| Literature DB >> 33372393 |
Remi Klotz1,2, Min Yu1,2.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: How tumor cells disseminate to brain and establish brain metastasis remains partly an unsolved problem. This devastating complication of many cancers is initiated by a rare subset of the circulating tumor cells (CTCs) shed into the blood stream. Thus, the profiling of the molecular properties in these brain metastasis-initiating CTCs is essential to uncover the mechanisms underlying brain metastasis. RECENTEntities:
Keywords: brain metastasis; circulating tumor cells; liquid biopsies
Mesh:
Year: 2020 PMID: 33372393 PMCID: PMC9124503 DOI: 10.1002/cnr2.1239
Source DB: PubMed Journal: Cancer Rep (Hoboken) ISSN: 2573-8348
FIGURE 1Determinants of brain metastasis‐initiating circulating tumor cells. Tumor cells from the primary tumor may spread to the brain through the blood. CTCs are present in very low concentrations in the blood of cancer patient; however, a small subset of CTCs is expected to be uniquely capable of extravasation thought the BBB. The molecular features of these brain metastasis‐initiating CTCs have been studied, and some of the key molecules involved in the brain tropism are summarized in this figure. At the cell surface, brain‐tropic CTCs are negative for EpCAM and enriched for Her2, EGFR, Notch1, and integrin B1. , , The transmembrane receptor Semaphorin 4D and proteinase Cathepsin S are upregulated in brain‐tropic CTCs and facilitate transmigration of the BBB. , Exosomes isolated from brain‐tropic CTC are enriched in miR‐210, phospho‐p70 S6 Kinase (Thr389), annexin VII, phospho‐PDK1‐Ser241, Chk1, and Smad3. Copy number alterations (gain) have been detected for PDPK1, MUC1, and NOTCH1 genes in brain‐tropic CTCs. The transcription factor MYC is upregulated in breast cancer brain‐tropic CTCs and promotes the antioxidant enzyme GPX1 expression. MYC/GPX1 mitigate the oxidative stress elicited by activated microglia. A, astrocyte; BBB, blood‐brain barrier; BM, basement membrane; CTC, circulating tumor cell; EC, endothelial cell; EpCAM, epithelial cell adhesion molecule; P, pericyte
Molecular profile of brain metastasis‐initiating circulating tumor cells
| Molecule | Finding Description | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| EpCAM | Absence of EpCAM expression in CTCs derived from BMBC | Zhang et al |
| HER2 | Identified in a subset of CTCs harboring high competence for brain metastasis. CTCs derived from triple‐negative BMBC patient express HER2 | Zhang et al |
| EGFR | Identified in a subset of CTCs harboring high competence for brain metastasis. CTC derived from triple‐negative BMBC patient express EGFR | Zhang et al |
| HPSE | Identified in a subset of CTCs harboring high competence for brain metastasis | Zhang et al |
| Notch1 | Identified in a subset of CTCs harboring high competence for brain metastasis. Notch activity is a feature of BMBC CTCs | Zhang et al |
| Notch3 | Copy number alteration (gain) detected in CTC lines derived from BMBC | Riebensahm et al |
| uPAR/integrin β1 | EpCAM‐negative CTCs expressing uPAR/intB1 were detected in the blood of patients whose breast cancer had metastasized to the brain | Vishnoi et al |
| MUC1 | Copy number alteration (gain 1q22‐q23.2) detected in CTC lines derived from BMBC | Riebensahm et al |
| PDPK1 | Copy number alteration (gain) detected in CTC lines derived from BMBC | Riebensahm et al |
| TP53, ARID1A, CDH1, TTN | Most frequently mutated genes in CTC lines derived from BMBC | Riebensahm et al |
| Nuclear DUSP6 | DUSP6 protein is predominantly nuclear in HER2‐positive CTCs and brain metastases of TNBC patients | Wu et al |
| miR‐210 | Upregulated miRNA in exosomes from BM vs non‐BM CTC line | Camacho et al |
| miR‐19a, miR‐29c | Downregulated miRNA in exosomes from BM vs non‐BM CTC line | Camacho et al |
| phospho‐p70 S6 Kinase‐Thr389, annexin VII, phosphor‐PDK1‐Ser241, Chk1, Smad3 | Upregulated proteins in exosomes from BM vs non‐BM CTC line | Camacho et al |
| ACC1, TFRC, TSC1, Bcl‐xL | Downregulated proteins in exosomes from BM vs non‐BM CTC line | Camacho et al |
| Cathepsin S | CTSS was highly expressed in SCLC CTC lines | Rath et al |
| Semaphorin 4D | SEMA4D promotes brain metastasis by enabling breast cancer CTC lines to cross the blood–brain barrier | Klotz et al |
| MYC, GPX1 | MYC upregulates the antioxidant enzyme GPX1 expression in breast cancer CTCs. MYC/GPX1 mitigate the oxidative stress elicited by activated microglia | Klotz et al |
Abbreviations: BM, brain metastatic; BMBC, brain metastatic breast cancer; CTC, circulating tumor cell; EpCAM, epithelial cell adhesion molecule; SCLC, small cell lung cancer; TNBC, triple‐negative breast cancer.