Biophysical analysis of cancer stem cell-potent copper(ii) coordination complexes

2019 ◽  
Vol 48 (18) ◽  
pp. 5892-5896 ◽  
Author(s):  
Puyi Zheng ◽  
Arvin Eskandari ◽  
Chunxin Lu ◽  
Kristine Laws ◽  
Leigh Aldous ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Stem Cells ◽  
Stem Cell ◽  
Cancer Stem Cells ◽  
Cancer Stem Cell ◽  
Breast Cancer Cells ◽  
Coordination Complexes ◽  
Breast Cancer Stem Cells ◽  
Biophysical Analysis ◽  
Inflammatory Drugs

Copper(ii) coordination complexes, 1 and 2, containing nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) potently kill breast cancer stem cells (CSCs) and bulk breast cancer cells.

scholarly journals HIF-1 regulates CD47 expression in breast cancer cells to promote evasion of phagocytosis and maintenance of cancer stem cells

2015 ◽  
Vol 112 (45) ◽  
pp. E6215-E6223 ◽  
Author(s):  
Huimin Zhang ◽  
Haiquan Lu ◽  
Lisha Xiang ◽  
John W. Bullen ◽  
Chuanzhao Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Stem Cells ◽  
Stem Cell ◽  
Cancer Stem Cells ◽  
Cancer Stem Cell ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Breast Cancer Cells ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Hypoxia Inducible Factor ◽  
Cell Phenotype

Increased expression of CD47 has been reported to enable cancer cells to evade phagocytosis by macrophages and to promote the cancer stem cell phenotype, but the molecular mechanisms regulating CD47 expression have not been determined. Here we report that hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) directly activates transcription of the CD47 gene in hypoxic breast cancer cells. Knockdown of HIF activity or CD47 expression increased the phagocytosis of breast cancer cells by bone marrow-derived macrophages. CD47 expression was increased in mammosphere cultures, which are enriched for cancer stem cells, and CD47 deficiency led to cancer stem cell depletion. Analysis of datasets derived from thousands of patients with breast cancer revealed that CD47 expression was correlated with HIF target gene expression and with patient mortality. Thus, CD47 expression contributes to the lethal breast cancer phenotype that is mediated by HIF-1.

scholarly journals Effect of CD44 knockdown on the biological characteristics of breast cancer stem cells

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zi Lei ◽  
Yang-Li Hu ◽  
Qiang Feng ◽  
Li Wang ◽  
Xin-Yan Pan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Cell Cycle ◽  
Stem Cells ◽  
Stem Cell ◽  
Cancer Stem Cells ◽  
Cancer Stem Cell ◽  
Biological Characteristics ◽  
Breast Cancer Stem Cells ◽  
Transcript Variants

Abstract Background: CD44 is an important surface marker of breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs), but it is unclear whether it is involved in the stemness of BCSCs. This has limited the development of new therapeutic strategies for breast cancer. Previous studies have shown that many CD44 variants generated through alternative splicing are involved in the development of breast cancer, but their exact role in BCSCs remains unclear. Therefore, we analyzed the CD44 transcript variants in BCSCs derived from the MDA-MB-435 cell line, and aimed to investigate whether CD44s knockdown could affect the biological characteristics of BCSCs.Methods: CD44+/CD24- cells were isolated among the MDA-MB-435 cells by flow cytometry, and the CD44 transcript variants were detected by RT-PCR in CD44+/CD24- cells. Due to the high expression of CD44 standard splice isoform (CD44s) in CD44+/CD24- cells, CD44s knockdown was generated using small hairpin RNA (shRNA). The effects of CD44s knockdown on the biological characteristics of BCSCs was detected using cell proliferation assay, colony formation assay, cell cycle and apoptosis assay, tumor sphere formation assay, would-healing assay, and Matrigel invasion assay. Tumorigenesis of the CD44+/CD24- cells with CD44s knockdown was investigated in vivo with NOD/SCID mice. The expression of cancer stem cell stemness-related genes, such as Bcl-2, CCNE2, EGFR, MMP7, Muc1, and Myc was also detected by qPCR.Results: Our results revealed that the mRNA expression of CD44 transcript variants was heterogeneous, and CD44s is highly expressed in BCSCs. CD44s depletion inhibited the proliferation, made cell cycle stay in G0/G1 phase, promoted the apoptosis and necrosis of BCSCs, inhibited the ability of self-renewal and invasion along with the expression of cancer stem cell-related genes in BCSCs. Moreover, CD44s knockdown inhibited the tumorigenesis ability in vivo.Conclusion: Our findings revealed that CD44s is the predominant isoform expressed in BCSCs, and is an important molecule for maintaining the properties of BCSCs. Targeting CD44s in BCSCs may be a potential new direction for breast cancer treatment.

scholarly journals Lipid Droplets Define a Sub-Population of Breast Cancer Stem Cells

