Estrogen induces c-Kit and an aggressive phenotype in a model of invasive lobular breast cancer.

ABSTRACT: Among the molecular subtypes of breast cancer are luminal (A or B) estrogen receptor positive (ER+), HER2+, and triple negative (basal-like). In addition to the molecular subtypes, there are 18 histologic breast cancer subtypes classified on appearance, including invasive lobular breast carcinoma (ILC), which are 8-15% of all breast cancers and are largely ER+ tumors. We used a new model of ER+ ILC, called BCK4. To determine the estrogen regulated genes in our ILC model, we examined BCK4 xenograft tumors from mice supplemented with or without estrogen using gene expression arrays. Approximately 3000 genes were regulated by estrogen in vivo. Hierarchical cluster analyses of the BCK4 derived tumors compared with ER+ and ER- breast cancer cell lines show the estrogen treated BCK4 tumors group

SUBMITTER: Harrell JC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5868054 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature