The special AT-rich sequence-binding protein 2 (SATB2), a nuclear matrix-associated transcription factor and epigenetic regulator, was identified as a tissue type-specific protein when screening protein expression patterns in human normal and cancer tissues using an antibody-based proteomics approach. In this respect, the SATB2 protein shows a selective pattern of expression and, within cells of epithelial lineages, SATB2 expression is restricted to glandular cells lining the lower gastrointestinal tract. The expression of SATB2 protein is primarily preserved in cancer cells of colorectal origin, indicating that SATB2 could function as a clinically useful diagnostic marker to distinguish colorectal cancer (CRC) from other types of cancer. The aim of this study was to further explore and validate the specific expression pattern of SATB2 as a clinical biomarker and to compare SATB2 with the well-known cytokeratin 20 (CK20). Immunohistochemistry was used to analyze the extent of SATB2 expression in tissue microarrays with tumors from 9 independent cohorts of patients with primary and metastatic CRCs (n=1882). Our results show that SATB2 is a sensitive and highly specific marker for CRC with distinct positivity in 85% of all CRCs, and that SATB2 and/or CK20 was positive in 97% of CRCs. In conclusion, the specific expression of SATB2 in a large majority of CRCs suggests that SATB2 can be used as an important complementary tool for the differential diagnosis of carcinoma of unknown primary origin.

The cell-cell adhesion protein junctional adhesion molecule-A (JAM-A) influences epithelial cell morphology and migration. As migration is required for tumor cell invasion and metastasis, we sought to elucidate the role of JAM-A in invasive breast cancer. A breast cancer tissue microarray was analyzed for JAM-A protein expression, in parallel with analysis of JAM-A gene expression data from a breast cancer clinical dataset. Our data demonstrate a novel association between JAM-A gene and protein upregulation and poor prognosis in breast cancer. To mechanistically dissect this process, we used lentiviral technology to stably knock down JAM-A gene expression by shRNA in MCF7 breast cancer cells, which express high-endogenous levels of JAM-A. We also antagonized JAM-A function in wild-type MCF7 cells using an inhibitory antibody that blocks JAM-A dimerization. Knockdown or functional antagonism of JAM-A decreased breast cancer cell migration in scratch-wound assays. Reductions in b1-integrin protein levels were observed after JAM-A-knockdown in MCF7 cells, suggesting a mechanism for reduced motility after loss of JAM-A. Consistent with this hypothesis, tissue microarray analysis of b1-integrin protein expression in invasive breast cancer tissues revealed a trend toward high b1-integrin protein levels being indicative of poor prognosis. Twenty-two percent of patients were observed to coexpress high levels of JAM-A and b1-integrin protein, and MDA-MB-231 breast cells stably overexpressing JAM-A showed an increase in b1-integrin protein expression. Our results are consistent with a previously unreported role for JAM-A overexpression as a possible mechanism contributing to progression in primary breast cancer; and a potential therapeutic target. ' 2009 UICC

miRNAs have emerged, in the last decade, as key players in the carcinogenic process, with many candidates identified as playing important roles in many aspects of tumor development, growth, metastasis, and drug resistance. More recently, polymorphisms in miRNAs themselves or in their binding sites in target genes have been identified to incur increased risk of breast cancer in certain populations. In addition, epigenetic regulation and differential expression of processing enzymes has been shown to contribute to the aberrant expression of miRNAs in breast cancer. This review focuses on the area of miRNA dysregulation in breast cancer through both genetic and epigenetic mechanisms, and the impact of this dysregulation on breast cancer risk and resistance to therapies. Cancer Res; 73(22); 6554-62. Ó2013 AACR.

BACKGROUND: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a treatment modality for a range of diseases including cancer. The BF 2 -chelated tetraaryl-azadipyrromethenes (ADPMs) are an emerging class of non-porphyrin PDT agent, which have previously shown excellent photochemical and photophysical properties for therapeutic application. Herein, in vivo efficacy and mechanism of action studies have been completed for the lead agent, ADMP06. METHODS: A multi-modality imaging approach was employed to assess efficacy of treatment, as well as probe the mechanism of action of ADPM06-mediated PDT. RESULTS: Tumour ablation in 71% of animals bearing mammary tumours was achieved after delivery of 2 mg kg À1 of ADPM06 followed immediately by light irradiation with 150 J cm À2 . The inherent fluorescence of ADPM06 was utilised to monitor organ biodistribution patterns, with fluorescence reaching baseline levels in all organs within 24 h. Mechanism of action studies were carried out using dynamic positron emission tomography and magnetic resonance imaging techniques, which, when taken together, indicated a decrease in tumour vascular perfusion and concomitant reduction in tumour metabolism over time after treatment. CONCLUSION: The encouraging treatment responses in vivo and vascular-targeting mechanism of action continue to indicate therapeutic benefit for this new class of photosensitiser.

