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Beneficial effects of mifepristone treatment in breast cancer patients selected by the progesterone receptor isoform ratio: Results from the MIPRA trial

ABSTRACT: Background: Preclinical data suggest that antiprogestins inhibit the growth of luminal breast carcinomas expressing higher levels of progesterone receptor isoform A (PRA) than isoform B (PRB). Thus, we designed a pre-surgical window of opportunity trial to determine the therapeutic effects of mifepristone in breast cancer patients selected by their high PRA/PRB isoform ratio (MIPRA; NCT02651844). Patients and Methods. Twenty patients bearing luminal breast carcinomas with PRA/PRB>1.5 (determined by Western blots), and PR ≥50%, naive from previous treatment, were included for mifepristone treatment (200 mg/day p.o.; 14 days). Core needle biopsies (CNB) and surgical samples were formalin-fixed for immunohistochemical studies, and others were snap-frozen to perform RNA-Seq, proteomics, and/or Western blots studies. Plasma mifepristone levels were determined by mass spectrometry. The primary endpoint was the comparison of Ki-67 expression pre- and post-treatment. Results: A 49.62% decrease in Ki-67 staining was registered in all surgical specimens compared to baseline (p=0.0003). Using the pre-specified response parameter (30% relative reduction) we identified 14/20 responders. Mifepristone induced gland differentiation, an increase in tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, a decrease in hormone receptors and pSer118ER expression, and an increase in calregulin, p21, p15, and activated caspase3 expression. RNA-Seq and proteomics studies identified downregulated pathways related to cell proliferation and upregulation of those related to immune bioprocesses and extracellular matrix re-modeling pathways. Conclusion: Our results support the use of mifepristone in luminal breast cancer patients with high PRA/PRB ratios. The combined effects of mifepristone with estrogen receptor modulators deserves clinic evaluation in these patients, to improve endocrine treatment responsiveness.

ORGANISM(S): Homo sapiens

PROVIDER: GSE212690 | GEO | 2022/10/17

REPOSITORIES: GEO

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Project description:The progesterone receptor isoforms PRA and PRB are implicated in breast cancer development and metastasis. Expression ratio PRA/PRB is imbalanced in such cancers under the influence of MAPK-dependent extracellular stimuli that strongly impact progesterone-responsiveM- transcriptional regulation. In order to determine the isoform-specific regulated genes M- in a metastatic cancer cell, we established the iPRAB cell line derived from MDA-MB-231 mammary cancer cells (ER-, PR-). This cell lineM- conditionally expressed PRA and/or PRB under the control of RSL1 and doxycycline (Dox) non-steroid ligands, respectively, in a dose-dependent manner. The bi-inducible expression system was generated using a combination of the Rheoswitch (NE Biolabs) and T-Rex (Invitrogen) vector systems as described in the article. We investigated the transcriptomes obtained in cells treated by either RSL1 (for PRA), or Dox (for PRB), or RSL1 + Dox (for PRA + PRB) for 24 h and then by either 10 nM progesterone (+) or vehicle (-) for 6 h. Control experiments were obtained from cells grown in the absence of RSL1, doxycycline and in the presence of progesterone (O+) or vehicle (O-). Experimental conditions of PRA/PRB expression ratio were ranged from 0.1 to 10, and the maximum expression of a given isoform was set to 300 fmol per mg proteins following 24 h induction. After removing redundant probes and pseudogens, the processed data identified 1014 distinct regulated genes subdivised in 3 classes : genes responding either only to unliganded PR isoforms (-), or only to liganded (+) or to both conditions (mixed M-1). Each classe was subdivided according to isoform specificity criteria (A, B, AB, A&B, A&AB, B&AB, A&B&AB) leading to define 3X7 clusters of genes per classe. Each subset was then further analyzed by complete hierarchical clustering through up or down-regulation criteria. These data indicated that PR target genes selectivity is highly dependent of PRA/PRB expression ratio as well as ligand status and highlight the major impact of PR on transcriptional regulation of genes involved in breast cancer and metastasis.

Project description:Major roadblocks to developing effective progesterone receptor (PR)-targeted therapies in breast cancer include the lack of highly-specific PR modulators, a poor understanding of the pro- or anti-tumorigenic networks for PR isoforms and ligands, and an incomplete understanding of the cross talk between PR and estrogen receptor (ER) signaling. Through genomic analyses of xenografts treated with various clinically-relevant ER and PR-targeting drugs, we describe how the activation or inhibition of PR differentially reprograms estrogen signaling, resulting in the segregation of transcriptomes into separate PR agonist and antagonist-mediated groups. These findings address an ongoing controversy regarding the clinical utility of PR agonists and antagonists, alone or in combination with tamoxifen, for breast cancer management. Additionally, the two PR isoforms PRA and PRB, bind distinct genomic sites and interact with different sets of co-regulators to differentially modulate estrogen signaling to be either pro- or anti-tumorigenic. Of the two isoforms, PRA inhibited gene expression and ER chromatin binding significantly more than PRB. Differential gene expression was observed in PRA and PRB-rich patient tumors and importantly, PRA-rich gene signatures had poorer survival outcomes. In support of antiprogestin responsiveness of PRA-rich tumors, gene signatures associated with PR antagonists, but not PR agonists, predicted better survival outcomes. This better patient survival associated with PR antagonists versus PR agonists treatments was further reflected in the higher anti-tumor activity of combination therapies of tamoxifen with PR antagonists and modulators. The study suggests that distinguishing common effects observed due to concomitant interaction of another receptor with its ligand (agonist or antagonist) from unique isoform and ligand-specific effects will guide the development of biomarkers for patient selection and translation of PR-targeted therapies to the clinic.

