Is androgen receptor targeting an emerging treatment strategy for triple negative breast cancer?

Aristomenis Anestis; Michalis V Karamouzis; Georgia Dalagiorgou; Athanasios G Papavassiliou

doi:10.1016/j.ctrv.2015.04.009

Is androgen receptor targeting an emerging treatment strategy for triple negative breast cancer?

Cancer Treat Rev. 2015 Jun;41(6):547-53. doi: 10.1016/j.ctrv.2015.04.009. Epub 2015 Apr 29.

Authors

Aristomenis Anestis¹, Michalis V Karamouzis², Georgia Dalagiorgou³, Athanasios G Papavassiliou⁴

Affiliations

¹ Molecular Oncology Unit, Department of Biological Chemistry, University of Athens Medical School, 75 M. Asias Street, 11527 Athens, Greece. Electronic address: arisanestis@gmail.com.
² Molecular Oncology Unit, Department of Biological Chemistry, University of Athens Medical School, 75 M. Asias Street, 11527 Athens, Greece. Electronic address: mkaramouz@med.uoa.gr.
³ Molecular Oncology Unit, Department of Biological Chemistry, University of Athens Medical School, 75 M. Asias Street, 11527 Athens, Greece. Electronic address: gdalagior@med.uoa.gr.
⁴ Molecular Oncology Unit, Department of Biological Chemistry, University of Athens Medical School, 75 M. Asias Street, 11527 Athens, Greece. Electronic address: papavas@med.uoa.gr.

PMID: 25944485
DOI: 10.1016/j.ctrv.2015.04.009

Abstract

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive breast cancer subtype. The absence of expression and/or amplification of estrogen and progesterone receptor as well as ERBB-2 prevent the use of currently available endocrine options and/or ERBB-2-directed drugs and indicates chemotherapy as the main current therapy. TNBC represents approximately 15% of breast cancer cases with high index of heterogeneity. Here, we review the role of androgen receptor in breast carcinogenesis and its association with alterations in the expression pattern and functional roles of regulatory molecules and signal transduction pathways in TNBC. Additionally, based on the so far preclinical and clinical published data, we evaluate the perspectives for using and/or developing androgen receptor targeting strategies for specific TNBC subtypes.

Keywords: Androgen receptor; Breast cancer; Estrogen receptor; Triple negative.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Androgen Antagonists / therapeutic use*
Female
Humans
Receptors, Androgen / physiology*
Signal Transduction / physiology
Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms / drug therapy*
Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms / etiology

Substances

AR protein, human
Androgen Antagonists
Receptors, Androgen