breast cancer progression remain largely undefined.Methods:The relationship between SHP2 expression and the prognosis of patients with breast cancer was investigated by using the TCGA and GEO databases.The expression of SHP2 in breast cancer tissues was analyzed by immunohistochemistry.CRISPR/Cas9 technology was used to generate SHP2-knockout breast cancer cells.Cell-counting kit-8,colony formation,cell cycle,and EdU incorporation assays,as well as a tumor xenograft model were used to examine the function of SHP2 in breast cancer proliferation.Quantitative RT-PCR,western blotting,immunofluorescence staining,and ubiquitination assays were used to explore the molecular mechanism through which SHP2 regulates breast cancer proliferation.Results:High SHP2 expression is correlated with poor prognosis in patients with breast cancer.SHP2 is required for the proliferation of breast cancer cellsin vitro and tumor growthin vivo through regulation of Cyclin D1 abundance,thereby accelerating cell cycle progression.Notably,SHP2 modulates the ubiquitin–proteasome-dependent degradation of Cyclin D1viathe PI3K/AKT/GSK3βsignaling pathway.SHP2 knockout attenuates the activation of PI3K/AKT signaling and causes the dephosphorylation and resultant activation of GSK3β.GSK3βthen mediates phosphorylation of Cyclin D1 at threonine 286,thereby promoting the translocation of Cyclin D1 from the nucleus to the cytoplasm and facilitating Cyclin D1 degradation through the ubiquitin–proteasome system.Conclusions:Our study uncovered the mechanism through which SHP2 regulates breast cancer proliferation.SHP2 may therefore potentially serve as a therapeutic target for breast cancer.

The PI3K/Akt/GSK-3β/ROS/eIF2B pathway promotes breast cancer growth and metastasis via suppression of NK cell cytotoxicity and tumor cell susceptibility

Objective: To examine the effect of pSer9-GSK-3β on breast cancer and to determine whether the underlying metabolic and immunological mechanism is associated with ROS/eIF2B and natural killer(NK) cells.Methods: We employed TWS119 to inactivate GSK-3β by phosphorylating Ser9 and explored its effect on breast cancer and NK cells. The expression of GSK-3β, natural killer group 2 member D(NKG2D) ligands, eIF2B was quantified by PCR and Western blot. We measured intracellular reactive oxygen species(ROS) and mitochondrial ROS using DCFH-DA and MitoSOX^(TM) probe,respectively, and conducted quantitative analysis of cellular respiration on 4T1 cells with mitochondrial respiratory chain complex Ⅰ/Ⅲ kits.Results: Our investigation revealed that TWS119 downregulated NKG2D ligands(H60 a and Rae1), suppressed the cytotoxicity of NK cells, and promoted the migration of 4T1 murine breast cancer cells. Nevertheless, LY290042, which attenuates p-GSK-3β formation by inhibiting the PI3K/Akt pathway, reversed these effects. We also found that higher expression of p Ser9-GSK-3β induced higher levels of ROS, and observed that abnormality of mitochondrial respiratory chain complex Ⅰ/Ⅲ function induced the dysfunction of GSK-3β-induced electron transport chain, naturally disturbing the ROS level. In addition, the expression of NOX3 and NOX4 was significantly up-regulated, which affected the generation of ROS and associated with the metastasis of breast cancer. Furthermore, we found that the expression of pSer535-eIF2B promoted the expression of NKG2D ligands(Mult-1 and Rae1) following by expression of pSer9-GSK-3β and generation of ROS.Conclusions: The PI3K/Akt/GSK-3β/ROS/eIF2B pathway could regulate NK cell activity and sensitivity of tumor cells to NK cells,which resulted in breast cancer growth and lung metastasis. Thus, GSK-3β is a promising target of anti-tumor therapy.

