Apolipoprotein-mediated regulation of lipid metabolism induces distinctive effects in different types of breast cancer cells

Background The highest incidence of breast cancer is in the Western world. Several aspects of the Western lifestyle are known risk factors for breast cancer. In particular, previous studies have shown that cholesterol levels can play an important role in the regulation of tumor progression. Methods In the present study, we modulated cholesterol metabolism in the human breast cancer cell lines MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 using a genetic approach. Apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I) and apolipoprotein E (apoE) were expressed in these cell lines to modulate cholesterol metabolism. The effects of these apolipoproteins on cancer cell properties were examined. Results Our results show that both apolipoproteins can regulate cholesterol metabolism and can control the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition process. However, these effects were different depending on the cell type. We show that expressing apoA-I or apoE stimulates proliferation, migration, and tumor growth of MCF-7 cells. However, apoA-I or apoE reduces proliferation and migration of MDA-MB-231 cells. Conclusions These data suggest that modulating sterol metabolism may be most effective at limiting tumor progression in models of triple-negative cancers.