Extracellular alkaline pH leads to increased metastatic potential of estrogen receptor silenced endocrine resistant breast cancer cells.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Endocrine resistance in breast cancer is associated with enhanced metastatic potential and poor clinical outcome, presenting a significant therapeutic challenge. We have established several endocrine insensitive breast cancer lines by shRNA induced depletion of estrogen receptor (ER) by transfection of MCF-7 cells which all exhibit enhanced expression profile of mesenchymal markers with reduction of epithelial markers, indicating an epithelial to mesenchymal transition. In this study we describe their behaviour in response to change in extracellular pH, an important factor controlling cell motility and metastasis.

Methods

Morphological changes associated with cell exposure to extracellular alkaline pH were assessed by live cell microscopy and the effect of vario

SUBMITTER: Khajah MA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3788134 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature