MCF-7: Human Breast Cancer Cell Line

Breast cancer research, in vitro model cell line study, MCF-7 human breast cancer cell line with it's details like history, importance, applications, Culture tips, a model responsible for ER targeted therapy etc.

1. MCF-7:HUMAN BREASTCANCER
CELLLINE
Shaktiprasad Pradhan
M.Pharm, Ph.D*
Breast Cancer Researcher, UDPS
Utkal University, Bhubaneswar
Odisha, India
Cancer Research

2. History of MCF-7 Breast Cancer Cell
Line

3. MCF-7:HumanBreastCancerCellLine
Celllinesarein-vitromodelsfordrugscreeningand
toxicitystudies.
Thesearevaluabletoolstostudyproblemsof
clinicalrelevance,especiallyrelatedtodiseases,
screening,andstudiesofcellbiology.
Celllineshavebeenusedinvaccine&antibody
production,drugmetabolism&cytotoxicitytesting,
artificialtissuegeneration(artificialskin)&
synthesisofnewtherapeutics,studyofgene
functionetc.
MCF-7isaverywellknownbreastcancercellline
ofhumanorigin.

4. MCF-7cellwasisolatedfromapleuraleffusionofa
69yearsoldwomanin1970.
In1973HerbertSouleandhisco-workers
establishedtheMCF-7humanbreastcancercellline.
MCFistheacronymof“MichiganCancer
Foundation”presentintheDetroitcityofUSAwhere
thecelllinewasdiscovered&7representsSoule’s
seventhattemptforgeneratingandestablishingthe
cellline.
CurrentlytheMichiganCancerFoundation(MCF)is
knownastheBarbaraAnnKarmanosCancer
Institute(BAKCI),oneofthe51NationalCancer
Institutedesignatedcomprehensivecancertreatment
andresearchcentersinUSA.

5. (MCF-7 Cells)
MCF-7 Cells
MCF-7 Cell

6. Importance of MCF-7 Cell Line

7. GloballyMCF-7isthemoststudiedhumanbreast
cancercelllineincomparedtotheotherbreast
cancercelllines&morethan25,000published
researchreportsonthiscelllineaccountsforit.
Verywellcharacterizedforbreastcancer
pathogenesisandtherapythroughreliableinvitro
assays.
Itisasuitablemodelcelllinefortheanticancer
drugresearchersinvestigatinganti-breastcancer
drugmolecules.
MCF-7isthefirsthormoneresponsivehuman
breastcancercellline.

8. MCF-7isanexcellentinvitromodelforstudying
themechanismoftumorresponsetoendocrine
therapy.
TheMCF-7humanbreastcancercellexpresses
androgen,progesteronealongwithglucocorticoid
receptors.
Theextensivelyhormonesensitivenatureof
MCF-7breastcancercellgroundsforit’s
unanimouslyuseinestrogen(ER)aswell
progesteronereceptor(ER)&hormoneresistant
breastcancerinvitroexperiments.

9. Characteristic features of MCF-7 Cell
Line

10. Originatedfrompleuraleffusion.
Primarytumorwhichischaracterisedasan
invasivebreastductalcarcinoma.
Fairlylargeadherentcells&20-25micronisthe
normalrangeofcellsize.
MCF-7cellsareeasytopropagate,commonly
slow-growingbynaturehavingthedoublingtime
usually30-40hours.
Abletoprocessestrogenintheformofestradiolvia
estrogenreceptorsinthecellcytoplasm.
Bothestrogenaswellprogesteronereceptor
positive&andHER2negative.

11. ProliferativeresponsetoboththeER&PR.
MCF-7cellsaresensitivetocytokeratin(CK).
CannothaveERBB2geneamplification.
Luminalepithelialphenotype.
Exhibitfeaturesofdifferentiatedmammaryepithelium
astheyarepositivefortheepithelialmarkers.
Capableofformingdomeswhengrowninvitro.
Tumorigenicinmice:
1.Ifengraftedsubcutaneouslyintofatormammaryfat
pad onlywithestrogensupplementation.
2.Ifengraftedintraductallywithoutestrogen
supplementation.

12. GrowthofMCF-7cellsisstimulatedsignificantly
byestrogenswhichisabroadareaofcancer
research.
Growthandproliferationisinhibitedby
angiogenesis,Omega-3&6fattyacids(EPA,
DHA,AA).
Generateestrogen-dependentsolidtumorsand
canproducemetastasestolocalanddistant
lymphnodes.
MCF-7cellscontainafractionofstemcellsable
togenerateclonalvariability.

