Choosing the right cell line for breast cancer research

Abstract

Breast cancer is a complex and heterogeneous disease. Gene expression profiling has contributed significantly to our understanding of this heterogeneity at a molecular level, refining taxonomy based on simple measures such as histological type, tumour grade, lymph node status and the presence of predictive markers like oestrogen receptor and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) to a more sophisticated classification comprising luminal A, luminal B, basal-like, HER2-positive and normal subgroups. In the laboratory, breast cancer is often modelled using established cell lines. In the present review we discuss some of the issues surrounding the use of breast cancer cell lines as experimental models, in light of these revised clinical classifications, and put forward suggestions for improving their use in translational breast cancer research.

Profiling plasma extracellular vesicle by pluronic block‐copolymer based enrichment method unveils features associated with breast cancer aggression, metastasis and invasion

“…Characterizations of the four different breast cancer cell lines, including MCF7, MDA-MB-231, MDA-MB-468 and T47D, have been done elsewhere [43]. Though genotypes, morphologies as well as growth rates might be different for these cell lines, one character in common for these cell lines is that they are all derived from cancer metastasis/invasion sites [44–47] and they are all able to show aggression, metastasis and invasion behaviour in different models [43,48], implying certain common factor might be involved in regulating such aggression/metastasis/invasion behaviour.…”

EGFR‐targeted Chimeras of Pseudomonas ToxA released into the extracellular milieu by attenuated Salmonella selectively kill tumor cells

“…Treatment of cancer remains complex due to substantial phenotypic variations based on underlying genotypic differences found among cancers of the same tissue type. Breast cancers, for example, are categorized into the groups luminal A and B, basal, claudin-low, and HER2, each of which have further subtypes with specialized treatment modalities, including ones based on cell surface receptors (Holliday and Speirs, 2011). Cell surface targeted treatments for cancer include transtuzumab (Herceptin ® ), a monoclonal antibody that is targeted to HER2 and cetuximab (Erbitux ® ), a monoclonal antibody targeted to epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR).…”

Induction of a novel isoform of the lncRNA HOTAIR in Claudin‐low breast cancer cells attached to extracellular matrix

“…This molecular stratification complements the pathological classifiers of breast cancer, namely estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), and is preserved in the established human breast cancer cell lines (Holliday and Speirs, 2011; Parker et al ., 2009; Prat and Perou, 2011). Claudin‐low subtype correlates with triple‐negative (ER‐negative, PR‐negative, and HER2‐negative) invasive ductal carcinomas (Holliday and Speirs, 2011; Prat et al ., 2010). The gene expression profile of Claudin‐low subtype is enriched with the signaling components that regulate cellular responses to extracellular matrix (ECM) (Charafe‐Jauffret et al ., 2009; Creighton et al ., 2009; Hennessy et al ., 2009; Prat et al ., 2010; Shipitsin et al ., 2007; Taube et al ., 2010).…”

“…Two Claudin‐low human breast cancer cell lines MDA‐MB‐231 and Hs578T were purchased from ATCC (Manassas, VA, USA) (Holliday and Speirs, 2011). The cell lines were cultured in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium (DMEM) as we previously described (Zhuang et al ., 2010).…”