@Article{096504017X14883245308282,
AUTHOR = {Maitham A. Khajah, Princy M. Mathew, Yunus A. Luqmani},
TITLE = {Inhibitors of PI3K/ERK1/2/p38 MAPK Show Preferential Activity  Against Endocrine-Resistant Breast Cancer Cells},
JOURNAL = {Oncology Research},
VOLUME = {25},
YEAR = {2017},
NUMBER = {8},
PAGES = {1283--1295},
URL = {http://www.techscience.com/or/v25n8/56913},
ISSN = {1555-3906},
ABSTRACT = {Current mainstream pharmacological options for the treatment of endocrine-resistant breast cancer have limitations in terms of their side effect profile and lack of discrimination between normal and cancer cells. In 
the current study, we assessed the responses of normal breast epithelial cells MCF10A, estrogen receptorpositive (ER+
) MCF-7, and ER-silenced pII breast cancer cells to inhibitors (either individually or in combination) of downstream signaling molecules. The expression/activity of ERK1/2, p38 MAPK, and Akt was 
determined by Western blotting. Cell proliferation, motility, and invasion were determined using MTT, wound 
healing, and Matrigel assays, respectively. Morphological changes in response to variation in external pH 
were assessed by light microscopy. Our results demonstrated that the inhibitors of ERK1/2 (PD0325901), p38 
MAPK (SB203580), and PI3K (LY294002) preferentially reduce breast cancer cell proliferation. In pII cells, 
they also reduced motility, invasion, and bleb formation induced by alkaline conditions. Combination treatment with lower concentrations of inhibitors was significantly more effective than single agents and was more 
effective against the cancer cell lines than the normal MCF10A. In contrast, the commonly used cytotoxic 
agent paclitaxel did not sufficiently discriminate between the MCF10A and the cancer cells. We concluded that 
combination therapy using ERK1/2 inhibitor and either p38 MAPK or PI3K inhibitor may provide a greater 
therapeutic benefit in treating breast cancer by specifically targeting cancer cells with lower doses of each drug 
than needed individually, potentially reducing unwanted side effects.},
DOI = {10.3727/096504017X14883245308282}
}