Breast cancer metastasis to bone: From epithelial to mesenchymal transition to breast osteoblast-like cells

Manuel Scimeca; Donata Trivigno; Rita Bonfiglio; Sara Ciuffa; Nicoletta Urbano; Orazio Schillaci; Elena Bonanno

doi:10.1016/j.semcancer.2020.01.004

Breast cancer metastasis to bone: From epithelial to mesenchymal transition to breast osteoblast-like cells

Semin Cancer Biol. 2021 Jul:72:155-164. doi: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2020.01.004. Epub 2020 Feb 8.

Authors

Manuel Scimeca¹, Donata Trivigno², Rita Bonfiglio², Sara Ciuffa³, Nicoletta Urbano⁴, Orazio Schillaci⁵, Elena Bonanno⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Via Montpellier 1, Rome, 00133, Italy; San Raffaele University, Via di Val Cannuta 247, 00166, Rome, Italy; Fondazione Umberto Veronesi (FUV), Piazza Velasca 5, 20122, Milano, Mi, Italy; Saint Camillus International University of Health Sciences, Via di Sant'Alessandro, 8, 00131 Rome, Italy. Electronic address: [email protected].
² Department of Experimental Medicine, University "Tor Vergata", Via Montpellier 1, Rome, 00133, Italy.
³ Department of Clinical Sciences and Translational Medicine, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", 00133, Rome, Italy.
⁴ Nuclear Medicine, Policlinico "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy.
⁵ Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Via Montpellier 1, Rome, 00133, Italy; IRCCS Neuromed, Pozzilli, Italy.
⁶ Department of Experimental Medicine, University "Tor Vergata", Via Montpellier 1, Rome, 00133, Italy; "Diagnostica Medica" and "Villa dei Platani", Avellino, Italy.

PMID: 32045651
DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2020.01.004

Abstract

In this review we highlighted the newest aspects concerning the physiopathology of breast cancer metastatization into the bone including: a) in situ biomarkers of breast cancer metastatic diseases, b) biological processes related to the origin of metastatic cells (epithelial to mesenchymal transition), c) the nature and the possible role of Breast Osteoblast-Like Cells in the formation of bone lesions and d) the prognostic value of breast microcalcifications for the bone metastatic disease. In addition, the more recent data about the biology of breast cancer metastatic process and the origin and function of Breast Osteoblast-Like Cells have been analyzed to propose the use of molecular imaging investigations able to identify early neoplastic lesions with high propensity to form bone metastasis in vivo.

Keywords: BOLCs; Bone metastasis; Breast cancer; Epithelial to mesenchymal transition; Microcalcifications; Molecular imaging.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Animals
Bone Neoplasms / secondary*
Breast Neoplasms / pathology*
Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition*
Female
Humans
Osteoblasts / pathology*
Prognosis