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Background Endocrine therapies targeting estrogen signaling have significantly improved breast cancer (BC) patient survival, although 40% of ERα-positive BCs do not respond to those therapies. Aside from genomic signaling, estrogen triggers non-genomic pathways by forming a complex containing methylERα/Src/PI3K, a hallmark of aggressiveness and resistance to tamoxifen. We aimed to confirm the prognostic value of this complex and investigated whether its targeting could improve tumor response in vivo. Methods The interaction of ERα/Src and ERα/PI3K was studied by proximity ligation assay (PLA) in a cohort of 440 BC patients. We then treated patient-derived BC xenografts (PDXs) with fulvestrant or the PI3K inhibitor alpelisib (BYL719) alone or in combination. We analyzed their anti-proliferative effects on 6 ERα+ and 3 ERα− PDX models. Genomic and non-genomic estrogen signaling were assessed by measuring ERα/PI3K interaction by PLA and the expression of estrogen target genes by RT-QPCR, respectively. Results We confirmed that ERα/Src and ERα/PI3K interactions were associated with a trend to poorer survival, the latter displaying the most significant effects. In ERα+ tumors, the combination of BYL719 and fulvestrant was more effective than fulvestrant alone in 3 models, irrespective of PI3K, PTEN status, or ERα/PI3K targeting. Remarkably, resistance to fulvestrant was associated with non-genomic ERα signaling, since genomic degradation of ERα was unaltered in these tumors, whereas the treatment did not diminish the level of ERα/PI3K interaction. Interestingly, in 2 ERα− models, fulvestrant alone impacted tumor growth, and this was associated with a decrease in ERα/PI3K interaction. Conclusions Our results demonstrate that ERα/PI3K may constitute a new prognostic marker, as well as a new target in BC. Indeed, resistance to fulvestrant in ERα+ tumors was associated with a lack of impairment of ERα/PI3K interaction in the cytoplasm. In addition, an efficient targeting of ERα/PI3K in ERα− tumors could constitute a promising therapeutic option.

A significant proportion of patients with oestrogen receptor (ER) positive breast cancers (BC) develop resistance to endocrine treatments (ET) and relapse with metastatic disease. Here we perform whole exome sequencing and gene expression analysis of matched primary breast tumours and bone metastasis-derived patient-derived xenografts (PDX). Transcriptomic analyses reveal enrichment of the G2/M checkpoint and up-regulation of Polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) in PDX. PLK1 inhibition results in tumour shrinkage in highly proliferating CCND1-driven PDX, including different RB-positive PDX with acquired palbociclib resistance. Mechanistic studies in endocrine resistant cell lines, suggest an ER-independent function of PLK1 in regulating cell proliferation. Finally, in two independent clinical cohorts of ER positive BC, we find a strong association between high expression of PLK1 and a shorter metastases-free survival and poor response to anastrozole. In conclusion, our findings support clinical development of PLK1 inhibitors in patients with advanced CCND1-driven BC, including patients progressing on palbociclib treatment., Identifying novel therapies for the treatment of CDK4/6 inhibitor-resistant patients is of great importance. Here, the authors demonstrate that PLK1 inhibition is a potential therapeutic target in CCND1-driven and in RB-positive Palbociclib-resistant breast cancers.

Background Endocrine therapies targeting oestrogen signalling have significantly improved breast cancer (BC) patient survival, although 40% of ERα-positive BCs do not respond to those therapies. Aside from genomic signalling, oestrogen triggers non-genomic pathways by forming a complex containing methylERα/Src/PI3K, a hallmark of aggressiveness and resistance to tamoxifen. We aimed to confirm the prognostic value of this complex and investigated whether its targeting could improve tumour response in vivo.Methods The interaction of ERα/Src and ERα/PI3K was studied by proximity ligation assay (PLA) in a cohort of 440 BC patients. We then treated patient-derived BC xenografts (PDXs) with fulvestrant or the PI3K inhibitor alpelisib (BYL719) alone or in combination. We analysed their anti-proliferative effects on 6 ERα + and 3 ERα- PDX models. Genomic and non-genomic oestrogen signalling were assessed by measuring ERα/PI3K interaction by PLA or the expression of key oestrogen target genes by RT-QPCR, respectively.Results We confirmed that ERα/Src and especially ERα/PI3K interaction were associated with a trend to poorer survival. In ERα + tumours, the combination of BYL719 and fulvestrant was more effective than fulvestrant alone in 3 models, irrespective of PI3K, PTEN status or ERα/PI3K targeting. Interestingly, in some ERα- models, fulvestrant alone impacted tumour growth and this was associated with a decrease in ERα/PI3K interaction.Conclusions Our results demonstrate that ERα/PI3K may constitute a new prognostic marker, as well as a new target in BC. Indeed, resistance to fulvestrant was clearly associated with a lack of ERα/PI3K targeting in the cytoplasm.

