Striking efficacy of a vaccine targeting TOP2A for triple-negative breast cancer immunoprevention.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive subtype of breast cancer that has a poor prognosis. TOP2A is a key enzyme in DNA replication and is a therapeutic target for breast and other cancers. TOP2A-specific Th1-promoting epitopes with optimal binding affinity to MHC II were identified using a combined scoring system.

A Phase II Single Arm Pilot Study of the CHK1 Inhibitor Prexasertib (LY2606368) in BRCA Wild-Type, Advanced Triple-Negative Breast Cancer.

Lessons Learned: Monotherapy with prexasertib demonstrated modest activity in BRCA wild-type, recurrent triple-negative breast cancer, highlighting the unmet need for combination treatment strategies. Neutropenia, anemia, and thrombocytopenia are common with the use of prexasertib but are manageable with supportive care measures. Prophylactic use of granulocyte colony stimulating factor should be considered to avoid dose reductions or treatment delays.

Loss of function Cbl-c mutations in solid tumors.

Receptor Tyrosine Kinase (RTK) signaling is essential for normal biological processes and disruption of this regulation can lead to tumor initiation and progression. Cbl proteins (Cbl, Cbl-b and Cbl-c) are a family of RING finger (RF) ubiquitin ligases that negatively regulate a variety of RTKs, including EGFR, MET, and RET. Recent studies have identified Cbl mutations associated with human myeloid neoplasias in approximately 5% of the cases.

Muscadine grape skin extract inhibits prostate cancer cells by inducing cell-cycle arrest, and decreasing migration through heat shock protein 40.

Previously we demonstrated that muscadine grape skin extract (MSKE), a natural product, significantly inhibited androgen-responsive prostate cancer cell growth by inducing apoptosis through the targeting of survival pathways. However, the therapeutic effect of MSKE on more aggressive androgen-independent prostate cancer remains unknown. This study examined the effects of MSKE treatment in metastatic prostate cancer using complementary PC-3 cells and xenograft model.

Autophagy promotes the survival of dormant breast cancer cells and metastatic tumour recurrence.

Cancer recurrence after initial diagnosis and treatment is a major cause of breast cancer (BC) mortality, which results from the metastatic outbreak of dormant tumour cells. Alterations in the tumour microenvironment can trigger signalling pathways in dormant cells leading to their proliferation. However, processes involved in the initial and the long-term survival of disseminated dormant BC cells remain largely unknown.

Ultraviolet Radiation Inhibits Mammary Carcinogenesis in an ER-Negative Murine Model by a Mechanism Independent of Vitamin D.

Three decades ago, the Garlands postulated that vitamin D produced in the skin by ultraviolet radiation (UVR)-induced conversion of 7-dehydrocholesterol to pre-D has anticancer effects, thus triggering more than 9,500 publications on D and cancer. Here, we report that UVR treatment of transgenic mice of the well-established C3(1)/SV40 Tag mammary cancer model significantly inhibits both autochthonous carcinogenesis and allograft tumor growth, but in contrast neither dietary nor topical D influences mammary carcinogenesis in this specific mouse model. Furthermore, UVR's inhibitory effects occur irrespective of whether or not the treatment increases circulating D in the mice.

Immunocompetent mouse allograft models for development of therapies to target breast cancer metastasis.

Effective drug development to combat metastatic disease in breast cancer would be aided by the availability of well-characterized preclinical animal models that (a) metastasize with high efficiency, (b) metastasize in a reasonable time-frame, (c) have an intact immune system, and (d) capture some of the heterogeneity of the human disease. To address these issues, we have assembled a panel of twelve mouse mammary cancer cell lines that can metastasize efficiently on implantation into syngeneic immunocompetent hosts. Genomic characterization shows that more than half of the 30 most commonly mutated genes in human breast cancer are represented within the panel.

'Normalizing' the malignant phenotype of luminal breast cancer cells via alpha(v)beta(3)-integrin.

Reestablishing tissue organization of breast cancer cells into acini was previously shown to override their malignant phenotype. In our study, we demonstrate that alpha(v)beta(3) integrin (Int-αvβ3), previously shown to play a role in cancer progression, promoted differentiation and growth arrest of organoids derived from luminal A breast cancer cells grown in their relevant three-dimensional microenvironment. These organoids differentiated into normal-like acini resembling a benign stage of breast tissue.

