Screening and analysis of breast cancer genes regulated by the human mammary microenvironment in a humanized mouse model

Tumor microenvironments play critical regulatory roles in tumor growth. Although mouse cancer models have contributed to the understanding of human tumor biology, the effectiveness of mouse cancer models is limited by the inability of the models to accurately present humanized tumor microenvironments. Previously, a hum.anized breast cancer model in severe combined immunodeficiency mice was established, in which human breast cancer tissue was implanted subcutaneously, followed by injection of human breast cancer cells. It was demonstrated that breast cancer cells showed improved growth in the human mammary microenvironment compared with a conventional subcutaneous mouse model. In the present study, the novel mouse model and microarray technology was used to analyze changes in the expression of genes in breast cancer cells that are regulated by the human mammary microenvironment. Humanized breast and conventional subcutaneous mouse models were established, and orthotopic tumor cells were obtained from orthotopic tumor masses by primary culture. An expression microarray using Illumina HumanHT-12 v4 Expression BeadChip and database analyses were performed to investigate changes in gene expression between tumors from each microenvironment. A total of 94 genes were differentially expressed between the primary cells cultured from the humanized and conventional mouse models. Significant upregulation of genes that promote cell proliferation and metastasis or inhibit apoptosis, such as SH3-domain binding protein 5 (BTK-associated), sodium/chloride cotransporter 3 and periostin, osteoblast specific factor, and genes that promote angiogenesis, such as KIAA1618, was also noted. Other genes that restrain cell proliferation and accelerate cell apoptosis, including tripartite motif containing TRIM36 and NES1, were downregulated. The present results revealed differences in various aspects of tumor growth and metabolism between the two model groups and indicated the functional changes specific to the human mammary microenvironment.