testing-vascular-invasive-ability-cancer-cells-zebrafish-danio

Testing the Vascular Invasive Ability of Cancer Cells in Zebrafish (<em>Danio Rerio</em>)

Cancer cell vascular invasion and extravasation is a hallmark of metastatic progression.  Traditional in vitro models of cancer cell invasion of ...

real-time-detection-capture-invasive-cell-subpopulations-from-co

Real-Time Detection and Capture of Invasive Cell Subpopulations from Co-Cultures

Invasion and metastatic spread of cancer cells are the major cause of death from cancer. Assays developed early on to measure the invasive potential of ...

Georgetown University

Georgetown University Medical Center

AIB1Δ4 is an N-terminally truncated isoform of the oncogene amplified in breast cancer 1 (AIB1) with increased expression in high-grade human ductal carcinoma  (DCIS). However, the role of AIB1Δ4 in DCIS malignant progression has not been defined. Here we CRISPR-engineered RNA splice junctions to produce normal and early-stage DCIS breast epithelial cells that expressed only AIB1Δ4. These cells showed enhanced motility and invasion in 3D cell culture. In zebrafish, AIB1Δ4-expressing cells enabled invasion of parental cells when present in a mixed population. In mouse xenografts, a subpopulation of AIB1Δ4 cells mixed with parental cells enhanced tumor growth, recurrence, and lung metastasis. AIB1Δ4 chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing revealed enhanced binding to regions including peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) and glucocorticoid receptor (GR) genomic recognition sites. H3K27ac and H3K4me1 genomic engagement patterns revealed selective activation of breast cancer-specific enhancer sites by AIB1Δ4. AIB1Δ4 cells displayed upregulated inflammatory response genes and downregulated PPAR signaling gene expression patterns. In the presence of AIB1Δ4 enabler cells, parental cells increased NF-κB and WNT signaling. Cellular cross-talk was inhibited by the PPARγ agonist efatutazone but was enhanced by treatment with the GR agonist dexamethasone. In conclusion, expression of the AIB1Δ4-selective cistrome in a small subpopulation of cells triggers an "enabler" phenotype hallmarked by an invasive transcriptional program and collective malignant progression in a heterogeneous tumor population. SIGNIFICANCE: A minor subset of early-stage breast cancer cells expressing AIB1Δ4 enables bulk tumor cells to become invasive, suggesting that selective eradication of this population could impair breast cancer metastasis.

Ghada M. Sharif

Department of Oncology,
Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center,
Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center

Georgetown University

Testing the Vascular Invasive Ability of Cancer Cells in Zebrafish (Danio Rerio)

Real-Time Detection and Capture of Invasive Cell Subpopulations from Co-Cultures

Ghada M. Sharif

.css-o250i3{font-size:18px;font-family:Open Sans,sans-serif;line-height:21.6px;}Department of Oncology,Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center,Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center

Georgetown University

Testing the Vascular Invasive Ability of Cancer Cells in Zebrafish (Danio Rerio)

Real-Time Detection and Capture of Invasive Cell Subpopulations from Co-Cultures

Department of Oncology,
Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center,
Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center