Twist, a Master Regulator of Morphogenesis, Plays an Essential Role in Tumor Metastasis
TL;DR: A mechanistic link between Twist, EMT, and tumor metastasis is established, suggesting that Twist contributes to metastasis by promoting an epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT).
About: This article is published in Cell.The article was published on 2004-06-25 and is currently open access. It has received 3670 citations till now. The article focuses on the topics: Twist transcription factor & Metastasis.
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TL;DR: Processes similar to the EMTs associated with embryo implantation, embryogenesis, and organ development are appropriated and subverted by chronically inflamed tissues and neoplasias and the identification of the signaling pathways that lead to activation of EMT programs during these disease processes is providing new insights into the plasticity of cellular phenotypes.
Abstract: The origins of the mesenchymal cells participating in tissue repair and pathological processes, notably tissue fibrosis, tumor invasiveness, and metastasis, are poorly understood. However, emerging evidence suggests that epithelial-mesenchymal transitions (EMTs) represent one important source of these cells. As we discuss here, processes similar to the EMTs associated with embryo implantation, embryogenesis, and organ development are appropriated and subverted by chronically inflamed tissues and neoplasias. The identification of the signaling pathways that lead to activation of EMT programs during these disease processes is providing new insights into the plasticity of cellular phenotypes and possible therapeutic interventions.
8,587 citations
TL;DR: It is reported that the induction of an EMT in immortalized human mammary epithelial cells (HMLEs) results in the acquisition of mesenchymal traits and in the expression of stem-cell markers, and it is shown that those cells have an increased ability to form mammospheres, a property associated with mammARY epithelial stem cells.
8,052 citations
Cites background or methods from "Twist, a Master Regulator of Morpho..."
...…traits, we induced an EMT in nontumorigenic, immortalized human mammaryepithelial cells (HMLEs) by ectopic expression of either the Twist or Snail transcription factors, both of which are capable of inducing EMTs in epithelial cells (Batlle et al., 2000; Cano et al., 2000; Yang et al., 2004, 2006)....
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...…confer malignant traits, such as motility, invasiveness, and resistance to apoptosis, on neoplastic cells (Cheng et al., 2007; Comijn et al., 2001; Hartwell et al., 2006; Huber et al., 2005; Mani et al., 2007; Oft et al., 2002; Peinado et al., 2007; Savagner et al., 2005; Yang et al., 2004, 2006)....
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...Reverse Transcriptase PCR Analysis SYBR-Green real-time RT-PCR and the corresponding data analysis were described earlier (Yang et al., 2004)....
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TL;DR: Understanding of the origins and nature of cancer metastasis and the selection of traits that are advantageous to cancer cells is promoted.
3,863 citations
Cites background from "Twist, a Master Regulator of Morpho..."
...In a recent study of genes involved in lung metastasis of a mouse mammary tumor cell line, enhanced expression of Twist—a transcription factor that promotes EMT transitions—was found to favor metastasis due to its ability to augment the rate of hematogenous intravasation (Yang et al., 2004)....
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...togenous intravasation (Yang et al., 2004)....
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TL;DR: Understanding how mesenchymal cells arise from an epithelial default status will also have a strong impact in unravelling the mechanisms that control fibrosis and cancer progression.
Abstract: Epithelial-mesenchymal transition is an indispensable mechanism during morphogenesis, as without mesenchymal cells, tissues and organs will never be formed. However, epithelial-cell plasticity, coupled to the transient or permanent formation of mesenchyme, goes far beyond the problem of cell-lineage segregation. Understanding how mesenchymal cells arise from an epithelial default status will also have a strong impact in unravelling the mechanisms that control fibrosis and cancer progression.
3,804 citations
TL;DR: It is found that all five members of the microRNA-200 family were markedly downregulated in cells that had undergone EMT in response to transforming growth factor (TGF)-β or to ectopic expression of the protein tyrosine phosphatase Pez, suggesting that downregulation of themicroRNAs may be an important step in tumour progression.
