Targeting lysyl oxidase (LOX) overcomes chemotherapy resistance in triple negative breast cancer

Nat Commun. 2020 May 15;11(1):2416. doi: 10.1038/s41467-020-16199-4.

Abstract

Chemoresistance is a major obstacle in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), the most aggressive breast cancer subtype. Here we identify hypoxia-induced ECM re-modeler, lysyl oxidase (LOX) as a key inducer of chemoresistance by developing chemoresistant TNBC tumors in vivo and characterizing their transcriptomes by RNA-sequencing. Inhibiting LOX reduces collagen cross-linking and fibronectin assembly, increases drug penetration, and downregulates ITGA5/FN1 expression, resulting in inhibition of FAK/Src signaling, induction of apoptosis and re-sensitization to chemotherapy. Similarly, inhibiting FAK/Src results in chemosensitization. These effects are observed in 3D-cultured cell lines, tumor organoids, chemoresistant xenografts, syngeneic tumors and PDX models. Re-expressing the hypoxia-repressed miR-142-3p, which targets HIF1A, LOX and ITGA5, causes further suppression of the HIF-1α/LOX/ITGA5/FN1 axis. Notably, higher LOX, ITGA5, or FN1, or lower miR-142-3p levels are associated with shorter survival in chemotherapy-treated TNBC patients. These results provide strong pre-clinical rationale for developing and testing LOX inhibitors to overcome chemoresistance in TNBC patients.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology*
  • Apoptosis
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / metabolism
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Collagen / chemistry
  • Down-Regulation
  • Drug Resistance, Neoplasm*
  • Extracellular Matrix / metabolism
  • Female
  • Fibronectins / metabolism
  • Focal Adhesion Kinase 1 / metabolism
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
  • Humans
  • Hypoxia
  • Integrins / metabolism
  • Mice
  • Mice, Nude
  • MicroRNAs / metabolism
  • Neoplasm Transplantation
  • Protein-Lysine 6-Oxidase / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • RNA-Seq
  • Signal Transduction
  • Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms / enzymology*

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • FN1 protein, human
  • Fibronectins
  • ITGA5 protein, human
  • Integrins
  • MIRN142 microRNA, human
  • MicroRNAs
  • Collagen
  • LOX protein, human
  • Protein-Lysine 6-Oxidase
  • Focal Adhesion Kinase 1
  • PTK2 protein, human