Abstract IA041: Basic science mechanisms associated with bone tumor microenvironment and health disparities in breast and prostate cancer
Authors: Campbell Taaliah , Hawsawi Ohuod , Hwang Bor-Jang , Burton Liza J. , Loyd Quentin , Henderson Veronica , Howard Simone , Ragine Camille , Roberts Robin , Gachii Andrew , Odero-Marah Valerie 
Published: January 2023

Prostate cancer (PCa) and breast cancer (BCa) are leading causes of cancer related deaths in American men and women, and morbidity is due to metastasis preferentially to bone. Compared to Caucasian American (CA), African American (AA) men and women have a higher bone density, as well as mortality rate due to bone metastasis. Recent studies have shown that high mobility group two (HMGA2), a non-histone chromatin binding protein, plays a critical role in promoting epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and metastasis. HMGA2 full-length/wild-type and truncated (without the 3’UTR) isoforms have been shown to be overexpressed in several cancers, however their distinct roles in metastasis have not been reported. Our laboratory focuses on tumor-micronenvironmental interactions, particularly, how PCa cells interact with bone at the metastatic site. We have previously published that PCa cells may degrade hydroxyapatite, the major inorganic component of bone, to release calcium which promotes paracrine cell proliferation and migration, and this signaling increases with increased bone density. We hypothesize that EMT is associated with prostate health disparities and that HMGA2 isoforms may play differential roles at the bone metastatic site. We examined EMT marker expression in breast and prostate patient tissue and cell lines by immunohistochemistry (IHC), RNA In Situ Hybridization (RISH), western blot, and real-time PCR. Next, LNCaP PCa cell line stably overexpressing either full length or truncated HMGA2 was co-cultured with low (100 mg) or high (200 mg) hydroxyapatite, demineralized bone matrix or human ground bone matrix, for 6 days followed by collection of condition media (CM). CM was added to parental LNCaP cells for various time points followed by analysis of paracrine cell proliferation using MTS assay, cell migration across collagen using boyden chamber, and the effect on various pathways using western blot analysis. EMT marker (Snail and Cathepsin L) protein expression was higher in AA normal and cancer tissue compared to CA, while it was intermediate in Bahamian tissue. Wild-type HMGA2 mRNA expression was higher in metastatic patient tissue compared to truncated HMGA2, and higher in AA compared to CA tissue. CM taken from LNCaP cells overexpressing wild-type and truncated HMGA2 co-cultured with hydroxyapatite, demineralized bone matrix or ground bone matrix when added to parental LNCaP cells led to higher paracrine cell proliferation and paracrine cell migration. This was associated with MAPK activation that could be abrogated by MAPK inhibitor, UO126. These results indicate that EMT is higher in AA compared to CA. Additionally, both wild-type and truncated HMGA2 interaction with bone matrix promotes paracrine cell proliferation and migration via ERK signaling. Our study shows that wild-type and truncated isoforms of HMGA2 mediate PCa/bone interactions which may lead to increased bone metastasis, particularly in African American men that have higher bone density.

Citation Format: Taaliah Campbell, Ohuod Hawsawi, Bor-Jang Hwang, Liza J. Burton, Quentin Loyd, Veronica Henderson, Simone Howard, Camille Ragine, Robin Roberts, Andrew Gachii, Valerie Odero-Marah. Basic science mechanisms associated with bone tumor microenvironment and health disparities in breast and prostate cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 15th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2022 Sep 16-19; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2022;31(1 Suppl):Abstract nr IA041.