Regulation of breast cancer stem cells by tumor microenvironment and analysis of target for therapy

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24591929
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: General surgery
• Research Institution: Research Institute for Clinical Oncology, Saitama Cancer Center
• Principal Investigator: YAMAGUCHI Yuri 埼玉県立がんセンター(臨床腫瘍研究所), その他部局等, 研究員 (80166628)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 乳癌 / ホルモン療法 / 癌微小環境 / 癌幹細胞

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Estrogen and various growth factors are present in the breast cancer microenvironment, but their effects on breast cancer stem cells and the sensitivity to hormonal therapy remain unclear. We first analyzed the presence or absence of estrogen receptor (ER) in breast cancer stem like-cells derived from ER-positive MCF-7-E10 breast cancer cells transfected with ERE-GFP. Breast cancer stem like-cells express ER that could be activated by estrogen. Carcinoma-associated fibroblasts obtained from breast cancer tissues stimulate mammosphere growth of breast cancer stem like-cells derived from MCF-7-E10 cells. To analyze the mechanisms of in vivo development of estrogen-depletion resistance (EDR), we established several EDR cell lines from xenografts of MCF-7-E10 cells in ovariectomized SCID mice. ER expressions are decreased in some of EDR cell lines. ER positive EDR cell lines have more breast cancer stem like-cells than ER-negative ones.

Free Research Field

腫瘍生物学　内分泌学