Biology subjects

Cioccoloni, G.

Publications and source records attributed to Cioccoloni, G..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2025

Adipocytes in tumour microenvironment promote chemoresistance in TNBC through oxysterols

ObjectiveTriple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients with excess adipose tissue experience poorer disease-free survival than those with a healthy body mass index. Adipocytes, abundant in mammary tissue, store and release cholesterol, which can be hydroxylated to form oxysterols. These cholesterol derivatives activate the liver X receptor (LXR) pathway. This study tested the hypothesis that adipocytes contribute to an imbalanced tumour-microenvironment by exposing cancer cells to elevated oxysterols, mimicking chemotherapy-exposure conditions and priming for chemoresistance. MethodsTumour tissue microarray from 148 TNBC patients was assessed using immunohistochemistry for expression of CH25H, CYP46A1, CYP27A1 and P-glycoprotein, and survival outcomes assessed. Gene expression was compared between tumours from patients and mouse models with high versus low adiposity. In vitro, cells of the tumour-microenvironment were evaluated for oxysterol content, secretion, expression of relevant enzymes, and their ability to induce P-glycoprotein expression and drug resistance in TNBC cells. ResultsIn patients, expression of oxysterol-synthesizing enzymes in stroma correlated with P-glycoprotein expression in cancer epithelial cells and was associated with shorter disease-free survival. Adipocytes conditioned media contained significantly higher oxysterols levels than that conditioned by other cell types and induced P-glycoprotein expression and drug resistance in MDA.MB.468 cells. Obese mice had elevated levels of P-glycoprotein in tumours compared to lean counterparts. ConclusionsAdipocytes secrete oxysterols that promote drug resistance in vitro and correlate with oxysterol:Pgp axis and survival in vivo. SignificanceThis study reveals a mechanism by which adipose tissue contributes to drug resistance in ER-negative breast cancers, identifying the oxysterol-Pgp axis as potential therapeutic target.

cancer biology↗

bioRxiv2021

Pharmacologic and genetic inhibition of cholesterol esterification reduces tumour burden: a pan-cancer systematic review and meta-analysis of preclinical models

Cholesterol esterification proteins Sterol-O acyltransferases (SOAT) 1 and 2 are emerging prognostic markers in many cancers. These enzymes utilise fatty acids conjugated to coenzyme A to esterify cholesterol. Cholesterol esterification is tightly regulated and enables formation of lipid droplets that act as storage organelles for lipid soluble vitamins and minerals, and as cholesterol reservoirs. In cancer, this provides rapid access to cholesterol to maintain continual synthesis of the plasma membrane. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we summarise the current depth of understanding of the role of this metabolic pathway in pan-cancer development. A systematic search of PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science for preclinical studies identified eight studies where cholesteryl ester concentrations were compared between tumour and adjacent-normal tissue, and 24 studies where cholesterol esterification was blocked by pharmacological or genetic approaches. Tumour tissue had a significantly greater concentration of cholesteryl esters than non-tumour tissue (p<0.0001). Pharmacological or genetic inhibition of SOAT was associated with significantly smaller tumours of all types (p[≤]0.002). SOAT inhibition increased tumour apoptosis (p=0.007), CD8+ lymphocyte infiltration and cytotoxicity (p[≤]0.05), and reduced proliferation (p=0.0003) and metastasis (p<0.0001). Significant risk of publication bias was found and may have contributed to a 32% overestimation of the meta-analysed effect size was overestimated. Avasimibe, the most frequently used SOAT inhibitor, was effective at doses equivalent to those previously reported to be safe and tolerable in humans. This work indicates that SOAT inhibition should be explored in clinical trials as an adjunct to existing anti-neoplastic agents.

cancer biology↗

bioRxiv2020

Liver x receptor alpha drives chemoresistance in response to side-chain hydroxycholesterols in triple negative breast cancer

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is challenging to treat successfully because targeted therapies do not exist. Instead, systemic therapy is typically restricted to cytotoxic chemotherapy, which fails more often in patients with elevated circulating cholesterol. Liver x receptors are ligand-dependent transcription factors that are homeostatic regulators of cholesterol, and are linked to regulation of broad-affinity xenobiotic transporter activity in non-tumor tissues. We show that LXR ligands confer chemotherapy resistance in TNBC cell lines and xenografts, and that LXRalpha is necessary and sufficient to mediate this resistance. Furthermore, in TNBC patients who had cancer recurrences, LXRalpha and ligands were independent markers of poor prognosis and correlated with P-glycoprotein expression. However, in patients who survived their disease, LXRalpha signaling and P-glycoprotein were decoupled. These data reveal a novel chemotherapy resistance mechanism in this poor prognosis subtype of breast cancer. We conclude that systemic chemotherapy failure in some TNBC patients is caused by co-opting the LXRalpha:P-glycoprotein axis, a pathway highly targetable by therapies that are already used for prevention and treatment of other diseases.

cancer biology↗