Silencing Aurora A leads to re-sensitization of breast cancer cells to Taxol through downregulation of SRC-mediated ERK and mTOR pathways

Oncol Rep. 2017 Oct;38(4):2011-2022. doi: 10.3892/or.2017.5908. Epub 2017 Aug 14.

Abstract

While Taxol has been reported to improve the clinical survival of breast cancer patients, subsequently developed drug-resistance of the cancer cells limits its final efficacy and applications. Previous studies suggested that Aurora A is involved in the development of the Taxol-resistance of breast cancer. We established Taxol-resistant breast cancer MCF-7/T cells and xenograft models to explore the role of Aurora A in Taxol resistant ER-positive breast cancer. Compared with their parental MCF-7/C cells, the Taxol-resistant MCF-7/T cells exhibited enhanced colony formation, less cell death and higher invasive ability. The resistant cells presented overexpressed Aurora A, elevated phosphorylated SRC and upregulated Ras/Raf/ERK and Akt/mTOR pathways. Silencing of Aurora A reduced the activity of SRC and downregulated the ERK and Akt/mTOR pathways, which led to re-sensitization of the resistant MCF-7/T cells to Taxol in vitro. These results suggested that the activation of Aurora A and the subsequent upregulation of ERK and Akt through SRC induced Taxol-resistance in breast cancer cells, and inhibiting Aurora A and the related SRC/EKT/Akt pathway could restore the sensitivity of breast cancer cells to Taxol. These results might shed light on the development of strategies to circumvent Taxol-related chemoresistance in breast cancer clinical practice.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / pharmacology
  • Aurora Kinase A / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Aurora Kinase A / genetics*
  • Breast Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Breast Neoplasms / enzymology*
  • Drug Resistance, Neoplasm
  • Female
  • Gene Knockdown Techniques
  • Heterografts
  • Humans
  • MAP Kinase Signaling System*
  • MCF-7 Cells
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Mice, Nude
  • MicroRNAs / administration & dosage
  • MicroRNAs / genetics
  • Paclitaxel / pharmacology*
  • TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases / metabolism*
  • Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
  • src-Family Kinases / metabolism*

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic
  • MicroRNAs
  • MTOR protein, human
  • src-Family Kinases
  • AURKA protein, human
  • Aurora Kinase A
  • TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases
  • Paclitaxel