breast cancer

The human apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1 (APE1) is a multifunctional DNA repair enzyme with relevant redox signalling functions. In this paper entitled “The APE1 redox inhibitor E3330 reduces collective cell migration of human breast cancer cells and decreases chemoinvasion and colony formation when combined with docetaxel”, the quinone derivative E3330, a redox inhibitor of APE1, decreased the colony formation and chemoinvasion of docetaxel-treated MDA-MB-231 cells. In addition, E3330 as single agent significantly reduced the collective cell migration.

A endonuclease apurínica/apirimidínica 1 (APE1) é uma enzima de reparação do DNA multifuncional com funções relevantes na sinalização redox. Neste artigo intitulado “The APE1 redox inhibitor E3330 reduces collective cell migration of human breast cancer cells and decreases chemoinvasion and colony formation when combined with docetaxel”, o composto E3330, uma quinona que atua como inibidor da função redox da APE1, levou ao decréscimo da formação de colónias e da quimio-invasão de células MDA-MB-231 tratadas com docetaxel.

A research team leaded by Elisabete Castanheira and Paulo Coutinho, of the Centre of Physics of University of Minho, has been focused on the development of magnetic liposomes (“magnetoliposomes”), which combine magnetic nanoparticles and liposomes. The developed systems have been tested as nanocarriers for new potential antitumor drugs. The latter have been obtained at the Centre of Chemistry of University of Minho (Maria João Queiroz’s research group). In this study, recently published, a new molecule especially active against breast cancer was tested.

Breast cancer is the most common cause of cancer death in women, being 70%-80% of the tumors estrogen-receptor positive. One of the main therapeutic approaches applied is the use of aromatase inhibitors (AIs), since they decrease the synthesis of estrogens, which are necessary for the growth of this type of tumors. Although, despite its therapeutic success, the AIs used in the clinic induce some adverse effects, namely the occurrence of endocrine resistance.

O cancro de mama é a causa mais comum de morte por cancro em mulheres, sendo 70%-80% dos tumores recetor de estrogénio positivo. Uma das principais estratégias terapêuticas utilizadas é o uso de inibidores da aromatase (AIs), uma vez que diminuem a síntese de estrogénios necessários ao crescimento destes tumores. No entanto, apesar do seu sucesso terapêutico, os AIs utilizados na clínica induzem alguns efeitos adversos, nomeadamente o desenvolvimento de resistência endócrina.

This work was performed at Breast Cancer Research Laboratory, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA. We employed the technique of laser capture microdissection to obtain selected chosen cells without contamination of other cells that could interfere with final results of molecular analysis. Results confirmed that genetic alterations at specific loci of 9p occur earlier than discernable morphological or histopathological alterations and the presence of genetic alterations within morphologically normal breast tissue adjacent to carcinoma foci was also assessed.

In this study, a comparative analysis of the volatile metabolomic signature of BC cell lines (T-47D, MDA-MB-231, MCF-7) and normal human mammary epithelial cells (HMEC), was carried out, in order to identify BC-specific VOCs and to identify a set of markers that could hopefully be correlated with VOCs released in vivo by BC cells.