Cortisol promotes breast-to-brain metastasis through the blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Elevated basal cortisol levels are present in women with primary and metastatic breast cancer. Although cortisol's potential role in breast-to-brain metastasis has yet to be sufficiently studied, prior evidence indicates that it functions as a double-edged sword-cortisol induces breast cancer metastasis in vivo, but strengthens the blood-brain-barrier (BBB) to protect the brain from microbes and peripheral immune cells.

Aims

In this study, we provide a novel examination on whether cortisol's role in tumor invasiveness eclipses its supporting role in strengthening the CNS barriers. We expanded our study to include the blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier (BCSFB), an underexamined site of tumor entry.

Methods and results

Utilizing in vitro BBB and BCSFB models t

SUBMITTER: Herrera RA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9124512 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature