Cited by 241Cancer, Hypoxia, and MetabolismCancer Cells and MetastasisMetabolism, Diabetes, and Cancer

Using the “reverse Warburg effect” to identify high-risk breast cancer patients: Stromal MCT4 predicts poor clinical outcome in triple-negative breast cancers

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Witkiewicz, Agnieszka K., Whitaker-Menezes, Diana, Dasgupta, Abhijit, Philp, Nancy J., Lin, Zhao, Gandara, Ricardo, Sneddon, Sharon, Martinez-Outschoorn, Ubaldo E. +2 more·2012·Cell Cycle

Abstract

We have recently proposed a new model of cancer metabolism to explain the role of aerobic glycolysis and L-lactate production in fueling tumor growth and metastasis. In this model, cancer cells secrete hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), initiating oxidative stress and aerobic glycolysis in the tumor stroma. This, in turn, drives L-lactate secretion from cancer-associated fibroblasts. Secreted L-lactate then fuels oxidative mitochondrial metabolism (OXPHOS) in epithelial cancer cells, by acting as a paracrine onco-metabolite. We have previously termed this type of two-compartment tumor metabolism the "Reverse Warburg Effect," as aerobic glycolysis takes place in stromal fibroblasts, rather than epithelial cancer cells. Here, we used MCT4 immuno-staining of human breast cancer tissue microarrays (TMAs; > 180 triple-negative patients) to directly assess the prognostic value of the "Reverse Warburg Effect." MCT4 expression is a functional marker of hypoxia, oxidative stress, aerobic glycolysis, and L-lactate efflux. Remarkably, high stromal MCT4 levels (score = 2) were specifically associated with decreased overall survival (< 18% survival at 10 y post-diagnosis). In contrast, patients with absent stromal MCT4 expression (score = 0), had 10-y survival rates of ~97% (p-value < 10 (-32) ). High stromal levels of MCT4 were strictly correlated with a loss of stromal Cav-1 (p-value < 10 (-14) ), a known marker of early tumor recurrence and metastasis. In fact, the combined use of stromal Cav-1 and stromal MCT4 allowed us to more precisely identify high-risk triple-negative breast cancer patients, consistent with the goal of individualized risk-assessment and personalized cancer treatment. However, epithelial MCT4 staining had no prognostic value, indicating that the "conventional" Warburg effect does not predict clinical outcome. Thus, the "Reverse Warburg Effect" or "parasitic" energy-transfer is a key determinant of poor overall patient survival. As MCT4 is a druggable-target, MCT4 inhibitors should be developed for the treatment of aggressive breast cancers, and possibly other types of human cancers. Similarly, we discuss how stromal MCT4 could be used as a biomarker for identifying high-risk cancer patients that could likely benefit from treatment with FDA-approved drugs or existing MCT-inhibitors (such as, AR-C155858, AR-C117977, and AZD-3965).

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Crossref · 10.4161/cc.11.6.19530

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  • Lactate produced by cancer-associated fibroblasts can enter the TCA cycle of cancer cells.

    “It has been reported that lactate produced by cancer-associated fibroblasts can enter the TCA cycle of cancer cells (Bonuccelli et al., 2014; Witkiewicz et al., 2012), and lactate produced in hypoxic regions of a tumor can fuel respiration in well-oxygenated tumor cells (Kennedy et al., 2013; Sonveaux et al., 2008).”

    From Targeting Metabolism for Cancer Therapy (2017) · cites this paper as Witkiewicz et al., 2012

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Authors
Witkiewicz, A. K., Whitaker-Menezes, D., Dasgupta, A., Philp, N. J., Lin, Z., Gandara, R., Sneddon, S., Martinez-Outschoorn, U. E., Sotgia, F., & Lisanti, M. P.
Affiliations
  • Thomas Jefferson University (US)
  • Manchester Academic Health Science Centre (GB)
Corresponding author
  • Witkiewicz, Agnieszka K.
  • Lisanti, Michael P.
Venue
Cell Cycle
Published
2012-03-15
Volume
11
Issue
6
Pages
1108-1117
ISSN
  • 1538-4101 (ISSN-L)
  • 1551-4005
OpenAlex
W2057690410
Cited by
239
References
71
Citations by year
2026: 9 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 17 · 2022: 15 · 2021: 17 · 2020: 21 · 2019: 11 · 2018: 19 · 2017: 11 · 2016: 19 · 2015: 21 · 2014: 25 · 2013: 23 · 2012: 25
FWCI
9.95
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
cc-by-nc
Locations
  • Cell Cycle (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Research Explorer (The University of Manchester) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • National Cancer Institute (R01CA107382, R01 CA75503, R01-CA-86072, R01CA120876, R01 CA70896, R01CA086072, R01CA080250, R01CA075503, R01CA098779, R01CA070896, P30CA056036, P30 CA 56036)
  • National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (R01AR055660)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cancer Research › Cancer, Hypoxia, and Metabolism
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Oncology › Cancer Cells and Metastasis
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Metabolism, Diabetes, and Cancer
Keywords
reverse Warburg effect, triple-negative breast cancer, MCT4, cancer-associated fibroblasts, aerobic glycolysis, L-lactate, oxidative stress, hydrogen peroxide, caveolin-1, tumor stroma, overall survival, prognostic factors, cancer metabolism, metastasis, hypoxia, individual risk assessment, Warburg effect, oncometabolites, oxidative phosphorylation
MeSH terms
Adult, Aged, Breast Neoplasms, Epithelium, Female, Fibroblasts, Glycolysis, Humans, Hydrogen Peroxide, Immunoassay, Middle Aged, Muscle Proteins, Oxidative Phosphorylation, Predictive Value of Tests, Risk Factors, Staining and Labeling, Cohort Studies, Biomarkers, Stromal Cells, Oxidative Stress, Risk Assessment, Lactic Acid, Monocarboxylic Acid Transporters, Caveolin 1, Kaplan-Meier Estimate, Neoplasm Grading

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