FH535 inhibited migration and growth of breast cancer cells

PLoS One. 2012;7(9):e44418. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0044418. Epub 2012 Sep 11.

Abstract

There is substantial evidence indicating that the WNT signaling pathway is activated in various cancer cell types including breast cancer. Previous studies reported that FH535, a small molecule inhibitor of the WNT signaling pathway, decreased growth of cancer cells but not normal fibroblasts, suggesting this pathway plays a role in tumor progression and metastasis. In this study, we tested FH535 as a potential inhibitor for malignant phenotypes of breast cancer cells including migration, invasion, and growth. FH535 significantly inhibited growth, migration, and invasion of triple negative (TN) breast cancer cell lines (MDA-MB231 and HCC38) in vitro. We demonstrate that FH535 was a potent growth inhibitor for TN breast cancer cell lines (HCC38 and MDA-MB-231) but not for other, non-TN breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7, T47D or SK-Br3) when cultured in three dimensional (3D) type I collagen gels. Western blotting analyses suggest that treatment of MDA-MB-231 cells with FH535 markedly inhibited the expression of NEDD9 but not activations of FAK, Src, or downstream targets such as p38 and Erk1/2. We demonstrated that NEDD9 was specifically associated with CSPG4 but not with β1 integrin or CD44 in MDA-MB-231 cells. Analyses of gene expression profiles in breast cancer tissues suggest that CSPG4 expression is higher in Basal-type breast cancers, many of which are TN, than any other subtypes. These results suggest not only a mechanism for migration and invasion involving the canonical WNT-signaling pathways but also novel strategies for treating patients who develop TN breast cancer.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing / metabolism
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology*
  • Breast Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Cell Adhesion
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Movement / drug effects*
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects*
  • Chondroitin Sulfate Proteoglycans / metabolism
  • Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor / methods*
  • Female
  • Fibroblasts / metabolism
  • Gene Expression Profiling
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic*
  • Humans
  • Membrane Proteins / metabolism
  • Neoplasm Invasiveness
  • Phenotype
  • Phosphoproteins / metabolism
  • Sulfonamides / pharmacology*
  • Wnt Proteins / metabolism

Substances

  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing
  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • CSPG4 protein, human
  • Chondroitin Sulfate Proteoglycans
  • FH535
  • Membrane Proteins
  • NEDD9 protein, human
  • Phosphoproteins
  • Sulfonamides
  • Wnt Proteins

Grants and funding

This research was supported by a grant from the United States Department of Defense (Military Molecular Medicine Initiative MDA W81XWHH-05-2-0075, Protocol 01-20006). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.