title: Development and characterization of two human triple-negative breast cancer cell lines with highly tumorigenic and metastatic capabilities.
abstract: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a group of cancer with high diversity, limited therapies, and poor prognosis. TNBC cell lines and animal models provide effective tools for studies and drug discovery. Here, we report the development of two TNBC cell lines (XtMCF and LmMCF) based on our existing cell model that consists of normal breast epithelial cell line MCF10F, estradiol-transformed cells trMCF, and Boyden chamber-selected tumorigenic cells bsMCF. The XtMCF and LmMCF cell line were derived from xenograft and lung metastasis of bsMCF cells, respectively. The bsMCF, XtMCF, and LmMCF cells have undergone epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), exhibiting a mesenchymal-like feature. In vivo studies showed XtMCF and LmMCF cells were highly tumorigenic and metastatic. The injection of 5 × 10(4) cells to CB17/SCID mice mammary fat pad produced xenografts in 9/9 mice and tumors reached 10 millimeters in diameter in 5 weeks. The injection of 1 × 10(6) XtMCF or 8 × 10(4) LmMCF cells into the mice tail vein was sufficient to form extensive lung metastases in 4 weeks. The two new cell lines exhibited CD44(+) /CD49f(+) and CD44(+) /EpCAM(+) cancer stem cell (CSC) characteristics, and the EGF-like domain of EpCAM was cleaved off. Together with the normal and early transformed counterparts, herein we provide a complete cancer model for the study of initiation, evolution, and identification of new therapeutics for TNBC. The finding that EGF-like domain of EpCAM was cleaved off in cells which have undergone EMT suggests this cleavage may be involved in the EMT process and the cancer stem cell properties of these cells.
authors.affiliation: The Irma H. Russo, MD Breast Cancer Research Laboratory, Fox Chase Cancer Center-Temple University Health System, Philadelphia, PA, 19111, USA.
authors.forename: Yanrong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Su
authors.affiliation: The Irma H. Russo, MD Breast Cancer Research Laboratory, Fox Chase Cancer Center-Temple University Health System, Philadelphia, PA, 19111, USA.
authors.forename: Thomas J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Pogash
authors.affiliation: The Irma H. Russo, MD Breast Cancer Research Laboratory, Fox Chase Cancer Center-Temple University Health System, Philadelphia, PA, 19111, USA.
authors.forename: Theresa D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.affiliation: The Irma H. Russo, MD Breast Cancer Research Laboratory, Fox Chase Cancer Center-Temple University Health System, Philadelphia, PA, 19111, USA.
authors.forename: Jose
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Russo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001665:Binding Sites; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D000071858:Epithelial Cell Adhesion Molecule / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D058750:Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition; D004958:Estradiol / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology* / Q000556:secondary*; D051379:Mice; D008954:Models, Biological; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D064726:Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: C499379:EPCAM protein, human; D000071858:Epithelial Cell Adhesion Molecule; D004958:Estradiol
keywords: EpCAM; cancer stem cell; epithelial-mesenchymal transition; triple-negative breast cancer; tumorigenicity