Abstract 6352: Potential anticancer role of secretion modification region (SMR) peptide reduces mortalin and HER2-overexpressing exosomes in human HER2-positive breast cancer cells
Authors: Huang Ming Bo 
Published: September 2020

Background/Significance: Exosomes are 30-100 nm membrane vesicles secreted by many cell types. Tumors secrete large numbers of exosomes that transport oncoproteins and immune suppressive molecules, supporting tumor growth and metastasis. The role of exosomes in intercellular signaling is shown by human epidermal growth factor receptor type 2 (HER2)-expressing breast tumors, where exosomes with HER2 stimulate tumor growth and interfere with activity of the therapeutic antibody Herceptin, which binds to the extracellular domain of HER2 and prolongs the overall survival of HER2-positive breast cancer patients. Exosome release is modulated by growth factors EGF and heregulin, HER2 receptor-activating ligands naturally present in the surrounding tumor microenvironment. The SMRwt peptide reduces secretion of HER2 exosomes; thus, it can potentially be exploited as an anticancer agent.

Methods: BT-474 and HCC1569 HER2-positive breast cancer cells overexpressing HER2 and mortalin were used in these experiments. Exosome size and concentration were measured by NanoSight. Purified tumor exosomes were prepared using paramagnetic beads coated with antibodies against tumor specific proteins and confirmed by flow cytometry and electron microscopy. To identify biological functions, we cultured tumor exosomes with breast cancer cells, which increased tumor cell proliferation. To determine SMRwt peptide inhibition effects, we assayed tumor exosome secretion and cell proliferation by NanoSight, Western blot and MTT.

Results: We characterized exosomes secreted by mortalin and HER2-overexpressing breast cancer cell lines and analyzed SMRwt peptide's role in reducing tumor exosome release and cell proliferation. Exosome secretion increased in HER2-overexpressing tumor cell lines HCC1596 and BT474. Exosomes from HER2-positive tumor cell-conditioned supernatants stimulated tumor cell growth and tumor exosome release and inhibited Herceptin activity on HCC1569 and BT474 cell proliferation. Addition of SMRwt peptide reduced tumor cell proliferation and tumor exosome release.

Conclusions: These data show the role of HER2-positive exosomes in modulating sensitivity to Herceptin and thus, to HER2-driven tumor aggressiveness; and indicate that the SMRwt peptide has potential anticancer functions in HER2-positive HCC1569 and BT474 human breast cancer cells. The data also indicate tumor exosomes affect the proliferation of parental cells. Tumor exosomes derived from BT-474 cells and HCC1569 cells stimulated the proliferation of BT-474 cells and HCC1569 cells, suggesting a biological function for tumor exosomes.

Citation Format: Ming Bo Huang. Potential anticancer role of secretion modification region (SMR) peptide reduces mortalin and HER2-overexpressing exosomes in human HER2-positive breast cancer cells [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 6352.