成骨细胞特异性转录因子2与乳腺癌

Runx2为成骨细胞特异性转录因子,调控成骨细胞分化和骨组织的形成.近年来研究表明,Runx2在乳腺癌中可以激活与癌症转移相关的骨基质、黏附蛋白、金属蛋白酶以及血管内皮生长因子,并且Runx2可以与一些联合抑制剂或激活剂形成调控复合体,在亚核结构域中存在,调节基因的转录以及间接地影响乳腺癌细胞的信号通路.除此之外,Runx2还可以与雌激素受体相互作用在某种程度上解除雌激素及其受体在乳腺癌发展中的调控作用.本文主要概括Runx2在乳腺癌中的作用机制,重点综述Runx2在乳腺癌中与雌激素受体相互作用的研究进展.     

Human estrogen receptor alpha gene is a target of Runx2 transcription factor in osteoblasts

Several studies into the mechanisms involved in control of osteoblast-specific gene expression have identified Runx2 and ERalpha (estrogen receptor alpha) as essential regulators of osteoblast differentiation. Recently, interactions between Runx2 and ERalpha have been described. Here, we investigate the role of Runx2 on the regulation of ERalpha expression by determining its interaction with the F promoter, one of the multiple promoters of the human ERalpha gene and the only one active in bone. We found that, in this promoter, three Runx2-like sites are present. By electrophoretic mobility shift assay in combination with supershift and ChIP experiments, we demonstrated that Runx2 preferentially binds one of the Runx2 motifs of the F promoter. To understand whether or not they are involved in influencing F promoter activity, different promoter-reporter deletion and mutation constructs were transiently transfected into human osteoblastic cells. Comparison of luciferase activities allowed the identification of a prevalent negative role of a sequence context, within the -117,877/-117,426 region, which may be under the control of Runx2 (a) site. Finally, silencing and overexpression of endogenous Runx2 provided evidence that Runx2 has a more complex role than initially expected. In fact, Runx2 (a) and Runx2 (b) sites carried out opposite roles which are conditioned by Runx2 levels in bone cells. Therefore, the resulting F promoter activity may be tightly regulated by a dynamic interplay between these two Runx2 sites, with a predominance of negative effect of the Runx2 (a) site.     

Isoflavones and bone: animal and human evidence of efficacy

Previous reports of soy extracts and isoflavone-enriched preparations studied in animals and humans have found that these molecules, when given at appropriate doses, have positive effects on the skeleton, including improvements in bone mineral content (BMC) and bone mineral density (BMD). A reduction in fracture risk of human subjects has not yet been shown in a prospective trial. Isoflavones, which exist in significant amounts only in soybeans, exert estrogen-like effects in human bone cells because of their unique organic structures that are similar to that of estradiol. The discovery of the b isoform of the estrogen receptor (ER) suggests that the molecular regulation of bone remodeling by estrogens, or estrogen-like molecules, including isoflavones, is more complex than previously thought. Depending on the type of ER present in a particular tissue, isoflavones may act as weak estrogen agonists or as weak estrogen antagonists. For example, isoflavones act as weak estrogen agonists in osteoblasts, but in reproductive cells, such as in the breast and uterus, they behave as weak estrogen antagonists. Weak agonistic effects of the isoflavones include stimulation of osteoblast proliferation and differentiation and increasing the production of cytokines that may inhibit osteclastic activity. The selective beneficial effects of estrogen-like molecules in bone tissues, compared to the anti-estrogenic effects in cells of reproductive tissues, make isoflavones attractive for the promotion of bone health. Relatively greater values of BMC and BMD of Asian populations with high consumption of soy isoflavones throughout life, compared to those with lower intakes, indirectly support the skeletal benefits of this pattern of intake of these estrogen-like molecules.     

DT56a (Femarelle): a natural selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM)

A selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM) is defined as a substance with dissimilar effects on different tissues: agonist in some and antagonists in others. The natural compound DT56a (Femarelle) was shown to activate estrogen receptors in human cultured female derived osteoblasts. It was also shown to relieve menopausal symptoms and to increase bone mineral density with no effect on sex steroid hormone levels and on the endometrial thickness. DT56a, similarly to estradiol-17β (E₂), stimulated the specific activity of creatine kinase (CK) in skeletal and vascular tissues of female rats, as a marker of estrogen receptor (ER) activation. However, in the uterus, CK was activated only by E₂ but not by DT56a. In order to prove that DT56a is a SERM, we examined the mutual interaction between DT56a and E₂, at supra physiological doses, in different tissues in both intact and ovariectomized female rats, as well as in human cultured vascular and bone cells. Administration of DT56a or E₂ stimulated CK in all tissues tested, but when given simultaneously, in intact immature female rats, DT56a completely abolished E₂ stimulation of CK in all organs except in the diaphyseal bone where the inhibition was partial. In ovariectomized female rats, DT56a abolished E₂'s stimulation of CK in diaphyseal bone, thymus, uterus and pituitary but caused a partial inhibition in aorta, left ventricle and epiphyseal cartilage. In human bone cells E₂ stimulation of CK, of alkaline phosphatase (AP) activity and of DNA synthesis was completely abolished by DT56a in post-menopausal cells and partially inhibited in pre-menopausal cells. In human vascular cells, inhibition of DNA synthesis by E₂ was completely abolished by DT56a and E₂-induced CK was partially inhibited by DT56a. The results support the finding that DT56a is a SERM; it stimulated different parameters similar to E₂, but when given simultaneously, at supra physiological doses, inhibited these E₂'s effects. Further investigations regarding intra and extra cellular mechanism of action of DT56a are currently performed.