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Tamoxifen Resistance (tamoxifen + resistance)

Distribution by Scientific Domains
Medical Sciences85%

Selected Abstracts

Tamoxifen resistance in MCF7 cells promotes EMT-like behaviour and involves modulation of ,-catenin phosphorylation

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CANCER, Issue 2 2006
Stephen Hiscox
Abstract We have previously demonstrated that, following acquisition of endocrine resistance, breast cancer cells display an altered growth rate together with increased aggressive behaviour in vitro. Since dysfunctional cell,cell adhesive interactions can promote an aggressive phenotype, we investigated the integrity of this protein complex in our breast cancer model of tamoxifen resistance. In culture, tamoxifen-resistant MCF7 (TamR) cells grew as loosely packed colonies with loss of cell,cell junctions and demonstrated altered morphology characteristic of cells undergoing epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Neutralising E-cadherin function promoted the invasion and inhibited the aggregation of endocrine-sensitive MCF7 cells, whilst having little effect on the behaviour of TamR cells. Additionally, TamR cells had increased levels of tyrosine-phosphorylated ,-catenin, whilst serine/threonine-phosphorylated ,-catenin was decreased. These cells also displayed loss of association between ,-catenin and E-cadherin, increased cytoplasmic and nuclear ,-catenin and elevated transcription of ,-catenin target genes known to be involved in tumour progression and EMT. Inhibition of EGFR kinase activity in TamR cells reduced ,-catenin tyrosine phosphorylation, increased ,-catenin,E-cadherin association and promoted cell,cell adhesion. In such treated cells, the association of ,-catenin with Lef-1 and the transcription of c-myc, cyclin-D1, CD44 and COX-2 were also reduced. These results suggest that homotypic adhesion in tamoxifen-resistant breast cancer cells is dysfunctional due to EGFR-driven modulation of the phosphorylation status of ,-catenin and may contribute to an enhanced aggressive phenotype and transition towards a mesenchymal phenotype in vitro. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]

Downregulation of erbB3 abrogates erbB2-mediated tamoxifen resistance in breast cancer cells

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CANCER, Issue 9 2007
Bolin Liu
Abstract Receptor tyrosine kinase activity is essential for erbB2 (HER2/neu) promotion of breast carcinogenesis, metastasis and therapeutic resistance. erbB2 kinase can be activated by dimerization with another erbB receptor, most of which bind ligands. Of these, the erbB2/erbB3 heterodimer is the most potent oncogenic complex. erbB2 reportedly requires erbB3 to promote cellular proliferation, although this may occur without changes in erbB2 tyrosine kinase activity in some model systems. Our investigations focus on the role(s) of erbB3 in erbB2-associated kinase activity and tamoxifen resistance. Using tumor-derived cell lines from wild type rat c- neu transgenic mice and human breast cancers, we demonstrate that erbB3 plays a critical role in the activation of erbB2 tyrosine kinase activity and erbB2-associated tumorigenesis. Mechanistically, downregulation of erbB3 by specific siRNA reduces erbB2 tyrosine phosphorylation, decreases the PI-3K/Akt signaling, and inhibits mammary/breast cancer cell proliferation and colony formation. Specific erbB3 siRNA sensitizes erbB2 transfected MCF-7 cells (MCF-7/erbB2) to tamoxifen-associated inhibition of both cell growth and colony formation and enhances tamoxifen-induced apoptosis, in contrast to control siRNA transfected MCF-7/erbB2 cells which are tamoxifen-resistant. Our data indicates that erbB2/erbB3 heterodimerization is a prerequisite for erbB2 tyrosine kinase activation in mammary/breast cancer cells and that downregulation of erbB3 inhibits erbB2-associated procarcinogenic activity via inactivation of the PI-3K/Akt pathway. Furthermore, erbB3 also contributes to erbB2-mediated tamoxifen resistance and therefore may be a clinically relevant therapeutic target in addition to erbB2. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]

Tamoxifen resistance in MCF7 cells promotes EMT-like behaviour and involves modulation of ,-catenin phosphorylation