Estrogen receptor (ER) positive breast cancer is frequently sensitive to endocrine therapy. Multiple mechanisms of endocrine therapy resistance have been identified, including cancer stem-like cell (CSC) activity. Here we investigate SFX-01, a stabilised formulation of sulforaphane (SFN), for its effects on breast CSC activity in ER+ preclinical models. SFX‐01 reduced mammosphere formation efficiency (MFE) of ER+ primary and metastatic patient samples. Both tamoxifen and fulvestrant increased MFE and aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) activity of patient-derived xenograft (PDX) tumors, which was reversed by combination with SFX‐01. SFX-01 significantly reduced tumor-initiating cell frequency in secondary transplants and reduced the formation of spontaneous lung micrometastases by PDX tumors in mice. Mechanistically, we establish that both tamoxifen and fulvestrant induce STAT3 phosphorylation. SFX-01 suppressed phospho‐STAT3 and SFN directly bound STAT3 in patient and PDX samples. Analysis of ALDH+ cells from endocrine-resistant patient samples revealed activation of STAT3 target genesMUC1andOSMR, which were inhibited by SFX-01 in patient samples. Increased expression of these genes after 3 months’ endocrine treatment of ER+ patients (n = 68) predicted poor prognosis. Our data establish the importance of STAT3 signaling in CSC-mediated resistance to endocrine therapy and the potential of SFX-01 for improving clinical outcomes in ER+ breast cancer.

Topoisomerase I (TOP1) inhibitors trap TOP1 cleavage complexes resulting in DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) during replication, which are repaired by homologous recombination (HR). Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) could be eligible for TOP1 inhibitors given the considerable proportion of tumors with a defect in HR-mediated repair (BRCAness). The TOP1 inhibitor irinotecan was tested in 40 patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) of TNBC. BRCAness was determined with a single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) assay, and expression of Schlafen family member 11 (SLFN11) and retinoblastoma transcriptional corepressor 1 (RB1) was evaluated by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry analyses. In addition, the combination of irinotecan and the ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3-related protein (ATR) inhibitor VE-822 was tested in SLFN11-negative PDXs, and two clinical non-camptothecin TOP1 inhibitors (LMP400 and LMP776) were tested. Thirty-eight percent of the TNBC models responded to irinotecan. BRCAness combined with high SLFN11 expression and RB1 loss identified highly sensitive tumors, consistent with the notion that deficiencies in cell cycle checkpoints and DNA repair result in high sensitivity to TOP1 inhibitors. Treatment by the ATR inhibitor VE-822 increased sensitivity to irinotecan in SLFN11-negative PDXs and abolished irinotecan-induced phosphorylation of checkpoint kinase 1 (CHK1). LMP400 (indotecan) and LMP776 (indimitecan) showed high antitumor activity in BRCA1-mutated or BRCAness-positive PDXs. Last, low SLFN11 expression was associated with poor survival in 250 patients with TNBC treated with anthracycline-based chemotherapy. In conclusion, a substantial proportion of TNBC respond to irinotecan. BRCAness, high SLFN11 expression, and RB1 loss are highly predictive of response to irinotecan and the clinical indenoisoquinoline TOP1 inhibitors.

Background Metaplastic breast cancer (MBC) is a rare form of breast cancer characterized by an aggressive clinical presentation, with a poor response to standard chemotherapy. MBCs are typically triple-negative breast cancers (TNBCs), frequently with alterations to genes of the PI3K-AKT-mTOR and RTK-MAPK signaling pathways. The objective of this study was to determine the response to PI3K and MAPK pathway inhibitors in patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) of MBCs with targetable alterations. Methods We compared survival between triple-negative MBCs and other histological subtypes, in a clinical cohort of 323 TNBC patients. PDX models were established from primary breast tumors classified as MBC. PI3K-AKT-mTOR and RTK-MAPK pathway alterations were detected by targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS) and analyses of copy number alterations. Activation of the PI3K-AKT-mTOR and RTK-MAPK signaling pathways was analyzed with reverse-phase protein arrays (RPPA). PDXs carrying an activating mutation of PIK3CA and genomic changes to the RTK-MAPK signaling pathways were treated with a combination consisting of a PI3K inhibitor and a MEK inhibitor. Results In our clinical cohort, the patients with MBC had a worse prognosis than those with other histological subtypes. We established nine metaplastic TNBC PDXs. Three had a pathogenic mutation of PIK3CA and additional alterations to genes associated with RTK-MAPK signaling. The MBC PDXs expressed typical EMT and stem cell genes and were of the mesenchymal or mesenchymal stem-like TNBC subtypes. On histological analysis, MBC PDXs presented squamous or chondroid differentiation. RPPA analysis showed activation of the PI3K-AKT-mTOR and RTK-MAPK signaling pathways. In vivo, the combination of PI3K and MAPK inhibitors displayed marked antitumor activity in PDXs carrying genomic alterations of PIK3CA, AKT1, BRAF, and FGFR4. Conclusion The treatment of metaplastic breast cancer PDXs by activation of the PI3K-AKT-mTOR and RTK-MAPK pathways at the genomic and protein levels with a combination of PI3K and MEK inhibitors resulted in tumor regression in mutated models and may therefore be of interest for therapeutic purposes.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) represents 10% of all breast cancers and is a very heterogeneous disease. Globally, women with TNBC have a poor prognosis, and the development of effective targeted therapies remains a real challenge. Patient-derived xenografts (PDX) are clinically relevant models that have emerged as important tools for the analysis of drug activity and predictive biomarker discovery. The purpose of this work was to analyze the molecular heterogeneity of a large panel of TNBC PDX (n = 61) in order to test targeted therapies and identify biomarkers of response. At the gene expression level, TNBC PDX represent all of the various TNBC subtypes identified by the Lehmann classification except for immunomodulatory subtype, which is underrepresented in PDX. NGS and copy number data showed a similar diversity of significantly mutated gene and somatic copy number alteration in PDX and the Cancer Genome Atlas TNBC patients. The genes most commonly altered were TP53 and oncogenes and tumor suppressors of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR and MAPK pathways. PDX showed similar morphology and immunohistochemistry markers to those of the original tumors. Efficacy experiments with PI3K and MAPK inhibitor monotherapy or combination therapy showed an antitumor activity in PDX carrying genomic mutations of PIK3CA and NRAS genes. TNBC PDX reproduce the molecular heterogeneity of TNBC patients. This large collection of PDX is a clinically relevant platform for drug testing, biomarker discovery and translational research.

