Huaier polysaccharide inhibits the stem-like characteristics of ERα-36^high triple negative breast cancer cells via inactivation of the ERα-36 signaling pathway

Abstract

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a highly aggressive cancer and lack of targeting therapies. It is believed that the breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs) are responsible for the aggressive characteristics of TNBC. Hence, developing BCSC-targeting agents may provide new therapeutic strategies for the patients. Huaier polysaccharide (HP), an active ingredient extracted from the mushroom Trametes robiniophila Murr, has been widely used in clinical anti-cancer treatments in China. Here we demonstrated that HP could target BCSCs in TNBC cells, resulting in decreased mammosphere formation, downregulated expression of stem-related genes and reduced proportion of aldehyde dehydrogenase positive cells in vitro, and inhibited xenograft tumor formation in vivo. Mechanically, HP markedly reduced the expression of estrogen receptor -36 (ER-36), a recently identified subtype of estrogen receptor , and attenuated ER-36-mediated activation of AKT/-catenin signaling in ER-36 high TNBC cells. This study provides a new insight into the mechanism of HP on BCSC-targeting therapy and new ideas for comprehensive treatment strategies for TNBC.