Lipid-sensors, enigmatic-orphan and orphan nuclear receptors as therapeutic targets in breast-cancer

• Published in: Oncotarget Vol. 7; no. 27; pp. 42661 - 42682
• Main Authors: Garattini, Enrico, Bolis, Marco, Gianni', Maurizio, Paroni, Gabriela, Fratelli, Maddalena, Terao, Mineko
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Impact Journals LLC 05.07.2016
• Subjects: Animals; Breast Neoplasms - metabolism; Breast Neoplasms - therapy; Cell Line, Tumor; Disease Models, Animal; Female; Humans; Ligands; Mice; Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 1, Group F, Member 1 - metabolism; Orphan Nuclear Receptors - metabolism; Phylogeny; Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear - metabolism; Receptors, Steroid - metabolism; Review; Transcription, Genetic; Treatment Outcome; nuclear receptors; drug targets; treatment; breast cancer; chemo-prevention
• ISSN: 1949-2553; 1949-2553
• DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.7410

Breast-cancer is heterogeneous and consists of various groups with different biological characteristics. Innovative pharmacological approaches accounting for this heterogeneity are needed. The forty eight human Nuclear-Hormone-Receptors are ligand-dependent transcription-factors and are classified into Endocrine-Receptors, Adopted-Orphan-Receptors (Lipid-sensors and Enigmatic-Orphans) and Orphan-receptors. Nuclear-Receptors represent ideal targets for the design/synthesis of pharmacological ligands. We provide an overview of the literature available on the expression and potential role played by Lipid-sensors, Enigmatic-Orphans and Orphan-Receptors in breast-cancer. The data are complemented by an analysis of the expression levels of each selected Nuclear-Receptor in the PAM50 breast-cancer groups, following re-elaboration of the data publicly available. The major aim is to support the idea that some of the Nuclear-Receptors represent largely unexploited therapeutic-targets in breast-cancer treatment/chemo-prevention. On the basis of our analysis, we conclude that the Lipid-Sensors, NR1C3, NR1H2 and NR1H3 are likely to be onco-suppressors in breast-cancer. The Enigmatic-Orphans, NR1F1 NR2A1 and NR3B3 as well as the Orphan-Receptors, NR0B1, NR0B2, NR1D1, NR2F1, NR2F2 and NR4A3 exert a similar action. These Nuclear-Receptors represent candidates for the development of therapeutic strategies aimed at increasing their expression or activating them in tumor cells. The group of Nuclear-Receptors endowed with potential oncogenic properties consists of the Lipid-Sensors, NR1C2 and NR1I2, the Enigmatic-Orphans, NR1F3, NR3B1 and NR5A2, as well as the Orphan-Receptors, NR2E1, NR2E3 and NR6A1. These oncogenic Nuclear-Receptors should be targeted with selective antagonists, reverse-agonists or agents/strategies capable of reducing their expression in breast-cancer cells.