Abstract A017: HER2 overexpression initiates breast tumorigenesis non-cell-autonomously by altering energy metabolism in the tissue microenvironment
Authors: Gurler Sevim B. , Wagstaff Oliver , Dimitrova Lili , Chen Fuhui , Pedley Robert , Weston William , Donaldson Ian J. , Telfer Brian A. , Novo David , Pavlou Kyriaki , Taylor George , Ou Yaqing , Williams Kaye , Gilmore Andrew , Brennan Keith , Ucar Ahmet 
Published: November 2024

Breast cancer is the most common cancer globally, with approximately 70% of pre-malignant breast tumors, known as ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), and 20% of invasive breast tumors overexpressing human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). While the biological role of HER2 in invasive breast cancer has been extensively studied, its impact on breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs) and early-stage tumorigenesis, particularly within the tumor microenvironment, remains unclear. Here, we explore the role of HER2 overexpression in driving cellular events within the tumor microenvironment during the premalignant stage of breast tumorigenesis, using in vitro, in vivo, and ex vivo models. We conducted multi-omics analyses on mammary ducts from a HER2+ breast cancer mouse model at the pre-cancerous stage. Our results showed that HER2/Neu overexpression alters glucose and lipid metabolism and pentose phosphate pathway in mammary epithelial cells. Ex vivo organ culture of mammary ducts confirmed that these metabolic changes lead to increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels within the tumor microenvironment suggesting that oxidative stress and subsequent DNA damage are early events in HER2-driven tumorigenesis. Immunostaining of histological sections from mouse mammary glands further revealed that elevated oxidative stress and DNA damage not only in HER2+ cells but also in neighboring HER2- cells. Moreover, whole genome sequencing of tumor cells confirmed that both HER2+ and HER2- tumor cells have similar mutational burden. This suggests a non-cell-autonomous effect, where HER2 overexpression in one cell population affects the tumor microenvironment and adjacent cells, contributing to early-stage cancer development. To investigate the involvement of BCSCs during tumor initiation, we performed mammosphere assays on primary cells from HER2+ mouse models and clinical DCIS samples. Our findings showed that neither BCSCs nor their cells of origin express HER2 in both DCIS samples and murine mammary glands and tumors. This suggests that HER2 overexpression may not directly drive BCSC formation but rather creates a genotoxic microenvironment that facilitates the transformation of HER2- cell populations through a non-cell-autonomous mechanism. In summary, our findings indicate that HER2 overexpression contributes to the creation of a genotoxic tumor microenvironment by altering cellular energy metabolism and increasing ROS levels. This, in turn, may lead to the transformation of BCSCs in HER2- cell populations during early breast tumorigenesis. Understanding the role of HER2 overexpression in shaping the tumor microenvironment could provide new insights into therapeutic and preventive strategies against breast cancer.

Citation Format: Sevim B. Gurler, Oliver Wagstaff, Lili Dimitrova, Fuhui Chen, Robert Pedley, William Weston, Ian J. Donaldson, Brian A. Telfer, David Novo, Kyriaki Pavlou, George Taylor, Yaqing Ou, Kaye Williams, Andrew Gilmore, Keith Brennan, Ahmet Ucar. HER2 overexpression initiates breast tumorigenesis non-cell-autonomously by altering energy metabolism in the tissue microenvironment [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference in Cancer Research: Tumor-body Interactions: The Roles of Micro- and Macroenvironment in Cancer; 2024 Nov 17-20; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(22_Suppl):Abstract nr A017.