Purpose: Here, we describe an integrated bioinformatics, functional analysis, and translational pathology approach to identify novel miRNAs involved in breast cancer progression.Experimental Design: Coinertia analysis (CIA) was used to combine a database of predicted miRNA target sites and gene expression data. Using two independent breast cancer cohorts, CIA was combined with correspondence analysis and between group analysis to produce a ranked list of miRNAs associated with disease progression. Ectopic expression studies were carried out in MCF7 cells and miRNA expression evaluated in two additional cohorts of patients with breast cancer by in situ hybridization on tissue microarrays.Results: CIA identified miR-187 as a key miRNA associated with poor outcome in breast cancer. Ectopic expression of miR-187 in breast cancer cells resulted in a more aggressive phenotype. In a test cohort (n ¼ 117), high expression of miR-187 was associated with a trend toward reduced breast cancer-specific survival (BCSS; P ¼ 0.058), and a significant association with reduced BCSS in lymph node-positive patients (P ¼ 0.036). In a validation cohort (n ¼ 470), high miR-187 was significantly associated with reduced BCSS in the entire cohort (P ¼ 0.021) and in lymph node-positive patients (P ¼ 0.012). Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that miR-187 is an independent prognostic factor in both cohorts [cohort 1: HR, 7.37; 95% confidence interval (CI), 2.05-26.51; P ¼ 0.002; cohort 2: HR, 2.80; 95% CI, 1.52-5.16; P ¼ 0.001] and in lymph node-positive patients in both cohorts (cohort 1: HR, 13.74; 95% CI, 2.62-72.03; P ¼ 0.002; cohort 2: HR, 2.77; 95% CI, 1.32-5.81; P ¼ 0.007).Conclusions: miR-187 expression in breast cancer leads to a more aggressive, invasive phenotype and acts as an independent predictor of outcome. Clin Cancer Res; 18(24); 6702-13. Ó2012 AACR.

Antimetabolite drugs, including the adenosine deaminase inhibitor cladribine, have been shown to induce apoptosis in a variety of cancer cells, and have been widely used in clinical trials of various cancers in conjunction with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). Combination treatment with cladribine and gefitinib or dasatinib is expected to have a synergistic inhibitory effect on breast cancer cell growth. Our results demonstrated that the combination treatment had synergistic activity against human breast cancer (MCF-7) cells, enhanced G 2 /M cell arrest and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, and increased the loss of mitochon-drial membrane potential and cell apoptosis. In addition, the combination treatment decreased Bcl-2 expression. Our results demonstrated that cladribine in combination with gefitinib or dasatinib exerted synergistic anticancer effects on MCF-7 cells by inducing cell cycle arrest, ROS production and apoptosis through the mitochondria-mediated intrinsic pathway. Breast cancer is the most common malignant tumor and the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in women. 1,2) Current treatment for breast cancer includes surgery, radiotherapy and drug therapy, with drug therapy including hormone therapy, chemotherapy and immunotherapy. 3,4) The pathogenesis of breast cancer has been studied in-depth, 5) and many drugs have emerged for the treatment of breast cancer, with chemo-therapy remaining the mainstay of treatment for breast cancer in addition to surgery. In the clinic, the main chemothera-peutic agents used to treat breast cancer include cisplatin and paclitaxel, docetaxel, curcumin, navelbine, and oxaliplatin. Although these chemotherapy drugs are widely used in the treatment of breast cancer, they often have severe side effects. 6) Recent studies have found that multiple signaling pathways, such as phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), are involved in breast cancer cell proliferation, and targets of these pathways, such as epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), Akt, mamma-lian target of rapamycin (mTOR), insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF-1R), human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2), have become anti-breast cancer drug targets. 7,8) We are known to target anti-breast cancer drugs trastuzumab, lapatinib and so on, but the development of drug resistance in patients has limited their clinical use. With the integration of various disciplines of drug research, the role of multiple targets in biological signaling networks and pathways to achieve appropriate physiological and pathological outcomes has been well studied. 9) A growing body of literature has also shown that drug combinations have synergistic anti-cancer effects through the inhibition of these targets. 10-14) In the clinic, combination chemotherapy for breast cancer is widely used, including drugs such as dasatinib and adriamycin, and has shown excellent results. 15) The clinical application of combination chemotherapy covers a wide range of treatments and chemoth...

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are regulatory molecules known to be aberrantly expressed in cancer and contribute to numerous aspects of tumor biology including the initiation, growth and spread of the tumor. With such diverse roles, it is becoming apparent that some may also provide valuable information which may be of use in a clinical setting, demonstrating the potential to act as both screening tools for the stratification of high-risk patients, while informing the treatment decision-making process. There is mounting evidence to suggest that some miRNAs may even provide assistance in the diagnosis of patients with breast cancer. In addition, miRNAs may themselves be considered therapeutic targets, with inhibition or reintroduction of a particular miRNA capable of inducing a response in vivo. This review focuses on miRNAs that have prognostic, diagnostic or predictive potential in breast cancer as well as the possible challenges in the translation of such observations to the clinic.

Purpose Despite triple antiemetic therapy use for breast cancer patients receiving emetogenic chemotherapy, nausea remains a clinical challenge. We evaluated adding olanzapine (5 mg) to triple therapy on nausea control in patients at high personal risk of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV). Methods This multi-centre, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial randomized breast cancer patients scheduled to receive neo/adjuvant chemotherapy with anthracycline-cyclophosphamide or platinum-based chemotherapy to olanzapine (5 mg, days 1–4) or placebo. Primary endpoint was frequency of self-reported significant nausea, repeated for all cycles of chemotherapy. Secondary endpoints included: duration of nausea, overall total control of CINV, Health Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) using FLIE questionnaire, use of rescue mediation and treatment-related adverse events. Results 218 eligible patients were randomised to placebo (105) or olanzapine (113). From days 0–5 following each cycle of chemotherapy, 41.3% (95%CI: 36.1–46.7%) of patients in the placebo group reported significant nausea compared to 27.7% (95%CI: 23.2–32.4%) in the olanzapine group (p = 0.001). Across all cycles of chemotherapy, patients receiving olanzapine experienced a statistically significant improvement in HRQoL (p < 0.001). Grade 1/2 sedation was the most commonly side effect reported at 40.8% in the placebo group vs. 54.1% with olanzapine (p < 0.001). Conclusion In patients at high personal risk of CINV, the addition of olanzapine 5 mg daily to standard antiemetic therapy significantly improves the control of nausea, HRQoL, with no unexpected toxicities.