CXCR4 inhibitors could benefit to HER2 but not to triple-negative breast cancer patients

Oncogene. 2017 Mar 2;36(9):1211-1222. doi: 10.1038/onc.2016.284. Epub 2016 Sep 26.

Abstract

The CXCR4 receptor and its ligand CXCL12 (also named stromal cell-derived factor 1, SDF1) have a critical role in chemotaxis and homing, key steps in cancer metastasis. Although myofibroblasts expressing CXCL12 are associated with the presence of axillary metastases in HER2 breast cancers (BC), the therapeutic interest of targeting CXCR4/CXCL12 axis in the different BC subtypes remains unclear. Here, we investigate this question by testing antitumor activity of CXCR4 inhibitors in patient-derived xenografts (PDX), which faithfully reproduce human tumor properties. We observed that two CXCR4 inhibitors, AMD3100 and TN14003, efficiently impair tumor growth and metastasis dissemination in both Herceptin-sensitive and Herceptin-resistant HER2 BC. Conversely, blocking CXCR4/CXCL12 pathway in triple-negative (TN) BC does not reduce tumor growth, and can even increase metastatic spread. Moreover, although CXCR4 inhibitors significantly reduce myofibroblast content in all BC subtypes, they decrease angiogenesis only in HER2 BC. Thus, our findings suggest that targeting CXCR4 could provide some therapeutic interest for HER2 BC patients, whereas it has no impact or could even be detrimental for TN BC patients.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Anti-HIV Agents / pharmacology
  • Apoptosis / drug effects
  • Benzylamines
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / metabolism
  • Breast Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Breast Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Breast Neoplasms / pathology
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects
  • Cyclams
  • Female
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / drug effects
  • Heterocyclic Compounds / pharmacology*
  • Humans
  • Lung Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Lung Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Lung Neoplasms / secondary*
  • Mice
  • Neoplasm Invasiveness
  • Neovascularization, Pathologic / drug therapy*
  • Peptides / pharmacology*
  • Receptor, ErbB-2 / metabolism*
  • Receptors, CXCR4 / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Signal Transduction
  • Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Tumor Cells, Cultured
  • Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

Substances

  • Anti-HIV Agents
  • Benzylamines
  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • CXCR4 protein, human
  • Cyclams
  • Heterocyclic Compounds
  • Peptides
  • Receptors, CXCR4
  • TN14003
  • ERBB2 protein, human
  • Receptor, ErbB-2
  • plerixafor