<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<sec id="j_raon-2022-0012_s_005">
<h3>Background</h3>
<p>Acquired metastasis and invasion of cancer cells during radiotherapy are in part due to induction of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and cancer stem cell (CSC) properties, which are mediated by TGF-β signaling. Here we evaluated the anti-metastatic therapeutic potential of vactosertib, an orally bioavailable TGF-β type I receptor (activin receptor-like kinase 5, ALK5) inhibitor, via suppression of radiation-induced EMT and CSC properties, oxidative stress generation, and breast to lung metastasis in a breast cancer mouse model and breast cancer cell lines.</p>
</sec>
<sec id="j_raon-2022-0012_s_006">
<h3>Materials and methods</h3>
<p>Co-treatment of vactosertib with radiation was investigated in the 4T1-Luc allografted BALB/c syngeneic mouse model and in 4T1-Luc and MDA-MB-231 cells. The anti-metastatic therapeutic potential of vactosertib in breast cancer was investigated using fluorescence immunohistochemistry, real-time quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, western blotting, wound healing assay, mammosphere formation assay, and lung metastasis analysis <italic>in vitro</italic> and <italic>in vivo</italic>.</p>
</sec>
<sec id="j_raon-2022-0012_s_007">
<h3>Results</h3>
<p>Radiation induced TGF-β signaling, EMT markers (Vimentin, Fibronectin, Snail, Slug, Twist, and N-cadherin), CSC properties (expression of pluripotent stem cell regulators, mammosphere forming ability), reactive oxygen species markers (NOX4, 4-HNE), and motility of breast cancer cells <italic>in vitro</italic> and <italic>in vivo</italic>. Vactosertib attenuated the radiation-induced EMT and CSC properties by inhibiting ROS stress in breast cancer. Moreover, vactosertib combined with radiation showed a significant anti-metastatic effect with suppression of breast to lung metastasis <italic>in vivo</italic>.</p>
</sec>
<sec id="j_raon-2022-0012_s_008">
<h3>Conclusions</h3>
<p>These results indicate that inhibition of TGF-β signaling with vactosertib in breast cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy would be an attractive strategy for the prevention of cancer metastasis and recurrence.</p>
</sec>
</abstract>

Background
Acquired metastasis and invasion of cancer cells during radiotherapy are in part due to induction of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and cancer stem cell (CSC) properties, which are mediated by TGF-β signaling. Here we evaluated the anti-metastatic therapeutic potential of vactosertib, an orally bioavailable TGF-β type I receptor (activin receptor-like kinase 5, ALK5) inhibitor, via suppression of radiation-induced EMT and CSC properties, oxidative stress generation, and breast to lung metastasis in a breast cancer mouse model and breast cancer cell lines.


Materials and methods
Co-treatment of vactosertib with radiation was investigated in the 4T1-Luc allografted BALB/c syngeneic mouse model and in 4T1-Luc and MDA-MB-231 cells. The anti-metastatic therapeutic potential of vactosertib in breast cancer was investigated using fluorescence immunohistochemistry, real-time quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, western blotting, wound healing assay, mammosphere formation assay, and lung metastasis analysis in vitro and in vivo.


Results
Radiation induced TGF-β signaling, EMT markers (Vimentin, Fibronectin, Snail, Slug, Twist, and N-cadherin), CSC properties (expression of pluripotent stem cell regulators, mammosphere forming ability), reactive oxygen species markers (NOX4, 4-HNE), and motility of breast cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. Vactosertib attenuated the radiation-induced EMT and CSC properties by inhibiting ROS stress in breast cancer. Moreover, vactosertib combined with radiation showed a significant anti-metastatic effect with suppression of breast to lung metastasis in vivo.


Conclusions
These results indicate that inhibition of TGF-β signaling with vactosertib in breast cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy would be an attractive strategy for the prevention of cancer metastasis and recurrence.

Co-treatment with vactosertib, a novel, orally bioavailable activin receptor-like kinase 5 inhibitor, suppresses radiotherapy-induced epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, cancer cell stemness, and lung metastasis of breast cancer

Radiology and Oncology

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Background
Acquired metastasis and invasion of cancer cells during radiotherapy are in part due to induction of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and...

Co-treatment with vactosertib, a novel, orally bioavailable activin receptor-like kinase 5 inhibitor, suppresses radiotherapy-induced epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, cancer cell stemness, and lung metastasis of breast cancer

Article Category: Research Article

Published Online: Apr 07, 2022

Page range: 185 - 197

Received: Sep 26, 2021

Accepted: Jan 28, 2022

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/raon-2022-0012

© 2022 Jiwon Choi, Jiyoung Park, Ilyoung Cho, Yhunyhong Sheen, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.