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 87 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin J. Hershey ◽  
Roberta Vazzana ◽  
Débora L. Joppi ◽  
Kristina M. Havas
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Stem Cells ◽  
Stem Cell ◽  
Lipid Metabolism ◽  
Cancer Stem Cells ◽  
Cancer Stem Cell ◽  
Cell Lines ◽  
Lipid Droplet ◽  
Lipid Droplets ◽  
Breast Cancer Stem Cells

Tumor recurrence is now the leading cause of breast cancer-related death. These recurrences are believed to arise from residual cancer stem cells that survive initial therapeutic intervention. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of cancer stem cell biology is needed to generate more effective therapies. Here we investigate the association between dysregulation of lipid metabolism and breast cancer stem cells. Focusing specifically on lipid droplets, we found that the lipid droplet number correlates with stemness in a panel of breast cell lines. Using a flow cytometry-based method developed for this study, we establish a means to isolate cells with augmented lipid droplet loads from total populations and show that they are enriched in cancer stem cells. Furthermore, pharmacological targeting of fatty acid metabolism reveals a metabolic addiction in a subset of cell lines. Our results highlight a key role for the lipid metabolism in the maintenance of the breast cancer stem cell pool, and as such, suggest it as a potential therapeutic target.

scholarly journals The Role of Breast Cancer Stem Cells in Chemoresistance and Metastasis in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (24) ◽  
pp. 6209
Author(s):  
Lin He ◽  
Neda Wick ◽  
Sharon Koorse Germans ◽  
Yan Peng
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Stem Cells ◽  
Stem Cell ◽  
Cancer Stem Cells ◽  
Cancer Stem Cell ◽  
Triple Negative Breast Cancer ◽  
Targeted Therapies ◽  
Triple Negative ◽  
Breast Cancer Stem Cells

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) remains an aggressive disease due to the lack of targeted therapies and relatively low rate of response to chemotherapy, which is currently the main treatment modality for TNBC. Breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs) are a small subpopulation of breast tumors and recognized as drivers of tumorigenesis. TNBC tumors are characterized as being enriched for BCSCs. Studies have demonstrated the role of BCSCs as the source of metastatic disease and chemoresistance in TNBC. Multiple targets against BCSCs are now under investigation, with the considerations of either selectively targeting BCSCs or co-targeting BCSCs and non-BCSCs (majority of tumor cells). This review article provides a comprehensive overview of recent advances in the role of BCSCs in TNBC and the identification of cancer stem cell biomarkers, paving the way for the development of new targeted therapies. The review also highlights the resultant discovery of cancer stem cell targets in TNBC and offers summaries of ongoing clinical trials treating chemoresistant breast cancer. We aim to better understand the mutational landscape of BCSCs and explore potential molecular signaling pathways targeting BCSCs to overcome chemoresistance and prevent metastasis in TNBC, ultimately to improve the overall survival of patients with this devastating disease.

scholarly journals Notch1 regulates breast cancer stem cell function via a non-canonical cleavage-independent pathway

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lufei Sui ◽  
Suming Wang ◽  
Roberto K. Rodriguez ◽  
Danielle Sim ◽  
Nandita Bhattacharya ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Stem Cells ◽  
Stem Cell ◽  
Cancer Stem Cells ◽  
Cancer Stem Cell ◽  
Notch Signaling ◽  
Triple Negative ◽  
Cell Function ◽  
Breast Cancer Stem Cells ◽  
Tumor Initiation

AbstractCurrent treatment of triple negative breast cancer patients is hindered by a high incidence of chemoresistance (30-50%). The prevailing theory is that resistance and subsequent recurrence is driven by cancer stem cells. Unfortunately, the functional characterization of cancer stem cells at the molecular level is still incomplete. We show here, that within the canonical breast cancer stem cell population, a subset of cells characterized by high Notch1 expression possesses the tumor-initiating property associated with cancer stem cells. Moreover, the tumor initiating property of these high Notch1-expressing breast cancer stem cells is mediated by a cleavage independent Notch signaling pathway culminating in the repression of SIRT1. Of note, the Notch1-mediated repression of SIRT1 is required not only for tumor initiation, but also for chemoresistance in breast cancer stem cells. Strikingly, inhibition of SIRT1 obviates the requirement for Notch1, marking the first example of conferring cancer stem cell function by inhibiting the activity of a single protein. We also demonstrate that progenitor-like mammary epithelial cells, which possess both luminal and basal properties, are also characterized by high Notch1 expression and repression of SIRT1 via the non-canonical pathway. These findings provide the first functional mechanistic requirements for tumor initiation by breast cancer stem cells and suggest that activation of the non-canonical Notch1 pathway is hardwired into tumor-initiating progenitor cells and thus a prerequisite for tumor initiation.Statement of SignificanceWe demonstrate that chemoresistant and tumor-initiating properties of breast cancer stem cells are driven by repression of SIRT1 via non-canonical Notch signaling, suggesting a novel therapeutic strategy for triple negative breast cancer.