13. Characteristic features of MCF-7 cells

14. MCF-7 as a model of response for
ER targeted therapy

15. Thehormoneresistancestudieshavealsobeen
basicallyinstigatedbytheexerciseofMCF-7
humanbreastcancercellline.
MCF-7cellsarewell-suitedforantihormone
therapyresistancestudiessincetheyare
easilyculturedandretainERexpressionwhen
theyweretreatedwithsuchtargetedtherapy.
TheyexpresshighlevelsofERandbecome
hypersensitivetotheestrogenstimulation,since
estrogenremovalprimarilyslowsthegrowthof
MCF-7breastcancercellsmarkedly.

16. Variousin-vitrostudiesusingwithdrawalor
frequentexposureofestrogentoMCF-7breast
cancercellsleadtoisolationofhormoneresistant
differentvariantsofMCF-7cells,theymaybe
eitherERpositiveorERnegative.
Severalmechanismsofendocrineresistance
havebeendescribedincludingtheover
expressionoramplificationofthehormone
receptorsalongwithmutationwhichcauseshyper
activationofthereceptors.
Thismodelisparticularlyvaluableinpreclinical
testingofantiestrogentherapies&identificationof
mechanismsofresistancetosuchdrugs.

17. Application of MCF-7 Cell Line

18. MCF-7cellsareusedextensivelyforin
vitrobreastcancerstudies.
Chieflyemployedinthestudiesofhormonal
mechanismofactionalongwithresponseand
resistanceofdifferenthormones.
MCF-7cellsareusedfordetectingthePI3Kand
MAPKinvolvement.
Havebeenservedasanimportantinvitro
modelsystemtorevealotherpathways.
Usedinpreclinicalstudymodelsasanimportant
platformforthestudyofaromataseinhibitors.

19. Culture tips for MCF-7
Cell Line

20. MCF-7humanbreastcancercellsmaybeseededin
T75flasksatadensityof1millioncells/flaskinlow
glucoseDulbecco’smodifiedEagle’smedium
(DMEM)containing10%fetalbovineserum(FBS),
2mMglutamine,0.01mg/mlInsulinand1%
Penicillin/Streptomycinmix.
ThentheMCF-7cellsshouldbeculturedat37˚Cin
a5%humidifiedCO2incubator.
Renewalofthemediumhastobeperformedtwice
perweek,whiletheMCF-7cellsshouldweeklybe
passagedatasub-cultivationintheratioof1:3.
Noantibioticsshouldbeaddeduntilitsnecessaryor
thecellcultureiscleaningeneral.

21. AnalternativecellculturemediumfortheMCF-7
humanbreastcancercellswouldbe,DMEM
supplementedwith10%FBS&antibiotics/
antimycotics.
PhenolredisadvisedforthecultureofMCF-7cell
line,asitisaweakestrogenandcanbindtothe
receptorsonMCF-7cells.
TosuccessfullysubcultureMCF-7cells,theyneedto
bebroughtintosuspension.
Subcultureonlyonceaweek,detachcellswith
trypsin,thenresuspendwithDMEM,centrifuge
gently(3mins)&thenresuspendthecellline
properly.

22. Related Cell Lines of MCF-7

23. MCF-7 related
cell line
Description
MCF7/S0.5 Breastcancercellline,Adaptedtogrowinlow
serummedia.
MCF7/182R-6 Breastcancercellline,Fulvestrantresistant
MCF7/AnaR-4 Breastcancercellline,Anastrozoleresistant
MCF7/ExeR-4 Breastcancercellline,Exemestaneresistant
MCF7/LetR-1 Breastcancercellline,Letrozoleresistant
MCF7/TAMR-7 Breastcancercellline,Tamoxifenresistant

24. References
1.SouleH.D.,etal.,Ahumancelllinefromapleuraleffusion
derivedfromabreastcarcinoma.JNatlCancerInst,1973.
51(5):1409-16.
2.LeeA.V.,etal.,MCF-7cellschangingthecourseofbreast
cancerresearchandcarefor45years.JNatlCancerInst,
2015.107(7):1-4.
3.EuropeanCollectionofAuthenticatedCellCultures(ECACC).
4.PradhanS.,etal.,AntiproliferationactivityofOcimum
gratissimumaqueousextractonhumanbreastcancerMCF-7
cellline.WJPR,2018.7(9):421-428.
5.PradhanD.,etal.,Inhibitionofproteasomeactivitybythe
dietaryflavonoidQuercetinassociatedwithgrowthinhibition
inculturedbreastcancercellsandxenografts.JYP,2015.7
(3):225-233.

25. Thank You