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Published in: Breast Cancer 4/2019

01-07-2019 | Breast Cancer | Original Article

Cancer stem-like properties of hormonal therapy-resistant breast cancer cells

Authors: Kanami Uchiumi, Kouki Tsuboi, Nozomi Sato, Takako Ito, Hisashi Hirakawa, Toshifumi Niwa, Yuri Yamaguchi, Shin-ichi Hayashi

Published in: Breast Cancer | Issue 4/2019

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Abstract

Background

Presently, hormonal therapy targeting estrogen receptors is the most effective treatment available for luminal breast cancer. However, many patients relapse after the therapy. It has been suggested that cancer stem-like cells are involved with hormonal therapy resistance; in the present study, we evaluated this hypothesis.

Methods

In the present study, we used our previously established hormonal therapy-resistant cell lines, including aromatase inhibitor (AI)-resistant cells (Type 1 and Type 2) and fulvestrant-resistant cells (MFR).

Results

AI-resistant cell lines expressing ER (Type 1 V1 and V2) showed high cancer stemness in terms of their CD44/CD24 expression and side populations, which were stimulated by the addition of estrogen and inhibited by fulvestrant. However, ALDH activity was lower than in the ER-negative resistant cells, suggesting that the stemness of luminal cells is distinct from that of basal-like breast cancer cells. The migration and invasion activity of the ER-positive Type 1 V1 and V2 cells were higher than in the ER-negative cell lines, Type 2 and MFR.

Conclusions

Fractionation of parental cells based on CD44/CD24 expression and colony formation assay indicated that CD44+/CD24+ cells might be the origin of hormonal therapy-resistant cells. This population reconstituted various other subpopulations under estrogen deprivation. These results indicate that hormonal therapy resistance is closely related to the cancer stem cell-like properties of luminal breast cancer.
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Metadata
Title
Cancer stem-like properties of hormonal therapy-resistant breast cancer cells
Authors
Kanami Uchiumi
Kouki Tsuboi
Nozomi Sato
Takako Ito
Hisashi Hirakawa
Toshifumi Niwa
Yuri Yamaguchi
Shin-ichi Hayashi
Publication date
01-07-2019
Publisher
Springer Japan
Published in
Breast Cancer / Issue 4/2019
Print ISSN: 1340-6868
Electronic ISSN: 1880-4233
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12282-018-00944-1

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