Cell facilitation promotes growth and survival under drug pressure in breast cancer

Rena Emond, Jason I. Griffiths, Vince Kornél Grolmusz, Aritro Nath, Jinfeng Chen, Eric F. Medina, Rachel S. Sousa, Timothy Synold, Frederick R. Adler () and Andrea H. Bild ()
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Rena Emond: Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center
Jason I. Griffiths: Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center
Vince Kornél Grolmusz: Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center
Aritro Nath: Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center
Jinfeng Chen: Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center
Eric F. Medina: Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center
Rachel S. Sousa: University of Utah
Timothy Synold: Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center
Frederick R. Adler: University of Utah
Andrea H. Bild: Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center

Nature Communications, 2023, vol. 14, issue 1, 1-17

Abstract: Abstract The interplay of positive and negative interactions between drug-sensitive and resistant cells influences the effectiveness of treatment in heterogeneous cancer cell populations. Here, we study interactions between estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer cell lineages that are sensitive and resistant to ribociclib-induced cyclin-dependent kinase 4 and 6 (CDK4/6) inhibition. In mono- and coculture, we find that sensitive cells grow and compete more effectively in the absence of treatment. During treatment with ribociclib, sensitive cells survive and proliferate better when grown together with resistant cells than when grown in monoculture, termed facilitation in ecology. Molecular, protein, and genomic analyses show that resistant cells increase metabolism and production of estradiol, a highly active estrogen metabolite, and increase estrogen signaling in sensitive cells to promote facilitation in coculture. Adding estradiol in monoculture provides sensitive cells with increased resistance to therapy and cancels facilitation in coculture. Under partial inhibition of estrogen signaling through low-dose endocrine therapy, estradiol supplied by resistant cells facilitates sensitive cell growth. However, a more complete blockade of estrogen signaling, through higher-dose endocrine therapy, diminished the facilitative growth of sensitive cells. Mathematical modeling quantifies the strength of competition and facilitation during CDK4/6 inhibition and predicts that blocking facilitation has the potential to control both resistant and sensitive cancer cell populations and inhibit the emergence of a refractory population during cell cycle therapy.

Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39242-6

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