Project description:Female BRCA1 mutation carriers have a nearly 80% probability of developing breast cancer during their life-time. We hypothesized that the breast epithelium at risk in BRCA1 mutation carriers harbors mammary epithelial cells (MECs) with altered proliferation and differentiation properties. Microarray studies revealed that PMEC colonies from BRCA1 mutation carriers anticipate expression profiles found in BRCA1-related tumors, and that the EGFR pathway is upregulated in BRCA1 mutation carriers compared ton non BRCA1 mutation carriers. Keywords: Class comparison and pathway analysis
Project description:Female BRCA1 mutation carriers have a nearly 80% probability of developing breast cancer during their life-time. We hypothesized that the breast epithelium at risk in BRCA1 mutation carriers harbors mammary epithelial cells (MECs) with altered proliferation and differentiation properties. Microarray studies revealed that PMEC colonies from BRCA1 mutation carriers anticipate expression profiles found in BRCA1-related tumors, and that the EGFR pathway is upregulated in BRCA1 mutation carriers compared ton non BRCA1 mutation carriers. Keywords: Class comparison and pathway analysis 10 colonies were collected and RNA was isolated using the Absolutely RNA Nanoprep kit, Stratagene. The arrays included duplicates from four normal controls and from two BRCA1 mutation carriers and single arrays from another two BRCA1 mutation carriers.
Project description:Microarrays were used to determine relative global gene expression changes in WT and BRCA1-mutation carrier breast epithelium as well as tumors created from WT and BRCA1-mutation carrier breast epithelial cells. Total RNA was isolated from freshly dissociated mammary epithelilal cells obtained from disease-free prophylactic masectomy tissues of 4 different BRCA1-mutation carriers or 4 different reduction mammoplasty tissues from non-mutation carriers. Total RNA was also isolated from fresh tumor tissues derived from in vivo transformed human mammary epithelial cells created from cells obtained from WT or BRCA1-muation carrires. Dissociated mammary epithelial cells were transduced with lentiviruses encoding mutant p53, mutant ras, mutant PI3K and cyclin D1 and injected into in humanized glands. There were four tumor tissues isolated for each genetic background.
Project description:Breast cancer is the most common cancer in females, affecting one in every eight women and accounting for the majority of cancer-related deaths in women worldwide. Germline mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes are significant risk factors for specific subtypes of breast cancer. BRCA1 mutations are associated with basal-like breast cancers, whereas BRCA2 mutations are associated with luminal-like disease. Defects in mammary epithelial cell differentiation have been previously recognized in germline BRCA1/2 mutation carriers even before cancer incidence. However, the underlying mechanism is largely unknown. Here, we employ spatial transcriptomics to investigate defects in mammary epithelial cell differentiation accompanied by distinct microenvironmental alterations in preneoplastic breast tissues from BRCA1/2 mutation carriers and normal breast tissues from non-carrier controls. We uncovered spatially defined receptor-ligand interactions in these tissues for the investigation of autocrine and paracrine signaling. We discovered that β1-integrin-mediated autocrine signaling in BRCA2-deficient mammary epithelial cells may differ from BRCA1-deficient mammary epithelial cells. In addition, we found that the epithelial-to-stromal paracrine signaling in the breast tissues of BRCA1/2 mutation carriers is greater than in control tissues. More integrin-ligand pairs were differentially correlated in BRCA1/2-mutant breast tissues than non-carrier breast tissues with more integrin receptor-expressing stromal cells. Implications: These results suggest alterations in the communication between mammary epithelial cells and the microenvironment in BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers, laying the foundation for designing innovative breast cancer chemo-prevention strategies for high-risk patients.
Project description:Gene expression profiles of normal human mammary tissue from BRCA1 mutation carriers, non-BRCA1/2 mutation carriers and normal women. RNA was prepared from normal breast tissue (confirmed by pathology) from reduction mammoplasties (n=5) and prophylactic mastectomies of known BRCA1 (n=7) and non-BRCA1/2 mutation carriers (n=8). non-BRCA1/2 carriers were individuals with a strong family history of breast cancer (kConFab Category 1 (http://www.kconfab.org/Collection/Eligibility.shtml) where no mutation in BRCA1 or BRCA2 has been identified in the family by high sensitivity testing (http://www.kconfab.org/Progress/Sensitivity.shtml) of any individual affected by breast or ovarian cancer. Normal breast samples refer to reduction mammoplasty specimens, where family history is generally not known.
Project description:<p>BRCA1 mutations are a hallmark of hereditary ovarian cancer, strongly linked to deficiencies in homologous recombination (HR) DNA repair and impaired DNA replication fork protection. However, its roles in cancer progression beyond maintaining genomic integrity remain poorly understood. Through metabolomics approaches, we found BRCA1-deficiency strikingly increased choline metabolism. Loss of BRCA1 promotes choline uptake through upregulating choline transporter-like protein 4 (CTL4). BRCA1 directly binds and recruits EZH2-mediated H3K27Me3 deposition to CTL4 promoter. CTL4 was therefore overexpressed in ovarian cancer tissues with BRCA1 mutations. Furthermore, BRCA1-deficiency significantly promotes ovarian cancer invasion, while inhibition of CTL4 reverses the high metastatic potential of BRCA1-deficient ovarian cancer cells, suggesting the functionality and specificity of CTL4 as a therapeutic target. Additionally, we discovered that phosphocholine, the choline metabolite increased by CTL4 overexpression, interacted with and stabilized the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition inducer FAM3C in BRCA1-deficient ovarian cancer cells. Importantly, we identified a potent CTL4 inhibitor, DT-13, which significantly reduces choline metabolism and effectively suppresses metastasis in BRCA1-deficient ovarian cancers. Therefore, our study uncovers a mechanism underlying metastasis in BRCA1-deficient cancers and identifies CTL4 as a therapeutic target for metastatic ovarian cancer patients with BRCA1 mutations.</p>
Project description:Microarrays were used to examine gene expression changes that may be present in the fallopian tube epithelium of morphologically normal BRCA1 mutation positive and negative subjects. Fallopian tube epithelia has been implicated as an early point of origin for serous carcninoma. By examining the early events present in the microenvironment of this tissue between BRCA1 mutation carriers and non-carriers, we hoped to elucidate mechanisms that may lead to the development of epithelial ovarian cancer. Laser microcapture of samples from 12 BRCA1 mutation carriers and 12 non-mutation subjects was performed. Samples were further grouped according to menstrual cycle.
Project description:Gene expression profiles of normal human mammary tissue from BRCA1 mutation carriers, non-BRCA1/2 mutation carriers and normal women. RNA was prepared from normal breast tissue (confirmed by pathology) from reduction mammoplasties (n=5) and prophylactic mastectomies of known BRCA1 (n=7) and non-BRCA1/2 mutation carriers (n=8). non-BRCA1/2 carriers were individuals with a strong family history of breast cancer (kConFab Category 1 (http://www.kconfab.org/Collection/Eligibility.shtml) where no mutation in BRCA1 or BRCA2 has been identified in the family by high sensitivity testing (http://www.kconfab.org/Progress/Sensitivity.shtml) of any individual affected by breast or ovarian cancer. Normal breast samples refer to reduction mammoplasty specimens, where family history is generally not known. Microarray expression profiles were obtained from whole pre-neoplastic breast tissue from three categories of patient, as described in the summary. Samples were checked for keratin gene expression levels as a marker for epithelium tissue, and a number of samples were removed because two or more keratin genes lacked detectable expression (BeadStudio detection p-value 0.01). One other sample was removed because its expression profile appeared abnormal. Out of 36 samples initially profiled, 20 passed the quality filters and were used for the final analysis.