Downregulation of wild-type p53 protein by HER-2/neu mediated PI3K pathway activation in human breast cancer cells: its effect on cell proliferation and implication for therapy

Overexpression and activation of HER-2/neu (also known as c-erbB-2), a proto-oncogene, was found in about 30% of human breast cancers, promoting cancer growth and making cancer cells resistant to chemo- and radio-therapy. Wild-type p53 is crucial in regulating cell growth and apoptosis and is found to be mutated or deleted in 60-70% of human cancers. And some cancers with a wild-type p53 do not have normal p53 function, suggesting that it is implicated in a complex process regulated by many factors. In the present study, we showed that the overexpression of HER-2/neu could decrease the amount of wild-type p53 protein via activating PI3K pathway, as well as inducing MDM2 nuclear translocation in MCF7 human breast cancer cells. Blockage of PI3K pathway with its specific inhibitor LY294002 caused Gl-S phase arrest, decreased cell growth rate and increased chemo- and radio-therapeutic sensitivity in MCF7 cells expressing wild-type p53. However, it did not increase the sensitivity to adriamycin in MDA-MB-453 breast cancer cells containing mutant p53. Our study indicates that blocking PI3K pathway activation mediated by HER-2/neu overexpression may be useful in the treatment of breast tumors with HER-2/neu overexpression and wild-type p53.

CLINICOPATHOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF PTEN AND CASPASE-3 EXPRESSIONS IN BREAST CANCER

Objective To investigate the expressions of PTEN and Caspase-3 proteins in human breast carcinoma,and to evaluate their clinicopathological implications during the tumorigenesis and progression of breast cancer.Methods The expressions of PTEN and Caspase-3 proteins in 95 cases of breast cancer and 15 cases of benign breast diseases were investigated immunohistochemically.Correlations between the expression of PTEN protein,Caspase-3 protein,and clinicopathological features of breast cancers were analyzed.Results The loss expression rate of PTEN protein in tumor tissues was significantly higher than that in benign breast diseases(33.7% vs.0,P<0.01).Analysis of the clinicopathological features showed that PTEN expression level was negatively correlated with TNM stage,histological grade,axillary lymph node status,recurrence,and metastasis(P<0.05).The positive expression level of Caspase-3 was negatively correlated with TNM stage(P<0.01),but not related with histological grade,axillary lymph node status,recurrence,or metastasis(P>0.05).In addition,the expression of PTEN protein had significantly positive correlation with the expression of Caspase-3 protein in breast cancer(P<0.01).Conclusion The combination detection of PTEN and Caspase-3 may serve as an important index to estimate the pathobiological behavior and prognosis of breast cancer.

STAT3 mediates resistance of CD44^+CD24^(-/low) breast cancer stem cells to tamoxifen in vitro

We sought to determine whether STAT3 mediated tamoxifen resistance of breast cancer stem cells in vitro.The capacities for mammosphere formation and STAT3 expression of CD44＋CD24-/low MCF-7 and MCF-7 were observed.The CD44＋CD24-/low subpopulation ratio and its sensitivity to adriamycin were analyzed in MCF-7 and TAM resistant（TAM-R） cells.Cell cycle,apoptosis,STAT3 and phospho-STAT3 changes were observed af-ter treatment with tamoxifen.Small interference RNA-mediated knockdown of STAT3 in TAM-R cells was also performed.CD44＋CD24-/low MCF-7 showed higher capacities for mammosphere formation and STAT3 expression than total MCF-7.The CD44＋CD24-/low subpopulation was also upregulated in TAM-R cells with less sensitivity to adriamycin than MCF-7.Cell cycle changes,anti-apoptotic effects and STAT3 changes were also found.Mean-while,the knock-down of STAT3 in TAM-R resulted in an increase in sensitivity to tamoxifen.It is concluded that STAT3 plays an essential role in breast cancer stem cells,which correlated with tamoxifen resistance.