Cross-validation of survival associated biomarkers in gastric cancer using transcriptomic data of 1,065 patients.

Introduction: Multiple gene expression based prognostic biomarkers have been repeatedly identified in gastric carcinoma. However, without confirmation in an independent validation study, their clinical utility is limited. Our goal was to establish a robust database enabling the swift validation of previous and future gastric cancer survival biomarker candidates.

Birinapant (TL32711) Improves Responses to GEM/AZD7762 Combination Therapy in Triple-negative Breast Cancer Cell Lines.

Background: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive form of breast cancer currently lacking targeted therapies. Our previous work demonstrated a therapeutic synergism with gemcitabine (GEM) and the CHK1 inhibitor (AZD7762) combination treatment in a TNBC cell line. We hypothesized that the response to this combination therapy would differ among heterogeneous TNBC patients and that addition of a SMAC mimetic (TL32711) could improve efficacy.

Development and Preclinical Application of an Immunocompetent Transplant Model of Basal Breast Cancer with Lung, Liver and Brain Metastases.

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive subtype of breast cancer that is associated with a poor prognosis and for which no targeted therapies currently exist. In order to improve preclinical testing for TNBC that relies primarily on using human xenografts in immunodeficient mice, we have developed a novel immunocompetent syngeneic murine tumor transplant model for basal-like triple-negative breast cancer. The C3(1)/SV40-T/t-antigen (C3(1)/Tag) mouse mammary tumor model in the FVB/N background shares important similarities with human basal-like TNBC.

The epigenetic modifier JMJD6 is amplified in mammary tumors and cooperates with c-Myc to enhance cellular transformation, tumor progression, and metastasis.

Background: Oncogene overexpression in primary cells often triggers the induction of a cellular safeguard response promoting senescence or apoptosis. Secondary cooperating genetic events are generally required for oncogene-induced tumorigenesis to overcome these biologic obstacles. We employed comparative genomic hybridization for eight genetically engineered mouse models of mammary cancer to identify loci that might harbor genes that enhance oncogene-induced tumorigenesis.

Lack of effect of metformin on mammary carcinogenesis in nondiabetic rat and mouse models.

Epidemiologic studies have shown that diabetics receiving the biguanide metformin, as compared with sulfonylureas or insulin, have a lower incidence of breast cancer. Metformin increases levels of activated AMPK (AMP-activated protein kinase) and decreases circulating IGF-1; encouraging its potential use in both cancer prevention and therapeutic settings. In anticipation of clinical trials in nondiabetic women, the efficacy of metformin in nondiabetic rat and mouse mammary cancer models was evaluated.

Establishment and characterization of metastatic gastric cancer cell lines from murine gastric adenocarcinoma lacking Smad4, p53, and E-cadherin.

There is a strong need for murine gastric cancer cell line models recapitulating human gastric cancers. Here, we describe two murine gastric cancer cell lines designated as NCC-S1 and NCC-S3. They were generated from gastric adenocarcinomas that formed in a Villin-cre, Smad4(F/F) , Trp53(F/F) , Cdh1(F/wt) mouse and a Pdx1-cre, Trp53(F/F) , Cdh1(F/F) mouse, respectively.

MicroRNA signature for HER2-positive breast and gastric cancer.

Background/aim: The molecular mechanism for aggressive clinical behaviour related to v-erb-b2 avian erythroblastic leukemia viral oncogene homolog 2 (ERBB2) amplification is not fully-understood. In particular, little is known about microRNAs in the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) signaling network.

Patients And Methods: Using microRNA microarray, the microRNA profiles of 16 HER2-positive breast carcinomas were compared with those of five luminal-type breast carcinomas.

Cooperativity of E-cadherin and Smad4 loss to promote diffuse-type gastric adenocarcinoma and metastasis.

Unlabelled: Loss of E-cadherin (CDH1), Smad4, and p53 has been shown to play an integral role in gastric, intestinal, and breast cancer formation. Compound conditional knockout mice for Smad4, p53, and E-cadherin were generated to define and compare the roles of these genes in gastric, intestinal, and breast cancer development by crossing with Pdx-1-Cre, Villin-Cre, and MMTV-Cre transgenic mice. Interestingly, gastric adenocarcinoma was significantly more frequent in Pdx-1-Cre;Smad4(F/F);Trp53(F/F);Cdh1(F) (/+) mice than in Pdx-1-Cre;Smad4(F/F);Trp53(F/F);Cdh1(+/+) mice, demonstrating that Cdh1 heterozygosity accelerates the development and progression of gastric adenocarcinoma, in combination with loss of Smad4 and p53.

