Novel C-terminal heat shock protein 90 inhibitors target breast cancer stem cells and block migration, self-renewal, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition.

In patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), evidence suggests that tumor-initiating cells (TIC) have stem cell-like properties, leading to invasion and metastasis. HSP90 plays a critical role in the conformational maintenance of many client proteins in TIC development. Therefore, we hypothesize that the novel C-terminal HSP90 inhibitors KU711 and KU758 can target TIC and represent a promising strategy for overcoming metastasis.

Synthetic high-density lipoprotein nanoconjugate targets neuroblastoma stem cells, blocking migration and self-renewal.

Background: Pathways critical for neuroblastoma cancer stem cell function are targeted by 4,19,27-triacetyl withalongolide A (WGA-TA). Because neuroblastoma cells and their cancer stem cells highly overexpress the scavenger receptor class B type 1 receptor that binds to synthetic high-density lipoprotein, we hypothesized that a novel mimetic synthetic high-density lipoprotein nanoparticle would be an ideal carrier for the delivery of 4,19,27-triacetyl withalongolide to neuroblastoma and neuroblastoma cancer stem cells.

Methods: Expression of scavenger receptor class B type 1 in validated human neuroblastoma cells was evaluated by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and Western blot.