1.Detection of Calreticulin as a Candidate Prognostic Biomarker in Invasive Breast Carcinoma from a Biological Scaffold-Based 3D Co-culture System
Mohammad Mehdi Sabaghpour Azarian ; Norazalina Saad ; Aslah Mohamad ; Rozita Rosli
Malaysian Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences 2023;19(No.1):173-180
Introduction: Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women and the world’s second leading cause of death
in women, after lung cancer. Calreticulin (CRT), an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) multipurpose protein, has been
proposed as a potential biomarker for breast cancer. However, reports on the correlation between CRT expression
and cell invasiveness in breast cancer micro-tissues are scarce. Thus, in the current study, we analyzed the potential
correlation between CRT and invasiveness of breast cancer in a biological scaffold-based 3D co-culture system.
Methods: MCF7, MDA-MB-231 and MCF-10A breast cell lines were co-cultured in a 3-dimensional (3D) system with
MRC-5 lung fibroblast cell line in the cell density ratio of 3:1. Thereafter, calreticulin gene and protein expression
levels were determined based on quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and immunohistochemistry, respectively. Moreover, via RT-qPCR analysis, the gene expression levels of calreticulin-related
candidate metastasis genes in breast cancer micro-tissues were carried out. Results: The results showed occasional
foci of lumen-like morphology in the non-cancerous breast micro-tissues and the formation of solid clusters for
breast cancer micro-tissues. Moreover, immunohistochemistry results revealed protein expression of calreticulin in
non-cancerous and cancerous breast micro-tissues with cytoplasmic and nucleic acid localizations. It was found that
PCMT1 and ER-α genes were significantly downregulated (p < 0.01) in invasive breast cancer micro-tissues. Conclusion: This study suggests that CRT and CRT-related candidate metastasis genes may potentially serve as prognostic
biomarkers in invasive breast carcinoma.