eIF4E Activity and Sensitivity to mTOR Inhibition in Breast Cancer
Author Information
Author(s): Satheesha Sampoorna, Victoria J Cookson, Louise J Coleman, Nicolas Ingram, Brijesh Madhok, Andrew M Hanby, Charlotte A Suleman, Vicky S Sabine, E Jane Macaskill, John M S Bartlett, J Michael Dixon, Jim N McElwaine, Thomas A Hughes
Primary Institution: Leeds Institute of Molecular Medicine, St. James's University Hospital, Leeds University
Hypothesis
eIF4E activity predicts sensitivity to mTOR inhibition in cell lines and breast tumors.
Conclusion
Higher eIF4E activity in breast tumors is associated with changes in eIF4E regulation in response to mTOR inhibition, but does not predict reduced tumor proliferation.
Supporting Evidence
- eIF4E activity was a significant predictor of rapamycin sensitivity in cell lines.
- Non-transformed cell lines showed similar sensitivity to rapamycin as cancer lines.
- High pre-treatment eIF4E activity was associated with changes in eIF4E regulation post-treatment.
Takeaway
This study found that eIF4E activity can help predict how sensitive cancer cells are to certain treatments, but in real patients, it doesn't always mean the tumors will shrink.
Methodology
Cell lines were treated with rapamycin to assess sensitivity, and eIF4E activity was estimated from expression levels of eIF4E and its regulators in tumor samples.
Limitations
The study did not find a correlation between eIF4E activity and tumor proliferation after treatment, indicating potential limitations in using eIF4E as a predictive marker.
Participant Demographics
Postmenopausal female patients with operable early breast cancer.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p = 0.0037
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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