Benefit of everolimus as a monotherapy for a refractory breast cancer patient bearing multiple genetic mutations in the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway

A postmenopausal patient with a diagnosis of estrogen receptor(ER)(+), progesterone receptor(PR)(+), and human epidermal growth factor receptor-2(HER2)(-) breast cancer was reported. The patient refused surgery and was resistant to conventional chemotherapy regimens. Computed tomography and the circulating tumor cell test indicated that the patient's tumor burden increased rapidly even after several chemotherapy sessions. Multiple genetic aberrances in the phosphatidylinositol3-kinases(PI3 K) signaling pathway were detected via next-generation sequencing(NGS)-based liquid biopsy, including a p. G1007 R missense mutation in exon 21 of PIK3 CA(33.61%), a p.L70 fs frameshift mutation in exon 3 of phosphatase and tension homolog deleted on chromosome ten(PTEN)(49.14%), and a p. D1542 Y missense mutation in exon 32 of mammalian target of rapamycin(m TOR)(1.66%). Therefore, only the m TOR inhibitor everolimus was administered to the patient. Partial remission(PR) was observed after 2 months, and sustained stable disease(SD) was observed after a year and a half. Subsequent sequencing showed that the mutation ratio of PIK3 CA decreased to 4.17%, and that the PTEN and m TOR mutations disappeared, which revealed the significant curative effect of everolimus. We report the first case of successful monotherapy treatment using everolimus in a patient with advanced breast cancer bearing mutations in genes involved in the PI3 K/ARK/m TOR signaling pathway. The success of this case highlights the invaluable clinical contribution of NGS-based liquid biopsy, as it successfully provided an optimal therapeutic target for the patient with advanced breast cancer.

27-Hydroxycholesterol-induced EndMT acts via STAT3 signaling to promote breast cancer cell migration by altering the tumor microenvironment

Objective:The endothelial to mesenchymal transition(EndMT)plays a major role in cancer metastasis by regulating the complexity of the tumor microenvironment(TME).Here,we investigated whether 27-hydroxycholesterol(27 HC)induces EndMT in endothelial cells(ECs).Methods:EndMT markers in the human microvascular endothelial cell-1(HMEC-1)cell line and human umbilical vein endothelial cells(HUVECs)stimulated with 27 HC were evaluated with Western blot.Epithelial to mesenchymal transition(EMT)markers in breast cancer(BC)cells cultured in conditioned medium were investigated with quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction(qRT-PCR).The MMP-2 and MMP-9 mRNA expression and activity were detected with qRT-PCR and gelatin zymography assays,respectively.The effect of activated STAT3 on 27 HC-induced EndMT was validated by Western blot,immunofluorescence staining,and cell transfection assays.The migration ability of BC cells was evaluated with Transwell assays.Results:We found that 27 HC induced EndMT in HMEC-1 and HUVECs,and 27 HC-induced EndMT facilitated EMT and BC cell migration.The 27 HC-induced EMT of BC cells also promoted EndMT and HUVEC migration.Investigation of the underlying molecular mechanisms revealed that STAT3 knockdown repressed EndMT in HUVECs as well as migration in BC cells induced with 27 HC.In addition,C646 and resveratrol,inhibitors of STAT3 acetylation,repressed the expression of Ac-STAT3,p-STAT3,and EndMT markers in HUVECs exposed to 27 HC;these HUVECs in turn attenuated the migration ability of BC cells in 27 HC-induced EndMT.Conclusions:Cross-talk between 27 HC-induced EndMT and EMT was observed in the TME.Moreover,activation of STAT3 signaling was found to be involved in 27 HC-induced EndMT.

Generation of a tree shrew breast cancer model using lentivirus expressing PIK3CA-H1047R

DEAR EDITOR,Breast cancer is the most common malignant tumor in women,posing a serious threat to health. Tree shrews(Tupaia belangeri chinensis) are evolutionarily closer to humans than rodents and are emerging as an attractive experimental animal model for breast cancer. The PIK3CA gene is frequently mutated in both human and tree shrew breast tumors. Herein, we effectively overexpressed PIK3CA-H1047R in the mammary epithelial cells of tree shrews using a lentivirus to induce breast tumors.

