Fallah Yassi, Brundage Janetta, Allegakoen Paul, Shajahan-Haq Ayesha N
Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20057, USA.
Biomolecules. 2017 Jul 11;7(3):53. doi: 10.3390/biom7030053.
The transcription factor MYC (MYC proto-oncogene, bHLH transcription factor) is an essential signaling hub in multiple cellular processes that sustain growth of many types of cancers. MYC regulates expression of RNA, both protein and non-coding, that control central metabolic pathways, cell death, proliferation, differentiation, stress pathways, and mechanisms of drug resistance. Activation of MYC has been widely reported in breast cancer progression. Breast cancer is a complex heterogeneous disease and treatment options are primarily guided by histological and biochemical evaluations of the tumors. Based on biochemical markers, three main breast cancer categories are ER+ (estrogen receptor alpha positive), HER2+ (human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 positive), and TNBC (triple-negative breast cancer; estrogen receptor negative, progesterone receptor negative, HER2 negative). MYC is elevated in TNBC compared with other cancer subtypes. Interestingly, MYC-driven pathways are further elevated in aggressive breast cancer cells and tumors that display drug resistant phenotype. Identification of MYC target genes is essential in isolating signaling pathways that drive tumor development. In this review, we address the role of MYC in the three major breast cancer subtypes and highlight the most promising leads to target MYC functions.
转录因子MYC（MYC原癌基因，bHLH转录因子）是多种细胞过程中的关键信号枢纽，维持多种癌症的生长。MYC调节RNA的表达，包括蛋白质编码和非编码RNA，这些RNA控制着中心代谢途径、细胞死亡、增殖、分化、应激途径和耐药机制。MYC的激活在乳腺癌进展中已被广泛报道。乳腺癌是一种复杂的异质性疾病，治疗方案主要由肿瘤的组织学和生化评估指导。基于生化标志物，乳腺癌主要分为三类：ER+（雌激素受体α阳性）、HER2+（人表皮生长因子受体2阳性）和TNBC（三阴性乳腺癌；雌激素受体阴性、孕激素受体阴性、HER2阴性）。与其他癌症亚型相比，TNBC中MYC水平升高。有趣的是，在具有耐药表型的侵袭性乳腺癌细胞和肿瘤中，MYC驱动的途径进一步升高。鉴定MYC靶基因对于分离驱动肿瘤发展的信号通路至关重要。在本综述中，我们阐述了MYC在三种主要乳腺癌亚型中的作用，并突出了针对MYC功能最有前景的线索。
