Therapeutic targeting of integrin αvβ6 in breast cancer.

Background: Integrin αvβ6 promotes migration, invasion, and survival of cancer cells; however, the relevance and role of αvβ6 has yet to be elucidated in breast cancer.

Methods: Protein expression of integrin subunit beta6 (β6) was measured in breast cancers by immunohistochemistry (n > 2000) and ITGB6 mRNA expression measured in the Molecular Taxonomy of Breast Cancer International Consortium dataset. Overall survival was assessed using Kaplan Meier curves, and bioinformatics statistical analyses were performed (Cox proportional hazards model, Wald test, and Chi-square test of association).

Novel multicellular organotypic models of normal and malignant breast: tools for dissecting the role of the microenvironment in breast cancer progression.

Introduction: There is increasing recognition of the role of the microenvironment in the control of both normal and tumour cell behaviour. In the breast, myoepithelial cells and fibroblasts can influence tumour cell behaviour, with myoepithelial cells exhibiting a broad tumour-suppressor activity while fibroblasts frequently promote tumour growth and invasion. This study describes the development of physiologically relevant three-dimensional heterotypic culture systems containing mixed normal or tumour-derived breast populations and shows how such models can be used to dissect the interactions that influence cell behaviour.