Predictive biomarker candidates for the response of gastric cancer to targeted and cytotoxic agents.

Gastric cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death worldwide. Recent development of targeted agents provides clinicians with additional systemic treatment options to conventional cytotoxic agents. Predictive markers are undoubtedly important for guiding the appropriate use of targeted and cytotoxic agents.

Combined SFK/MEK inhibition prevents metastatic outgrowth of dormant tumor cells.

Breast cancer (BC) can recur as metastatic disease many years after primary tumor removal, suggesting that disseminated tumor cells survive for extended periods in a dormant state that is refractory to conventional therapies. We have previously shown that altering the tumor microenvironment through fibrosis with collagen and fibronectin deposition can trigger tumor cells to switch from a dormant to a proliferative state. Here, we used an in vivo preclinical model and a 3D in vitro model of dormancy to evaluate the role of Src family kinase (SFK) in regulating this dormant-to-proliferative switch.

LOXL2 expression is associated with invasiveness and negatively influences survival in breast cancer patients.

Lysyl oxidase-like 2 (LOXL2) is associated with invasiveness and metastasis in breast cancer. We analyzed the prognostic impact of LOXL2 for breast cancer patients and investigated the role of LOXL2 in breast cancer cell lines. Immunohistochemical study of LOXL2 expression was done in samples from 309 patients.

Expression of GATA3 in MDA-MB-231 triple-negative breast cancer cells induces a growth inhibitory response to TGFß.

Transforming growth factor (ß1TGFß1) can promote proliferation in late stage cancers but acts as a tumor suppressor in normal epithelial cells and in early stage cancers. Although, the TGFß pathway has been shown to play a key role in tumorigenesis and metastasis, only a limited number of models have been developed to understand this process. Here, we present a novel model system to discern this paradoxical role of TGFß1 using the MDA-MB-231 (MB-231) cell line.

Histone lysine demethylases in breast cancer.

Histone lysine demethylases (KDMs) have been recently discovered in mammals and have been nicknamed "erasers" for their ability to remove methyl groups from histone substrates. In cancer cells, KDMs can activate or repress gene transcription, behaving as oncogenes or tumor suppressors depending upon the cellular context. In order to investigate the potential role of KDMs in Breast Cancer (BC), we queried the Oncomine database and determined that the expression of KDMs correlates with BC prognosis.

S-nitrosylation of EGFR and Src activates an oncogenic signaling network in human basal-like breast cancer.

Increased inducible nitric oxide synthase (NOS2) expression in breast tumors is associated with decreased survival of estrogen receptor negative (ER-) breast cancer patients. We recently communicated the preliminary observation that nitric oxide (NO) signaling results in epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine phosphorylation. To further define the role of NO in the pathogenesis of ER- breast cancer, we examined the mechanism of NO-induced EGFR activation in human ER- breast cancer.

Cross-species genomic and functional analyses identify a combination therapy using a CHK1 inhibitor and a ribonucleotide reductase inhibitor to treat triple-negative breast cancer.

Introduction: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive subtype of breast cancer that is diagnosed in approximately 15% of all human breast cancer (BrCa) patients. Currently, no targeted therapies exist for this subtype of BrCa and prognosis remains poor. Our laboratory has previously identified a proliferation/DNA repair/cell cycle gene signature (Tag signature) that is characteristic of human TNBC.

Structure-function analysis of human TYW2 enzyme required for the biosynthesis of a highly modified Wybutosine (yW) base in phenylalanine-tRNA.

Posttranscriptional modifications are critical for structure and function of tRNAs. Wybutosine (yW) and its derivatives are hyper-modified guanosines found at the position 37 of eukaryotic and archaeal tRNA(Phe). TYW2 is an enzyme that catalyzes α-amino-α-carboxypropyl transfer activity at the third step of yW biogenesis.

Selenoproteins reduce susceptibility to DMBA-induced mammary carcinogenesis.

Selenium is an essential micronutrient in the diet of humans and other mammals. Based largely on animal studies and epidemiological evidence, selenium is purported to be a promising cancer chemopreventive agent. However, the biological mechanisms by which chemopreventive activity takes place are poorly understood.