Deconstructing the molecular portrait of basal-like breast cancer.
Gene-expression profiling has revealed several molecular subtypes of breast cancer, which differ in their pathobiology and clinical outcomes. Basal-like tumors are a newly recognized subtype of breast cancer, which express genes that are characteristic of basal epithelial cells, such as the basal cytokeratins, and are associated with poor relapse-free and overall survival. However, the genetic and epigenetic alterations that are responsible for the biologically aggressive phenotype of these estrogen receptor-negative and HER2/ErbB2-negative tumors are not well understood, thereby hindering efforts to develop targeted therapies. Here, we focus on new insights into the molecular pathogenesis of basal-like breast cancer and explore how these discoveries might impact the treatment of these poor-prognosis tumors.
Yehiely
Fruma
F
Cell Death Regulation Laboratory, Departments of Medicine and Cell and Molecular Biology, Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.
Moyano
Jose V
JV
Evans
Joseph R
JR
Nielsen
Torsten O
TO
Cryns
Vincent L
VL
D019313:BRCA1 Protein / Q000235:genetics*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D018295:Neoplasms, Basal Cell / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D040081:Protein Array Analysis; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000235:genetics*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D038205:beta-Crystallin A Chain / Q000378:metabolism
D019313:BRCA1 Protein; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D038205:beta-Crystallin A Chain