Cold Atmospheric Plasma Attenuates Breast Cancer Cell Growth Through Regulation of Cell Microenvironment Effectors.

Breast cancer exists in multiple subtypes some of which still lack a targeted and effective therapy. Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) has been proposed as an emerging anti-cancer treatment modality. In this study, we investigated the effects of direct and indirect CAP treatment driven by the advantageous nanosecond pulsed discharge on breast cancer cells of different malignant phenotypes and estrogen receptor (ER) status, a major factor in the prognosis and therapeutic management of breast cancer.

Salicylate suppresses the oncogenic hyaluronan network in metastatic breast cancer cells.

The oncogenic role of hyaluronan in several aspects of tumor biology has been well established. Recent studies by us and others suggest that inhibition of hyaluronan synthesis could represent an emerging therapeutic approach with significant clinical relevance in controlling different breast cancer subtypes, including triple-negative breast cancer. Epidemiological and preclinical studies have revealed the therapeutic potential of aspirin (acetyl salicylate), a classical anti-inflammatory drug, in patients with cancer.

Hyaluronan-CD44 axis orchestrates cancer stem cell functions.

The prominent role of CD44 in tumor cell signaling together with its establishment as a cancer stem cell (CSC) marker for various tumor entities imply a key role for CD44 in CSC functional properties. Hyaluronan, the main ligand of CD44, is a major constituent of CSC niche and, therefore, the hyaluronan-CD44 signaling axis is of functional importance in this special microenvironment. This review aims to provide recent advances in the importance of hyaluronan-CD44 interactions in the acquisition and maintenance of a CSC phenotype.

Tumor-suppressive functions of 4-MU on breast cancer cells of different ER status: Regulation of hyaluronan/HAS2/CD44 and specific matrix effectors.

The malignant phenotype of various cancers is linked to enhanced expression of hyaluronan, a pro-angiogenic glycosaminoglycan whose expression is suppressed by 4-methylumbelliferone (4-MU), a non-toxic oral agent used as a dietary supplement to improve health and combat prostate cancer. In this study, we investigated the role of 4-MU in mammary carcinoma cells with distinct malignant phenotypes and estrogen receptor (ER) status, a major prognostic factor in the clinical management of breast cancers. We focused on two breast cancer cell lines, the low metastatic and ERα+ MCF-7 cells, and the highly-aggressive and ERα- MDA-MB-231 cells.