PI3K/Akt/mTOR inhibitors in breast cancer

Activation of the phosphoinositide 3 kinase(PI3K)/Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin(mTOR) pathway is common in breast cancer. There is preclinical data to support inhibition of the pathway, and phase Ⅰ to Ⅲ trials involving inhibitors of the pathway have been or are being conducted in solid tumors and breast cancer. Everolimus, an mTOR inhibitor, is currently approved for the treatment of hormone receptor(HR)-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2(HER2)-negative breast cancer. In this review, we summarise the efficacy and toxicity findings from the randomised clinical trials, with simplified guidelines on the management of potential adverse effects. Education of healthcare professionals and patients is critical for safety and compliance. While there is some clinical evidence of activity of mTOR inhibition in HR-positive and HER2-positive breast cancers, the benefits may be more pronounced in selected subsets rather than in the overall population. Further development of predictive biomarkers will be useful in the selection of patients who will benefit from inhibition of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR(PAM) pathway.

3.0 Tesla vs 1.5 Tesla breast magnetic resonance imaging in newly diagnosed breast cancer patients

AIM:To compare 3.0 Tesla(T) vs 1.5T magnetic resonance(MR) imaging systems in newly diagnosed breast cancer patients.METHODS:Upon Institutional Review Board approval,a Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Actcompliant retrospective review of 147 consecutive 3.0T MR examinations and 98 consecutive 1.5T MR examinations in patients with newly diagnosed breast cancer between 7/2009 and 5/2010 was performed.Eleven patients who underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy in the 3.0T group were excluded.Mammographically occult suspicious lesions(BIRADS Code 4 and 5) additional to the index cancer in the ipsilateral and contralateral breast were identified.Lesion characteristics and pathologic diagnoses were recorded,and results achieved with both systems compared.Statistical significance was analyzed using Fisher’s exact test.RESULTS:In the 3.0T group,206 suspicious lesions were identified in 55%(75/136) of patients and 96%(198/206) of these lesions were biopsied.In the 1.5T group,98 suspicious lesions were identified in 53%(52/98) of patients and 90%(88/98) of these lesions were biopsied.Biopsy results yielded additional malignancies in 24% of patients in the 3.0T group vs 14% of patients in the 1.5T group(33/136 vs 14/98,P = 0.07).Average size and histology of the additional cancers was comparable.Of patients who had a suspicious MR imaging study,additional cancers were found in 44% of patients in the 3.0T group vs 27% in the 1.5T group(33/75 vs 14/52,P = 0.06),yielding a higher positive predictive value(PPV) for biopsies performed with the 3.0T system.CONCLUSION:3.0T MR imaging detected more additional malignancies in patients with newly diagnosed breast cancer and yielded a higher PPV for biopsies performed with the 3.0T system.

Activation of Rac1-PI3K/Akt is required for epidermal growth factorinduced PAK1 activation and cell migration in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells

Epidermal growth factor （EGF） may increase cell motility, an event implicated in cancer cell invasion and metastasis. However, the underlying mechanisms for EGF-induced cell motility remain elusive. In this study, we found that EGF treatment could activate Ras-related C3 botulinum toxin substrate 1 （Racl）, PI3K/Akt and p21- actived kinase （PAK1） along with cell migration. Ectopic expression of PAK1 K299R, a dominant negative PAK1 mutant, could largely abolish EGF-induced cell migration. Blocking PI3K/Akt signalling with LY294002 or Akt siRNA remarkably inhibited both EGF-induced PAK1 activation and cell migration. Furthermore, expression of dominant-negative Racl （T17N） could largely block EGF-induced PI3K/Akt-PAK1 activation and cell migration. Interestingly, EGF could induce a significant production of ROS, and N-acetyl-L-cysteine, a scavenger of ROS which abolished the EGF-induced ROS generation, cell migration, as well as activation of PI3K/Akt and PAK, but not Racl. Our study demonstrated that EGF-induced cell migration involves a cascade of signalling events, including activation of Racl, generation of ROS and subsequent activation of PI3K/Akt and PAK1.