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CANCER, Issue 2 2006
Stephen Hiscox
Abstract We have previously demonstrated that, following acquisition of endocrine resistance, breast cancer cells display an altered growth rate together with increased aggressive behaviour in vitro. Since dysfunctional cell,cell adhesive interactions can promote an aggressive phenotype, we investigated the integrity of this protein complex in our breast cancer model of tamoxifen resistance. In culture, tamoxifen-resistant MCF7 (TamR) cells grew as loosely packed colonies with loss of cell,cell junctions and demonstrated altered morphology characteristic of cells undergoing epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Neutralising E-cadherin function promoted the invasion and inhibited the aggregation of endocrine-sensitive MCF7 cells, whilst having little effect on the behaviour of TamR cells. Additionally, TamR cells had increased levels of tyrosine-phosphorylated ,-catenin, whilst serine/threonine-phosphorylated ,-catenin was decreased. These cells also displayed loss of association between ,-catenin and E-cadherin, increased cytoplasmic and nuclear ,-catenin and elevated transcription of ,-catenin target genes known to be involved in tumour progression and EMT. Inhibition of EGFR kinase activity in TamR cells reduced ,-catenin tyrosine phosphorylation, increased ,-catenin,E-cadherin association and promoted cell,cell adhesion. In such treated cells, the association of ,-catenin with Lef-1 and the transcription of c-myc, cyclin-D1, CD44 and COX-2 were also reduced. These results suggest that homotypic adhesion in tamoxifen-resistant breast cancer cells is dysfunctional due to EGFR-driven modulation of the phosphorylation status of ,-catenin and may contribute to an enhanced aggressive phenotype and transition towards a mesenchymal phenotype in vitro. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]

Electromagnetic fields alter the expression of estrogen receptor cofactors in breast cancer cells

BIOELECTROMAGNETICS, Issue 3 2008
Rainer Girgert
Abstract Breast cancer is the most common malignancy of women in Western societies. The increasing exposure to electromagnetic fields has been suspected to contribute to the rising incidence of breast cancer in industrialized countries. The majority of breast tumors is treated with the partial antiestrogen tamoxifen. Most tumors become resistant to tamoxifen in the course of treatment resulting in treatment failure. Electromagnetic fields reduce the efficacy of tamoxifen similar to tamoxifen resistance. In this study we investigated the mechanism by which electromagnetic fields influence the sensitivity to tamoxifen. In cells exposed to 1.2 µT of a 50 Hz electromagnetic field gene expression of cofactors of the estrogen receptors was compared to sham exposed cells. Using a gene array technology several cofactors were found to be differentially expressed. The expression of the coactivators, SRC-1 and AIB1, and of two corepressors, N-Cor and SMRT, was quantified by RT-PCR. Both coactivators were expressed more strongly in the exposed cells while the expression of two corepressors decreased. The RNA analysis was confirmed by Western blots. The contradirectional changes in gene expression of coactivators and corepressors by electromagnetic fields results in a lower sensitivity to tamoxifen. Electromagnetic fields may contribute to the induction of tamoxifen resistance in vivo. Bioelectromagnetics 29:169,176, 2008. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]

Serum HER-2/neu conversion to positive at the time of disease progression in patients with breast carcinoma on hormone therapy

CANCER, Issue 2 2005
Allan Lipton M.D.
Abstract BACKGROUND Prolonged exposure of breast carcinoma cells in vitro to tamoxifen results in tamoxifen resistance. Tamoxifen-resistant cells express increased HER-2/neu mRNA and protein. The objective of this study was to determine whether patients with metastatic or locally advanced breast carcinoma who have negative serum HER-2/neu status at the initiation of first-line hormone therapy with letrozole or tamoxifen convert to positive serum HER-2/neu status at the time of disease progression and to determine whether serum HER-2/neu conversion to positive status is associated with response to therapy and overall survival. METHODS Serum samples were obtained at baseline and at the time of disease progression from 240 patients who initially had negative serum HER-2/neu status (< 15 ng/mL). A manual microtiter, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay that was specific for the extracellular domain of the HER-2/neu (c- erbB-2) oncoprotein product was used to quantitate serum levels. RESULTS Among 240 patients, 61 patients (26%) converted from serum HER-2/neu negative to positive (> 15 ng/mL) at the time of disease progression. Thirty-two of 129 patients (25%) who were treated with tamoxifen and 29 of 111 patients (26%) who were treated with letrozole became converted to positive serum HER-2/neu status at the time of disease progression. The response rate and the time to disease progression on first-line hormone therapy were not affected by serum HER-2/neu conversion. The survival of patients who converted to positive serum HER-2/neu status was significantly shorter compared with the survival of patients who remained negative for serum HER-2/neu. A multivariate analysis revealed that conversion to positive serum HER-2/neu status was an independent prognostic variable for survival. CONCLUSIONS Conversion to positive serum HER-2/neu status occurred in approximately 25% of patients who received first-line hormone therapy. Conversion to serum HER-2/neu -positive status occurred with equal frequency in antiestrogen and aromatase-inhibitor therapy. The current results showed that serum conversion to HER-2/neu -positive status was an independent risk factor for decreased survival in patients with breast carcinoma. Cancer 2005. © 2005 American Cancer Society. [source]