An In Vitro Dormancy Model of Estrogen-sensitive Breast Cancer in the Bone Marrow: A Tool for Molecular Mechanism Studies and Hypothesis Generation

Summary

We developed an in vitro model of dormancy in the bone marrow for estrogen-sensitive breast cancer cells. The goal of this protocol is to demonstrate use of the model for the study of the molecular and cellular biology of dormancy and for generation of hypotheses for subsequent testing in vivo.

Abstract

The study of breast cancer dormancy in the bone marrow is an exceptionally difficult undertaking due to the complexity of the interactions of dormant cells with their microenvironment, their rarity and the overwhelming excess of hematopoietic cells. Towards this end, we developed an in vitro 2D clonogenic model of dormancy of estrogen-sensitive breast cancer cells in the bone marrow. The model consists of a few key elements necessary for dormancy. These include 1) the use of estrogen sensitive breast cancer cells, which are the type likely to remain dormant for extended periods, 2) incubation of cells at clonogenic density, where the structural interaction of each cell is primarily with the substratum, 3) fibronectin, a key structural element of the marrow and 4) FGF-2, a growth factor abundantly synthesized by bone marrow stromal cells and heavily deposited in the extracellular matrix. Cells incubated with FGF-2 form dormant clones after 6 days, which consist of 12 or less cells that have a distinct flat appearance, are significantly larger and more spread out than growing cells and have large cytoplasm to nucleus ratios. In contrast, cells incubated without FGF-2 form primarily growing colonies consisting of >30 relatively small cells. Perturbations of the system with antibodies, inhibitors, peptides or nucleic acids on day 3 after incubation can significantly affect various phenotypic and molecular aspects of the dormant cells at 6 days and can be used to assess the roles of membrane-localized or intracellular molecules, factors or signaling pathways on the dormant state or survival of dormant cells. While recognizing the in vitro nature of the assay, it can function as a highly useful tool to glean significant information about the molecular mechanisms necessary for establishment and survival of dormant cells. This data can be used to generate hypotheses to be tested in vivo models.

Introduction

Breast cancer cells metastasize to the bone marrow before the disease is detectable¹, as soon as small tumors develop blood vessels^2,3. The metastatic process is rapid but inefficient. Cells enter the new blood vessels rapidly, at millions per day⁴ but few survive the trip to distant organs⁵. Nevertheless, some micrometastases survive in the bone and can be found as single cells or small cell clumps in bone marrow aspirates from newly diagnosed patients¹. These cells resist adjuvant chemotherapy, which is administered for the very purpose of eliminating them⁶. This resistance is endowed, substantially, ....

Protocol

1. Clonogenic Assay

1. Prepare a single cell suspensions of estrogen-dependent breast cancer cell lines MCF-7 and T47D cells using the steps outlined below
   1. Aspirate the culture medium (DMEM/10% heat inactivated fetal calf serum/glutamine and pen/strep) from a 10 cm tissue culture dish which is no more than 50% confluent with MCF-7 or T-47D cells. Rinse with PBS. Incubate with trypsin 0.25%/2.21 mM EDTA dissolved in DMEM high glucose at 37 °C for 1-4 min.
   2. Check cells at 1 min intervals under a phase contrast microscope to ensure a single cell distribution. Resuspend the cells with a 2 ml pipette by pipetting up and down several time....

Results

Experiments were conducted to recapitulate the assay. The time course of the experiment is shown in Figure 2A. Cells are incubated at clonogenic density on day -1, FGF-2 in fresh medium is added on day 0 and cells are cultured until day 6 when they are stained and colonies are counted. Any perturbations to the system are administered on day 3 in 100 μl volumes at 10x final concentrations desired. Figure 2B demonstrates the typical appearance of growing and dormant colonies. Growing colon.......

Discussion

Our model is comprised of several key elements of dormancy in the bone marrow. It consists of estrogen sensitive cells, which are the type likely to remain dormant in the marrow for extended periods¹⁰, it consists of fibronectin, a key structural element of the marrow, FGF-2, a growth factor abundantly synthesized by the bone marrow stroma and heavily deposited in the extracellular matrix of the bone marrow^31,32 and incubation of cells at clonogenic density where their interactions are primarily wit.......

Materials

List of materials used in this article

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
MCF-7 cells	ATCC	HTB-22
T47D cells	ATCC	HTB-123
BD BioCoat Fibronectin 24 Well Clear Flat Bottom TC-Treated Multiwell Plate	Corning	354411
BD BioCoat Fibronectin 60 mm Culture Dishes	Corning	354403
BD BioCoat Fibronectin 100 mm Culture Dishes	Corning	354451
BD BioCoat 22x22mm #1 Glass Coverslip with a uniform application of human fibronectin	Corning	354088
6 Well tissue culture plate	CellTreat	229106
Dulbecco Modified Eagle Medium High Glucose 10X Powder	Corning Life Sciences	50-013-PB
Heat Inactivated, Fetal Bovine Serum	Serum Source International	FB02-500HI
0.25% Trypsin/2.21 mM EDTA	Corning	25-053-CI
Penicillin-Streptomycin Solution, 100X	Corning	30-002-CI
L-Glutamine, 100x, Liquid	Corning	25-005-CI
Recombinant Human FGF basic	R&D Systems	234-FSE-025
Akt Inhibitor (1L6-Hydroxymethyl-chiro-inositol-2-(R)-2-O-methyl-3-O-octadecyl-sn-glycerocarbonate)	CalBiochem	124005
LY294002	CalBiochem	19-142	Chenical PI3K inhibitor
C3 transferase	Cytoskeleton	CTO3	Inhibits RhoA, RhoB, and RhoC, but not related GTPases such as Cdc42 or Rac1
Y-27632 dihydrochloride	Santa Cruz Biotechnology	129830-28-2
BODIPY FL-Phallacidin (green)	Molecular Probes	B607	Fluorochrome for fibrillar actin staining
BODIPY FL-Rhodamine phalloidin (red)	Molecular Probes	R415	Fluorochrome for fibrillar actin staining
Alexa Fluor 488 Donkey anti-Mouse IgG Antibody, ReadyProbes Reagent	Molecular Probes	R37114
ProLong Gold Antifade Mountant with DAPI	Molecular Probes	P-36931