Project description:Results provide the animal proof of concept that inhibition of DNA methylation can sensitize solid tumors to antibodies mediating tumor cell apoptosis.
Project description:Results provide the animal proof of concept that inhibition of DNA methylation can sensitize solid tumors to antibodies mediating tumor cell apoptosis.
Project description:Using primary breast tumors from 162 women from the Kaiser Division of Research Pathways Study and the Illumina GoldenGate methylation bead-array platform, we measured CpG loci associated with cancer-related genes 162 tumor specimens from the initial diagnostic biopsy were obtained from the KPNC tumor biorepository for methylation analysis. All tumor specimens were from patients who did not receive neoadjuvant chemotherapy.
Project description:Expression of estrogen receptor (ESR1) determines whether a breast cancer patient receives endocrine therapy as part of their adjuvant care, but does not guarantee patient response. However, the molecular factors that define endocrine response in ESR1-positive breast cancer patients remain poorly understood. Here, we characterize the DNA methylome of endocrine sensitivity and demonstrate the potential impact of differential DNA methylation on endocrine response in breast cancer. We show that DNA hypermethylation occurs predominantly at estrogen-responsive enhancers and is associated with reduced ESR1 binding and decreased gene expression of key regulators of ESR1-activity; thus providing a novel mechanism by which endocrine response is abated in ESR1-positive breast cancers. Conversely, we delineate that ESR1-responsive enhancer hypomethylation is critical in transition from normal mammary epithelial cells to endocrine responsive ESR1-positive cancer. Cumulatively these novel insights highlight the potential of ESR1-responsive enhancer methylation to both predict ESR1-positive disease and stratify ESR1-positive breast cancer patients as responders to endocrine therapy.