Purpose: The epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is the main event that favors cell migration and metastasis in breast cancer. Previously, we demonstrated that 1 nM estradiol (E) promotes EMT, induced by c-Src kinase, causing changes in the localization of proteins that compose the tight junction (TJ) and adherens junction (AJ).
Methods: The present work highlights the central role of c-Src in the initiation of metastasis, induced by E, through increasing the ability of MCF-7 and T47-D cells, which express estrogen receptor alpha (ERα), to migrate and invade before they become metastatic.
Estrogens have been implicated in the etiology of breast cancer for a long time. It has been stated that long-term exposure to estrogens is associated with a higher incidence of breast cancer, since estradiol (E) stimulates breast cell growth; however, its effect on DNA damage/repair is only starting to be investigated. Recent studies have documented that estrogens are able to modify the DNA damage response (DDR) and DNA repair mechanisms.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn the present study, we investigated the effects of 17β-estradiol (E) on membrane roughness and gold nanoparticle (AuNP) uptake in MCF-7 breast cancer cells. Estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer cells (MCF-7) were exposed to bare 20 nm AuNPs in the presence and absence of 1×10 M E for different time intervals for up to 24 hrs. The effects of AuNP incorporation and E incubation on the MCF-7 cell surface roughness were measured using atomic force microscopy (AFM).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBiosensor technology has great potential for the detection of cancer through tumor-associated molecular biomarkers. In this work, we describe the immobilization of the recombinant humanized anti-HER2 monoclonal antibody (trastuzumab) on a silver nanostructured plate made by pulsed laser deposition (PLD), over a thin film of Au(111). Immobilization was performed via 4-mercapto benzoic acid self-assembled monolayers (4-MBA SAMs) that were activated with coupling reagents.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHorm Cancer
June 2014
Tumor cells utilize inappropriate epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) mechanisms during the invasive process. It is becoming increasingly clear that estradiol (E2) induces breast cancer cell progression and enhances EMT; however, the mechanisms associated with this are unclear. We investigated the role of E2 on the expression and intracellular localization of the tight junction (TJ)-associated proteins, zonula occluden 1 (ZO-1), ZO-1-associated nucleic acid binding (ZONAB), and occludin, on the activation of c-Src and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) expression and cellular migration in the estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer cell lines, MCF-7 and T47D.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF