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Acquired endocrine resistance in breast cancer: implications for tumour metastasis

Edd Hayes1, Robert I Nicholson, Stephen Hiscox

  • 1Welsh School of Pharmacy, Redwood Building, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.

Frontiers in Bioscience (Landmark Edition)
|January 4, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Drug resistance limits endocrine therapy for hormone receptor-positive breast cancer. Targeting adverse cellular changes accompanying resistance may limit tumor progression and metastasis.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Endocrinology
  • Cancer Biology

Background:

  • Endocrine therapy is standard for hormone receptor-positive breast cancer.
  • Drug resistance limits treatment efficacy, leading to disease progression and mortality.
  • Acquired endocrine resistance involves altered cellular phenotypes beyond growth factor signaling.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying adverse cellular phenotypes in acquired endocrine resistance.
  • To explore the potential of targeting these features to limit breast cancer progression.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized pre-clinical cell models of acquired endocrine resistance.
  • Analyzed alterations in cellular adhesion, migration, invasion, and angiogenic responses.

Main Results:

  • Resistant cells exhibit altered adhesive interactions.
  • Enhanced migratory and invasive behaviors were observed in resistant cells.
  • Resistant cells demonstrated capacity to induce angiogenic responses in endothelium.

Conclusions:

  • Acquired endocrine resistance in breast cancer is associated with an adverse cellular phenotype.
  • Understanding and targeting these molecular mechanisms may offer new therapeutic strategies.
  • Targeting invasion and metastasis accompanying resistance could limit in vivo tumor progression.

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