Autocrine/paracrine mechanism of interleukin-17B receptor promotes breast tumorigenesis through NF-κB-mediated antiapoptotic pathway

Oncogene. 2014 Jun 5;33(23):2968-77. doi: 10.1038/onc.2013.268. Epub 2013 Jul 15.

Abstract

Gain of function of membrane receptor was a good strategy exploited by cancer cells to benefit own growth and survival. Overexpression of HER2 has been found to serve as a target for developing trastuzumab to treat 20-25% of breast cancer. However, little or none of the other membrane receptor was found to be useful as a potential target for breast cancer treatment since then. Here, we showed that amplified signaling of interleukin-17 receptor B (IL-17RB) and its ligand IL-17B promoted tumorigenicity in breast cancer cells and impeded acinus formation in immortalized normal mammary epithelial cells. External signal transmitted through IL-17RB activated nuclear factor-κB to upregulate antiapoptotic factor Bcl-2 and induced etoposide resistance. Elevated expression of IL-17RB had a stronger correlation with poor prognosis than HER2 in breast cancer patients. Interestingly, breast cancer patients with high expression of IL-17RB and HER2 had the shortest survival rate. Depletion of IL-17RB in trastuzumab-resistant breast cancer cells significantly reduced their tumorigenic activity, suggesting that IL-17RB and HER2 have an independent role in breast carcinogenesis. Furthermore, treatment with antibodies specifically against IL-17RB or IL-17B effectively attenuated tumorigenicity of breast cancer cells. These results suggest that the amplified IL-17RB/IL-17B signaling pathways may serve as a therapeutic target for developing treatment to manage IL-17RB-associated breast cancer.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Apoptosis / drug effects
  • Autocrine Communication
  • Breast Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Breast Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Carcinogenesis* / drug effects
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Etoposide / pharmacology
  • Female
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
  • Humans
  • Interleukin-17 / immunology
  • Interleukin-17 / metabolism
  • MCF-7 Cells
  • Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred NOD
  • Mice, SCID
  • NF-kappa B / antagonists & inhibitors
  • NF-kappa B / metabolism*
  • Paracrine Communication
  • Receptor, ErbB-2 / metabolism
  • Receptors, Interleukin-17 / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Receptors, Interleukin-17 / metabolism*
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects
  • Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

Substances

  • Interleukin-17
  • NF-kappa B
  • Receptors, Interleukin-17
  • Etoposide
  • Receptor, ErbB-2