Project description:Major roadblocks to developing effective progesterone receptor (PR)-targeted therapies in breast cancer include the lack of highly-specific PR modulators, a poor understanding of the pro- or anti-tumorigenic networks for PR isoforms and ligands, and an incomplete understanding of the cross talk between PR and estrogen receptor (ER) signaling. Through genomic analyses of xenografts treated with various clinically-relevant ER and PR-targeting drugs, we describe how the activation or inhibition of PR dictates distinct ER and PR chromatin binding and differentially reprograms estrogen signaling, resulting in the segregation of transcriptomes into separate PR agonist and antagonist-mediated groups. These findings address an ongoing controversy regarding the clinical utility of PR agonists and antagonists, alone or in combination with tamoxifen, for breast cancer management. Genomic analyses of the two PR isoforms, PRA and PRB, indicate that these isoforms bind distinct genomic sites and interact with different sets of co-regulators to differentially modulate gene expression as well as pro- or anti-tumorigenic phenotypes. Of the two isoforms, PRA inhibited gene expression and ER chromatin binding significantly more than PRB. Of note, the two isoforms reprogrammed estrogen activity to be either pro or anti-tumorigenic. In concordance to the in-vitro observations, differential gene expression was observed in PRA and PRB-rich patient tumors and importantly, PRA-rich gene signatures had poorer survival outcomes. In support of antiprogestin responsiveness of PRA-rich tumors, gene signatures associated with PR antagonists, but not PR agonists, predicted better survival outcomes. This differential of better patient survival associated with PR antagonists versus PR agonists treatments was further reflected in the higher anti-tumor activity of combination therapies of tamoxifen with PR antagonists and modulators. Knowledge of various determinants of PR action and their interactions with estrogen signaling to differentially modulate breast cancer biology should serve as a guide to the development of biomarkers for patient selection and translation of PR-targeted therapies to the clinic.

Project description:Every year more than 42,000 women die of endometrial cancer, mainly due to recurrent or metastatic disease. The presence of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) as well as progesterone receptor (PR) positivity has been correlated with improved prognosis. This study describes two mechanisms by which progesterone inhibits metastatic spread of endometrial cancer: by stimulating T-cell infiltration and by inhibiting epithelial-to-mesenchymal cell transition (EMT). Paraffin sections from patients with (n=9) or without (n=10) progressive endometrial cancer (recurrent or metastatic disease) were assessed for the presence of CD4+ (helper), CD8+ (cytotoxic) and Foxp3+ (regulatory) T-lymphocytes and PR expression. Progressive disease was observed to be associated with significant loss of TILs and loss of PR expression. Frozen tumor samples, used for genome-wide expression analysis, showed significant regulation of pathways involved in immunosurveillance, EMT and metastasis. For a number of genes, such as CXCL14, DKK1, DKK4 and WIF1, quantitive RT-PCR was performed to verify down regulation in progressive disease. To corroborate the role of progesterone in regulating invasion, Ishikawa (IK) endometrial cancer cell lines stably transfected with PRA (IKPRA), PRB (IKPRB) and PRA+PRB (IKPRAB) were cultured in the presence/absence of progesterone (MPA) and used for genome-wide expression analysis, Boyden- and wound healing migration assays, and IHC for known EMT makers. IKPRB and IKPRAB cell lines showed MPA induced inhibition of migration and loss of the mesenchymal marker vimentin at the invasive front of the wound healing assay. Furthermore, pathway analysis of significantly MPA-regulated genes showed significant down regulation of important pathways involved in EMT, immunesuppression and metastasis: such as IL6-, TGF-β and Wnt/β-catenin signalling. Intact progesterone signaling in non-progressive endometrial cancer seems to be an important factor stimulating immunosurveillance and inhibiting transition from an epithelial to a more mesenchymal, more invasive phenotype. The PRA- and PRB-expressing Ishikawa endometrial cancer cell line (IKPRAB36) was cultured for 48h in the absence or presence of 1nM MPA (n = 3). The RNA was isolated and used for hybridization on Affymetrix microarrays. Cells cultured in the presence of MPA were compared with cells cultured in the absence of MPA.

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Beneficial effects of mifepristone treatment in breast cancer patients selected by the progesterone receptor isoform ratio: Results from the MIPRA trial

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