Abstract: Epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) facilitates tissue remodelling during embryonic development and is viewed as an essential early step in tumour metastasis. We found that all five members of the microRNA-200 family (miR-200a, miR-200b, miR-200c, miR-141 and miR-429) and miR-205 were markedly downregulated in cells that had undergone EMT in response to transforming growth factor (TGF)-β or to ectopic expression of the protein tyrosine phosphatase Pez. Enforced expression of the miR-200 family alone was sufficient to prevent TGF-β-induced EMT. Together, these microRNAs cooperatively regulate expression of the E-cadherin transcriptional repressors ZEB1 (also known as δEF1) and SIP1 (also known as ZEB2), factors previously implicated in EMT and tumour metastasis. Inhibition of the microRNAs was sufficient to induce EMT in a process requiring upregulation of ZEB1 and/or SIP1. Conversely, ectopic expression of these microRNAs in mesenchymal cells initiated mesenchymal to epithelial transition (MET). Consistent with their role in regulating EMT, expression of these microRNAs was found to be lost in invasive breast cancer cell lines with mesenchymal phenotype. Expression of the miR-200 family was also lost in regions of metaplastic breast cancer specimens lacking E-cadherin. These data suggest that downregulation of the microRNAs may be an important step in tumour progression. MicroRNAs are small, non-coding RNAs that modulate gene expression post-transcriptionally. In metazoa, they act predominantly to inhibit translation of their specific targets, but they also typically cause a modest reduction in the level of their target mRNAs 1,2 . Hundreds of microRNAs have been identified in vertebrates, with varying patterns of expression that range from ubiquitous to highly tissue- or developmental-stage-restricted. In some cases, an individual microRNA can act as a developmental switch by regulating a key target mRNA 3 . Speculating that switching between cell phenotypes that occurs during EMT may be specified to some extent by microRNAs, we searched for microRNAs whose expression changed during EMT. To this end, we used an in vitro model of EMT, which was generated by stable transfection of Madin Darby canine kidney (MDCK) epithelial cells with the protein tyrosine phosphatase Pez (PTP-Pez). Overexpression of PTP-Pez caused MDCK cells to undergo EMT, as indicated by loss of E-cadherin expression, gain in expression of the mesenchymal markers fibronectin, ZEB1 and SIP1, loss of cohesion, induction of cell motility and a change in cell morphology
3,640 citations
Cites background from "Twist, a Master Regulator of Morpho..."
...Several studies using in vivo mouse-model systems have suggested that EMT is involved in breast cancer metastasi...
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References
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TL;DR: DNA microarray analysis on primary breast tumours of 117 young patients is used and supervised classification is applied to identify a gene expression signature strongly predictive of a short interval to distant metastases (‘poor prognosis’ signature) in patients without tumour cells in local lymph nodes at diagnosis, providing a strategy to select patients who would benefit from adjuvant therapy.
Abstract: Breast cancer patients with the same stage of disease can have markedly different treatment responses and overall outcome. The strongest predictors for metastases (for example, lymph node status and histological grade) fail to classify accurately breast tumours according to their clinical behaviour. Chemotherapy or hormonal therapy reduces the risk of distant metastases by approximately one-third; however, 70-80% of patients receiving this treatment would have survived without it. None of the signatures of breast cancer gene expression reported to date allow for patient-tailored therapy strategies. Here we used DNA microarray analysis on primary breast tumours of 117 young patients, and applied supervised classification to identify a gene expression signature strongly predictive of a short interval to distant metastases ('poor prognosis' signature) in patients without tumour cells in local lymph nodes at diagnosis (lymph node negative). In addition, we established a signature that identifies tumours of BRCA1 carriers. The poor prognosis signature consists of genes regulating cell cycle, invasion, metastasis and angiogenesis. This gene expression profile will outperform all currently used clinical parameters in predicting disease outcome. Our findings provide a strategy to select patients who would benefit from adjuvant therapy.
9,664 citations
TL;DR: Epithelial–mesenchymal transition provides a new basis for understanding the progression of carcinoma towards dedifferentiated and more malignant states.
