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When tamoxifen-sensitive, premalignant breast cancer cells were cultured with fibroblasts derived from ER-negative tumors, breast cancer cells became less sensitive to tamoxifen. Further, these cells were also less sensitive to inhibitors of cell growth. Conversely, tamoxifen resistance could not be restored in tamoxifen-resistant, malignant breast cancer cells by incubating with fibroblasts from ER-positive tumors.
These data demonstrate that fibroblasts influence the sensitivity of breast cancer cells to tamoxifen. Fibroblasts represent major components of the extracellular environment and perform important roles in maintaining that environment and influencing cell growth. Future research is directed at identifying the growth factors and other proteins released from fibroblasts involved in modulating these effects on breast cancer cells.
Studies were directed by Dr. Malathy P.V. Shekhar from Karmanos Cancer Institute and Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan and funded by the US Army Medical Research and Materiel Command.-American Journal of Pathology
Posted April 27th, 2007 by harminka
