LABORATORY RESEARCH Podocalyxin-Like Protein 1 Functions as an Immunomodulatory Molecule in Breast Cancer Cells Researchers determined the effect of podocalyxin-like protein 1 overexpressed in MCF7 breast cancer cells on natural killer cell cytotoxicity, dendritic cell maturation, and agonist-induced T cell proliferation. [Cancer Lett] Abstract ABCG2 Transporter Inhibitor Restores the Sensitivity of Triple Negative Breast Cancer Cells to Aminolevulinic Acid-Mediated Photodynamic Therapy Photosensitizer protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) fluorescence, intracellular localization and cell response to photodynamic therapy were analyzed in MCF10A normal breast epithelial cells and a panel of human breast cancer cells including estrogen receptor positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 positive and triple negative breast cancer cells after treatment with PpIX precursor aminolevulinic acid. [Sci Rep] Full Article Leptin Produced by Obese Adipose Stromal/Stem Cells Enhances Proliferation and Metastasis of Estrogen Receptor Positive Breast Cancers Estrogen receptor positive breast cancer cells (BCCs) were co-cultured with leptin shRNA adipose stromal/stem cells (ASCs) isolated from lean women or leptin shRNA ASCs isolated from obese women and changes in the proliferation, migration, invasion, and gene expression of BCCs were investigated. [Breast Cancer Res] Full Article Brief-Exposure to Preoperative Bevacizumab Reveals a TGF-β Signature Predictive of Response in HER2-Negative Breast Cancers In order to best define biomarkers of response, and to shed insight on mechanism of action of certain clinically important agents for early breast cancer, researchers used a brief-exposure paradigm in the preoperative setting to study transcriptional changes in patient tumors that occur with one dose of therapy prior to combination chemotherapy. [Int J Cancer] Abstract ADAM10: A New Player in Breast Cancer Progression? ADAM10 expression was decreased by RNA interference and the effects of this on cell numbers, invasion and migration were determined. Investigators also examined the effect of ADAM10 inhibition on breast cancer cell line invasion and migration. [Br J Cancer] Full Article Adipocytes Can Induce Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in Breast Cancer Cells Researchers investigated the involvement of adipocytes in the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in breast cancer. Breast cancer cell lines MCF-7, MDA-MB-453, MDA-MB-435S, MDA-MB-231, and MDA-MB-468 were co-cultured with adipocytes and analyzed for morphological changes, proliferation activity, EMT markers, migration, and invasion. [Breast Cancer Res Treat] Abstract N1-Guanyl-1,7-Diaminoheptane Sensitizes Estrogen Receptor Negative Breast Cancer Cells to Doxorubicin by Preventing Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition through Inhibition of Eukaryotic Translation Initiation Factor 5A2 Activation Researchers found that N1-guanyl-1,7-diaminoheptan enhanced doxorubicin cytotoxicity in estrogen receptor (ER)-negative HCC1937 cells but had little effect in ER-positive MCF-7 and Bcap-37 cells. [Cell Physiol Biochem] Abstract | Full Article Identification of miR-200a as a Novel Suppressor of Connexin-43 in Breast Cancer Cells Overexpression of connexin 43 (Cx43) in MCF-7 cells potentiated the migration activity, while additional miRNA (miR)-200a treatment notably prevented this effect. Researchers also demonstrated that decreased levels of miR-200a and elevated expression of Cx43 in the metastatic breast cancer tissues versus the primary ones. [Biosci Rep] Abstract Claudin 1 Promotes Migration and Increases Sensitivity to Tamoxifen and Anticancer Drugs in Luminal-Like Human Breast Cancer Cells MCF7 Claudin 1 promoted migration in luminal-like MCF7 human breast cancer cells and increased their sensitivity to tamoxifen, etoposide, and cisplatin. They also observed an inverse relationship between upregulation of claudin 1 and TGFβ. [Cancer Invest] Abstract CLINICAL RESEARCH Neoadjuvant plus Adjuvant Bevacizumab in Early Breast Cancer (NSABP B-40 [NRG Oncology]): Secondary Outcomes of a Phase III, Randomized Controlled Trial Patients received one of three docetaxel-based neoadjuvant regimens for four cycles: docetaxel alone with addition of capecitabine or with addition of gemcitabine, all followed by neoadjuvant doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide every three weeks for four cycles. [Lancet Oncol] Abstract Octreotide LAR and Tamoxifen Versus Tamoxifen in Phase III Randomize Early Breast Cancer Trials: NCIC CTG MA.14 and NSABP B-29 NCIC CTG MA.14 and NSABP B-29 trials examined the addition of Octreotide LAR to five years of tamoxifen. The primary endpoint was disease-free survival, defined as time from randomization to time of breast cancer recurrence; second primary cancer other than squamous or basal cell skin carcinoma, cervical carcinoma in situ, or lobular breast carcinoma in situ; or death. [Breast Cancer Res Treat] Abstract |