Abstract: Without epithelial–mesenchymal transitions, in which polarized epithelial cells are converted into motile cells, multicellular organisms would be incapable of getting past the blastula stage of embryonic development. However, this important developmental programme has a more sinister role in tumour progression. Epithelial–mesenchymal transition provides a new basis for understanding the progression of carcinoma towards dedifferentiated and more malignant states.
6,362 citations
"Twist, a Master Regulator of Morpho..." refers background in this paper
...Such EMT is suggested to contribute to the dissemination of carcinoma cells fromthat 4T1 cells are able to complete intravasation and to survive anoikis due to loss of cell-matrix attachment. epithelial tumors (Thiery, 2002)....
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TL;DR: It is shown that the MMPs have functions other than promotion of invasion, have substrates other than components of the extracellular matrix, and that they function before invasion in the development of cancer.
Abstract: Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) have long been associated with cancer-cell invasion and metastasis. This provided the rationale for clinical trials of MMP inhibitors, unfortunately with disappointing results. We now know, however, that the MMPs have functions other than promotion of invasion, have substrates other than components of the extracellular matrix, and that they function before invasion in the development of cancer. With this knowledge in hand, can we rethink the use of MMP inhibitors in the clinic?
5,860 citations
TL;DR: It is reported that the chemokine receptors CXCR4 and CCR7 are highly expressed in human breast cancer cells, malignant breast tumours and metastases and their respective ligands CXCL12/SDF-1α and CCL21/6Ckine exhibit peak levels of expression in organs representing the first destinations of breast cancer metastasis.
Abstract: Breast cancer is characterized by a distinct metastatic pattern involving the regional lymph nodes, bone marrow, lung and liver. Tumour cell migration and metastasis share many similarities with leukocyte trafficking, which is critically regulated by chemokines and their receptors. Here we report that the chemokine receptors CXCR4 and CCR7 are highly expressed in human breast cancer cells, malignant breast tumours and metastases. Their respective ligands CXCL12/SDF-1α and CCL21/6Ckine exhibit peak levels of expression in organs representing the first destinations of breast cancer metastasis. In breast cancer cells, signalling through CXCR4 or CCR7 mediates actin polymerization and pseudopodia formation, and subsequently induces chemotactic and invasive responses. In vivo, neutralizing the interactions of CXCL12/CXCR4 significantly impairs metastasis of breast cancer cells to regional lymph nodes and lung. Malignant melanoma, which has a similar metastatic pattern as breast cancer but also a high incidence of skin metastases, shows high expression levels of CCR10 in addition to CXCR4 and CCR7. Our findings indicate that chemokines and their receptors have a critical role in determining the metastatic destination of tumour cells.
5,132 citations
"Twist, a Master Regulator of Morpho..." refers background in this paper
...To test whether thesebreast cancers and melanomas and can elicit chemotacsiRNAs could suppress Twist expression in 4T1 cells,tic and invasive responses (Muller et al., 2001)....
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TL;DR: It is now known that the potential of a tumour cell to metastasize depends on its interactions with the homeostatic factors that promote tumour-cell growth, survival, angiogenesis, invasion and metastasis.
Abstract: Researchers have been studying metastasis for more than 100 years, and only recently have we gained insight into the mechanisms by which metastatic cells arise from primary tumours and the reasons that certain tumour types tend to metastasize to specific organs. Stephen Paget's 1889 proposal that metastasis depends on cross-talk between selected cancer cells (the 'seeds') and specific organ microenvironments (the 'soil') still holds forth today. It is now known that the potential of a tumour cell to metastasize depends on its interactions with the homeostatic factors that promote tumour-cell growth, survival, angiogenesis, invasion and metastasis. How has this field developed over the past century, and what major breakthroughs are most likely to lead to effective therapeutic approaches?
4,319 citations
"Twist, a Master Regulator of Morpho..." refers background in this paper
...…at distal sites.75230 Paris Cedex 05 Finally, in the new host environment, an even smallerFrance subset of such metastasizing cells succeeds in prolifer-5 EMI 0229 INSERM ating from minute growths (micrometastases) into malig-CRLC Val d’Aurelle-Paul Lamarque nant, secondary tumors (Fidler, 2003)....
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