scholarly journals The Role of Serotonin in Breast Cancer Stem Cells

Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (11) ◽  
pp. 3171
Author(s):  
William D. Gwynne ◽  
Mirza S. Shakeel ◽  
Adele Girgis-Gabardo ◽  
John A. Hassell
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Stem Cells ◽  
Stem Cell ◽  
Cancer Stem Cells ◽  
Cancer Stem Cell ◽  
Tumor Cell ◽  
Breast Tumors ◽  
Breast Cancer Stem Cells ◽  
Selective Antagonists

Breast tumors were the first tumors of epithelial origin shown to follow the cancer stem cell model. The model proposes that cancer stem cells are uniquely endowed with tumorigenic capacity and that their aberrant differentiation yields non-tumorigenic progeny, which constitute the bulk of the tumor cell population. Breast cancer stem cells resist therapies and seed metastases; thus, they account for breast cancer recurrence. Hence, targeting these cells is essential to achieve durable breast cancer remissions. We identified compounds including selective antagonists of multiple serotonergic system pathway components required for serotonin biosynthesis, transport, activity via multiple 5-HT receptors (5-HTRs), and catabolism that reduce the viability of breast cancer stem cells of both mouse and human origin using multiple orthologous assays. The molecular targets of the selective antagonists are expressed in breast tumors and breast cancer cell lines, which also produce serotonin, implying that it plays a required functional role in these cells. The selective antagonists act synergistically with chemotherapy to shrink mouse mammary tumors and human breast tumor xenografts primarily by inducing programmed tumor cell death. We hypothesize those serotonergic proteins of diverse activity function by common signaling pathways to maintain cancer stem cell viability. Here, we summarize our recent findings and the relevant literature regarding the role of serotonin in breast cancer.

scholarly journals The inhibition of circular RNA circNOLC1 by propofol/STAT3 attenuates breast cancer stem cells function via miR-365a-3p/STAT3 signaling

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi-Ping Liu ◽  
Jin-Yu Heng ◽  
Xin-Yu Zhao ◽  
En-You Li
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Stem Cells ◽  
Stem Cell ◽  
Cancer Stem Cells ◽  
Cancer Stem Cell ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Breast Cancer Cells ◽  
Circular Rna ◽  
Coiled Body ◽  
Cell Functions

Abstract Background Breast cancer remains one of the most dreadful female malignancies globally, in which cancer stem cells (CSCs) play crucial functions. Circular RNAs have drawn great attention in cancer research area and propofol is a widely applied intravenous anesthetic agent. Methods: In the current study, we explored the function of circular RNA nucleolar and coiled-body phosphoprotein 1 (circNOLC1) in CSCs of breast cancer and the inhibitory impact of propofol on circNOLC1. Results The expression of circNOLC1 was induced in breast cancer tissues compared with the non-tumor tissues. The silencing of circNOLC1 was able to repress the viability of breast cancer cells. Meanwhile, the numbers of colony formation were suppressed by circNOLC1 knockdown in breast cancer cells. The inhibition of circNOLC1 reduced the invasion and migration ability of breast cancer cells. The mRNA and protein levels of E-cadherin were enhanced but Vimentin levels were reduced by the silencing of circNOLC1. The repression of circNOLC1 decreased the side population (SP) ratio in breast cancer cells. Meanwhile, the sphere formation ability of breast cancer cells was attenuated by the silencing of circNOLC1. The levels of ATP-binding cassette (ABC) superfamily G member 2 (ABCG2), c-Myc, B cell-specific Moloney murine leukemia virus integration site 1 (Bmi1), and SRY-box transcription factor 2 (Sox2) were repressed by the depletion of circNOLC1 in the cells. Regarding to the mechanism, circNOLC1 functioned as a competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) for microRNA-365a-3p (miR-365a-3p) and the inhibition of miR-365a-3p rescued circNOLC1 depletion-repressed proliferation and cancer stem cell activity of breast cancer. MiR-365a-3p targeted signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) in breast cancer cells and circNOLC1 enhanced STAT3 expression by sponging miR-365a-3p. The overexpression of STAT3 could reverse miR-365a-3p or circNOLC1 depletion-inhibited proliferation and cancer stem cell properties of breast cancer. Interestingly, the expression of circNOLC1 and STAT3 was repressed by the treatment of propofol. The enrichment of STAT3 on circNOLC1 promoter was inhibited by propofol. The expression of circNOLC1 was suppressed by the silencing of STAT3 in the cells. The inhibition of circNOLC1 expression by propofol was rescued under the co-treatment of STAT3 overexpression. The overexpression of circNOLC1 rescued propofol-attenuated proliferation and cancer stem cell functions in vitro and in vivo. Conclusions Thus, we concluded that circNOLC1 contributes to CSCs properties and progression of breast cancer by targeting miR-365a-3p /STAT3 axis and propofol inhibited circNOLC1 by repressing STAT3 in a feedback mechanism.

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