Background: Two clinically relevant high-risk HPV (HR-HPV) types 16 and 18 are etiologically associated with the development of cervical carcinoma and are also reported to be present in many other carcinomas in extra-genital organ sites. Presence of HPV has been reported in breast carcinoma which is the second most common cancer in India and is showing a fast rising trend in urban population. The two early genes E6 and E7 of HPV type 16 have been shown to immortalize breast epithelial cells in vitro, but the role of HPV infection in breast carcinogenesis is highly controversial. Present study has therefore been undertaken to analyze the prevalence of HPV infection in both breast cancer tissues and blood samples from a large number of Indian women with breast cancer from different geographic regions. Methods: The presence of all mucosal HPVs and the most common high-risk HPV types 16 and 18 DNA was detected by two different PCR methods - (i) conventional PCR assays using consensus primers (MY09/11, or GP5+/GP6+) or HPV16 E6/E7 primers and (ii) highly sensitive Real-Time PCR. A total of 228 biopsies and corresponding 142 blood samples collected prospectively from 252 patients from four different regions of India with significant socio-cultural, ethnic and demographic variations were tested. Results: All biopsies and blood samples of breast cancer patients tested by PCR methods did not show positivity for HPV DNA sequences in conventional PCRs either by MY09/11 or by GP5+/GP6+/HPV16 E6/E7 primers. Further testing of these samples by real time PCR also failed to detect HPV DNA sequences. Conclusions: Lack of detection of HPV DNA either in the tumor or in the blood DNA of breast cancer patients by both conventional and real time PCR does not support a role of genital HPV in the pathogenesis of breast cancer in Indian women.

One of the mechanisms for epigenetic silencing of tumor suppressor genes is hypermethylation of cytosine residue at CpG islands at their promoter region that contributes to malignant progression of tumor. Therefore, activation of tumor suppressor genes that have been silenced by promoter methylation is considered to be very attractive molecular target for cancer therapy. Epigenetic silencing of glutathione S-transferase pi 1, a tumor suppressor gene, is involved in various types of cancers including breast cancer. Epigenetic silencing of tumor suppressor genes can be reversed by several molecules including natural compounds such as polyphenols that can act as a hypomethylating agent. Curcumin has been found to specifically target various tumor suppressor genes and alter their expression. To check the effect of curcumin on the methylation pattern of glutathione S-transferase pi 1 gene in MCF-7 breast cancer cell line in dose-dependent manner. To check the reversal of methylation pattern of hypermethylated glutathione S-transferase pi 1, MCF-7 breast cancer cell line was treated with different concentrations of curcumin for different time periods. DNA and proteins of treated and untreated cell lines were isolated, and methylation status of the promoter region of glutathione S-transferase pi 1 was analyzed using methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction assay, and expression of this gene was analyzed by immunoblotting using specific antibodies against glutathione S-transferase pi 1. A very low and a nontoxic concentration (10 µM) of curcumin treatment was able to reverse the hypermethylation and led to reactivation of glutathione S-transferase pi 1 protein expression in MCF-7 cells after 72 h of treatment, although the IC₅₀ value of curcumin was found to be at 20 µM. However, curcumin less than 3 µM of curcumin could not alter the promoter methylation pattern of glutathione S-transferase pi 1. Treatment of breast cancer MCF-7 cells with curcumin causes complete reversal of glutathione S-transferase pi 1 promoter hypermethylation and leads to re-expression of glutathione S-transferase pi 1, suggesting it to be an excellent nontoxic hypomethylating agent.

Breast cancer is a cancer with global prevalence and a surge in the number of cases with each passing year. With the advancement in science and technology, significant progress has been achieved in the prevention and treatment of breast cancer to make ends meet. The scientific intradisciplinary subject of “metabolomics” examines every metabolite found in a cell, tissue, system, or organism from different sources of samples. In the case of breast cancer, little is known about the regulatory pathways that could be resolved through metabolic reprogramming. Evidence related to the significant changes taking place during the onset and prognosis of breast cancer can be obtained using metabolomics. Innovative metabolomics approaches identify metabolites that lead to the discovery of biomarkers for breast cancer therapy, diagnosis, and early detection. The use of diverse analytical methods and instruments for metabolomics includes Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy, LC/MS, UPLC/MS, etc., which, along with their high-throughput analysis, give insights into the metabolites and the molecular pathways involved. For instance, metabolome research has led to the discovery of the glutamate-to-glutamate ratio and aerobic glycolysis as biomarkers in breast cancer. The present review comprehends the updates in metabolomic research and its processes that contribute to breast cancer prognosis and metastasis. The metabolome holds a future, and this review is an attempt to amalgamate the present relevant literature that might yield crucial insights for creating innovative therapeutic strategies aimed at addressing metastatic breast cancer.