Breast cancer represents a major health burden in Europe and North America, as recently published data report breast cancer as the second leading cause of cancer related death in women worldwide. Breast cancer is regarded as a highly heterogeneous disease in terms of clinical course and biological behavior and can be divided into several molecular subtypes, with different prognosis and treatment responses. The discovery of numerous non-coding RNAs has dramatically changed our understanding of cell biology, especially the pathophysiology of cancer. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are non-protein-coding transcripts >200 nucleotides in length. Several studies have demonstrated their role as key regulators of gene expression, cell biology and carcinogenesis. Deregulated expression levels of lncRNAs have been observed in various types of cancers including breast cancer. lncRNAs are involved in cancer initiation, progression, and metastases. In this review, we summarize the recent literature to highlight the current status of this class of long non-coding lncRNAs in breast cancer.
BackgroundNon-coding RNAs and especially microRNAs have been discovered to act as master regulators of cancer initiation and progression. The aim of our study was to discover and characterize the function of yet functionally uncharacterized microRNAs in human breast carcinogenesis.MethodsIn an unbiased approach, we utilized an established model system for breast cancer (BC) stem cell formation (“mammosphere assay”) to identify whole miRNome alterations in breast carcinogenesis. Clinical samples of BC patients were used to evaluate the human relevance of the newly identified miRNA candidates. One promising candidate, miR-1287-5p, was further explored on its impact on several hallmarks of cancer. The molecular mode of action was characterized by whole transcriptome analysis, in silico prediction tools, miRNA-interaction assays, pheno-copy assays, and drug sensitivity assays.ResultsAmong several other microRNAs, miR-1287-5p was significantly downregulated in mammospheres and human BC tissue compared to normal breast tissue (p < 0.0001). Low expression levels were significantly associated with poor prognosis in BC patients. MiR-1287-5p significantly decreased cellular growth, cells in S phase of cell cycle, anchorage-independent growth, and tumor formation in vivo. In addition, we identified PIK3CB as a direct molecular interactor of miR-1287-5p and a novel prognostic factor in BC. Finally, PI3Kinase pathway chemical inhibitors combined with miR-1287-5p mimic increased the pharmacological growth inhibitory potential in triple negative BC cells.ConclusionOur data identified for the first time the involvement of miR-1287-5p in human BC and suggest a potential for therapeutic interventions in difficult to treat triple negative BC.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s13058-019-1104-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
PurposePolar body biopsy (PBB) is a common technique in preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) to assess the chromosomal status of the oocyte. Numerous studies have been implemented to investigate the impact of biopsies on embryo development; however, information on embryo morphokinetics is still lacking. Hence, we investigated the impact of PBB on morphokinetic parameters in early embryo development.MethodsFour hundred four embryos (202 PBB, 202 control) were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were stimulated with a gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist ovarian hyperstimulation protocol. After fertilization check, embryos were incubated in a time-lapse incubator. The groups were matched for maternal age at time of oocyte retrieval.ResultsMean group times for reaching specific developmental time points showed no significant difference comparing embryos with PBB conducted and without. Likewise, further subdivision of the PBB group in euploid and aneuploid embryos revealed no differences in the early embryo morphokinetic development compared to the control group. Aneuploidy testing revealed a high prevalence of chromosomal aberrations for chromosomes 21, 4, 16, and 19.ConclusionsIn conclusion, PBB does not impact the morphokinetic parameters of the embryo development. PBB can be safely applied without the risk of impairing the reproductive potential of the embryo and can be highly recommended as safe and practicable PGT approach, especially in countries with prevailing restrictions regarding PGT analysis.
Background: Long non-coding RNAs (LINCs) are an emerging class of molecules in cancer diagnosis and prognosis. The number of LINCs exceeds the number of protein-coding genes and their role in breast cancer is largely unknown. Methods: In this study we used non-adherent growing tumor spheres (“mammospheres”) as a model system to identify tumor-sphere associated (TSA) gene expression patterns. We used microarrays to profile different breast cancer cell lines and selected the most up/down-regulated differentially expressed genes by RT-PCR. Clinical correlations including survival analysis of almost 900 breast cancer patients in two independent cohorts and experimental evaluation of the biological function were done. Results: Among several TSA-genes, one novel not previously reported LINC, (that we termed TSA-LINC2) was significantly up-regulated in mammospheres (up to 50 fold, p<0.05). In patient samples, TSA-LINC2 was significantly up-regulated in cancer tissue compared to normal breast tissue, and high expression was associated with poor survival in different molecular breast cancer subtypes (p<0.05). Knock-down experiments of TSA-LINC2 in a panel of breast cancer cell lines led to significantly altered cellular growth, anchorage-independent growth and mammosphere formation in triple negative (p<0.05). Molecular profiling with gene expression arrays shows that TSA-LINC2 regulates cell cycle-associated genes. Conclusion: This novel long non-coding RNAis involved in breast cancer progression and might be useful as a prognostic marker in breast cancer patients. Citation Format: Martin Pichler, Stefanie Cerk, Verena Stiegelbauer, Daniela Schwarzenbacher, Hui Ling. A novel long non-coding RNA, TSA-LINC2, regulates cellular growth and is associated with poor prognosis in breast cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 988.
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