Breast cancer metastasis to bone: Breast osteoblast-like cells on the way home

Cancer Diagnostics Conference & Expo

June 13-15, 2016 Rome, Italy

Manuel Scimeca

University of Rome Tor Vergata, Italy

Posters & Accepted Abstracts: J Cancer Sci Ther

Abstract :

The aim of this study was to verify if breast cancer metastases to bone are early determined in the primitive lesions as breast osteoblast-like cells (BOLCs) appear in breast tissues. To this end, we collected 64 breast infiltrating carcinomas (IC) and 50 breast benignant lesions. In addition, we collected 10 biopsies of bone metastasis selected from IC patients. Immunohistochemical and ultrastructural analysis allowed us to investigate the presence of recognized BOLCs in breast cancer and metastatic sites. Moreover, we investigated the occurrence of epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) and the expression of molecules involved in bone metabolism. EMT characterization allowed us to establish the presence of a pool of â�?�?mesenchymal-likeâ�? cells in IC. Our results showed a higher expression of BMP-2/4 and PTX3 in breast IC suggesting that the microenvironment of breast cancer is very similar to the bone one. Moreover, we also identify numerous RANKL and Vitamin D-receptor positive breast cancer cells as aspect by osteoblasts. Thanks to ultrastructural analysis, we also revealed the presence of BOLCs at the metastatic site. In this microenvironment BOLCs, â�?�?being at homeâ�?, actively produced hydroxyapatite crystal. All together, these data suggest a possible mechanism of bone metastases. In our thesis, BOLCs detach from the primary tumor site, and colonize the bone surface triggering bone resorption by RANK/ RANKL pathway. In this context, the metastatic lesions could take place thanks to the unbalance in the bone microenvironment due to the presence of a high amount of cells able to activate the osteoclasts (resident osteoblasts and the BOLCs).

Biography :

Email: manuel.scimeca@uniroma2.it