Cytokeratin 5 positive cells represent a steroid receptor negative and therapy resistant subpopulation in luminal breast cancers.
A majority of breast cancers are estrogen receptor (ER) positive and have a luminal epithelial phenotype. However, these ER⁺ tumors often contain heterogeneous subpopulations of ER⁻ tumor cells. We previously identified a population of cytokeratin 5 (CK5) positive cells within ER⁺ and progesterone receptor positive (PR⁺) tumors that is both ER⁻PR⁻ and CD44⁺, a marker of breast tumor-initiating cells (TICs). These CK5⁺ cells have properties of TICs in luminal tumor xenografts, and we speculated that they are more resistant to chemo- and anti-ER-targeted therapies than their ER⁺ neighbors. To test this, we used ER⁺PR⁺ T47D and MCF7 breast cancer cells. CK5⁺ cells had lower proliferative indices than CK5⁻ cells, were less sensitive to 5-fluorouracil and docetaxel, and cultures became enriched for CK5⁺ cells after treatments. CK5⁺ cells were less prone to drug-induced apoptosis than CK5⁻ cells. In cells treated with 17β-estradiol (E) plus anti-estrogens tamoxifen or fulvestrant, ER protein levels decreased, and CK5 protein levels increased, compared to controls treated with E alone. In ER⁺ tumors from patients treated with neoadjuvant endocrine therapies ER gene expression decreased, and CK5 gene expression increased in post compared to pre-treatment tumors. The number of CK5⁺ cells in tumors also increased in post- compared to pre-treatment tumors. We conclude that an ER⁻PR⁻CK5⁺ subpopulation found in many luminal tumors is resistant to standard endocrine and chemotherapies, relative to the majority ER⁺PR⁺CK5⁻ cells. Compounds that effectively target these cells are needed to improve outcome in luminal breast cancers.
Kabos
Peter
P
Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA.
Haughian
James M
JM
Wang
Xinshuo
X
Dye
Wendy W
WW
Finlayson
Christina
C
Elias
Anthony
A
Horwitz
Kathryn B
KB
Sartorius
Carol A
CA
D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal / Q000494:pharmacology; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; D004958:Estradiol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D000077267:Fulvestrant; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D053555:Keratin-5 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D020360:Neoadjuvant Therapy; D010641:Phenotype; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000378:metabolism*; D013629:Tamoxifen / Q000494:pharmacology
D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal; C506487:ESR1 protein, human; D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha; C503940:KRT5 protein, human; D053555:Keratin-5; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone; D013629:Tamoxifen; D000077267:Fulvestrant; D004958:Estradiol