Cyclin Dlb Splice Variant Promotes αvβ3-mediated EMT Induced by LPS in Breast Cancer Cells

Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition （EMT） plays a critical role in cancer metastasis, and is relevant to the inflammatory microenvironment. Lipopolysaccharide （LPS）, a cell wall constituent of gram-negative bacteria, has been reported to induce EMT of cancer cells through TLR4 signal. We previously reported that LPS promoted metastasis of mesenchymallike breast cancer cells with high expression of cyclin Dlb. However, the role of cyclin Dlb in LPS-induced EMT has not been fully elucidated. In the present study, we described that cyclin Dlb augmented EMT induced by LPS in MCF-7 breast cancer cells. Cyclin Dlb markedly amplified integrin αvβ3 expression, which was further up-regulated under LPS stimulation. Our results showed ectopic expression of cyclin Dlb promoted invasiveness of epithelial-like MCF-7 cells under LPS stimulation. Additionally, LPS-induced metastasis and EMT in MCF- 7-Dlb cells might depend on αvβ3 expression. Further exploration indicated that cyclin Dlb cooperated with HoxD3, a transcription factor promoting αvβ3 expression, to promote LPS- induced EMT. Knockout of HoxD3 repressed LPS-induced EMT and αvβ3 over-expression in MCF-7 cells with high expression of cyclin Dlb. Specifically, all these effects were in a cyclin Dla independent manner. Taken all together, LPS up-regulated integrin αvβ3 expression in MCF-7 cells with high expression of cyclin D lb and induced EMT in breast cancer cells, which highlights that cyclin Dlb may act as an endogenous pathway participating in exogenous signal inducing EMT in breast cancer cells.

Fang-Xia-Dihuang decoction inhibits breast cancer progression induced by psychological stress via down-regulation of PI3K/AKT and JAK2/STAT3 pathways:An in vivo and a network pharmacology assessment

Background:The development and prognosis of breast cancer are intricately linked to psychological stress.In addition,depression is the most common psychological comorbidity among breast cancer survivors,and reportedly,Fang-Xia-Dihuang decoction(FXDH)can effectively manage depression in such patients.However,its pharmacological and molecular mechanisms remain obscure.Methods:Public databases were used for obtaining active components and related targets.Main active components were further verified by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry(UPLC-HRMS).Protein–protein interaction and enrichment analyses were taken to predict potential hub targets and related pathways.Molecule docking was used to understand the interactions between main compounds and hub targets.In addition,an animal model of breast cancer combined with depression was established to evaluate the intervention effect of FXDH and verify the pathways screened by network pharmacology.Results:174 active components of FXDH and 163 intersection targets of FXDH,breast cancer,and depression were identified.Quercetin,methyl ferulate,luteolin,ferulaldehyde,wogonin,and diincarvilone were identified as the principal active components of FXDH.Protein–protein interaction and KEGG enrichment analyses revealed that the phosphoinositide-3-kinase–protein kinase B(PI3K/AKT)and Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription(JAK2/STAT3)signaling pathways played a crucial role in mediating the efficacy of FXDH for inhibiting breast cancer progression induced by depression.In addition,in vivo experiments revealed that FXDH ameliorated depression-like behavior in mice and inhibited excessive tumor growth in mice with breast cancer and depression.FXDH treatment downregulated the expression of epinephrine,PI3K,AKT,STAT3,and JAK2 compared with the control treatment(p<0.05).Molecular docking verified the relationship between the six primary components of FXDH and the three most important targets,including phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinase catalytic subunit alpha(PIK3CA),AKT,and STAT3.Conclusion:This study provides a scientific basis to support the clinical application of FXDH for improving depression-like behavior and inhibiting breast cancer progression promoted by chronic stress.The therapeutic effects FXDH may be closely related to the PI3K/AKT and JAK2/STAT3 pathways.This finding helps better understand the regulatory mechanisms underlying the efficacy of FXDH.