Background. Cystinosis is caused by mutations in CTNS that encodes cystinosin, the lysosomal cystine transporter. The most severe and frequent form is characterized by a proximal tubulopathy that appears around 6 to 12 months of age. In the absence of treatment, end-stage renal disease is reached by 10 years. Ctns(-/-) mice of a mixed 129Sv x C57BL/6 genetic background show elevated renal cystine levels; however, proximal tubulopathy or end-stage renal disease is not observed. Methods. As renal phenotype can be influenced by genetic background, we generated congenic C57BL/6 and FVB/N Ctns(-/-) mice and assayed renal lesions and function by histological and biochemical studies. Results. C57BL/6 Ctns(-/-) mice showed significantly higher renal cystine levels than the FVB/N strain. Moreover, C57BL/6 mice presented with pronounced histological lesions of the proximal tubules as well as a tubulopathy and progressively developed chronic renal failure. In contrast, renal dysfunction was not observed in the FVB/N strain. Conclusions. Thus, the C57BL/6 strain represents the first Ctns(-/-) mouse model to show clear renal defects. In addition to highlighting the influence of genetic background on phenotype, the C57BL/6 Ctns(-/-) mice represent a useful model for further understanding cystinosin function in the kidney and, specifically, in the proximal tubules.

Podocin is a critical component of the glomerular slit diaphragm, and genetic mutations lead to both familial and sporadic forms of steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome. In mice, constitutive absence of podocin leads to rapidly progressive renal disease characterized by mesangiolysis and/or mesangial sclerosis and nephrotic syndrome. Using established Cre-loxP technology, we inactivated podocin in the adult mouse kidney in a podocyte-specific manner. Progressive loss of podocin in the glomerulus recapitulated albuminuria, hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, and renal failure seen in nephrotic syndrome in humans. Lesions of FSGS appeared after 4 wk, with subsequent development of diffuse glomerulosclerosis and tubulointerstitial damage. Interestingly, conditional inactivation of podocin at birth resulted in a gradient of glomerular lesions, including mesangial proliferation, demonstrating a developmental stage dependence of renal histologic patterns of injury. The development of significant albuminuria in this model occurred only after early and focal foot process effacement had progressed to diffuse involvement, with complete absence of podocin immunolabeling at the slit diaphragm. Finally, we identified novel potential mediators and perturbed molecular pathways, including cellular proliferation, in the course of progression of renal disease leading to glomerulosclerosis, using global gene expression profiling.

Mutations in the NPHS2 gene, which encodes podocin, are responsible for some cases of sporadic and familial autosomal recessive steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome. Inter- and intrafamilial variability in the progression of renal disease among patients bearing NPHS2 mutations suggests a potential role for modifier genes. Using a mouse model in which the podocin gene is constitutively inactivated, we sought to identify genetic determinants of the development and progression of renal disease as a result of the nephrotic syndrome. We report that the evolution of renal disease as a result of nephrotic syndrome in Nphs2-null mice depends on genetic background. Furthermore, the maternal environment significantly interacts with genetic determinants to modify survival and progression of renal disease. Quantitative trait locus mapping suggested that these genetic determinants may be encoded for by genes on the distal end of chromosome 3, which are linked to proteinuria, and on the distal end of chromosome 7, which are linked to a composite trait of urea, creatinine, and potassium. These loci demonstrate epistatic interactions with other chromosomal regions, highlighting the complex genetics of renal disease progression. In summary, constitutive inactivation of podocin models the complex interactions between maternal and genetically determined factors on the progression of renal disease as a result of nephrotic syndrome in mice.