Issues

Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is a nonmalignant lesion of the breast with the potential to progress to invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC). The disappearance and breakdown of the myoepithelial cell layer and basement membrane in DCIS have been identified as major events in the development of breast cancer. The inhibitory effects of the Gemini vitamin D analog BXL0124 on the transition from DCIS to IDC were investigated using the MCF10DCIS.com xenograft model in mice. To assess the effects of BXL0124 on the maintenance of myoepithelial cell layer and basement membrane in DCIS, co-immunofluorescence staining was carried out with a basement membrane marker, laminin 5, and a myoepithelial cell marker, smooth muscle actin (SMA), in DCIS tumors. The covermicrograph depicts the merged images of laminin 5 (shown in green), SMA (shown in red), or nuclei (blue). The present study demonstrates BXL0124 as a potential agent to inhibit the transition of DCIS to IDC by maintaining the integrity of the myoepithelial cell layer and the basement membrane. See the article by Wahler et al. (beginning on page 617) for more information.