MCF-10A-NeoST: a new cell system for studying cell-ECM and cell-cell interactions in breast cancer.

PURPOSE There is a continuing need for genetically matched cell systems to model cellular behaviors that are frequently observed in aggressive breast cancers. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN We report here the isolation and initial characterization of a spontaneously arising variant of MCF-10A cells, NeoST, which provides a new model to study cell adhesion and signal transduction in breast cancer. RESULTS NeoST cells recapitulate important biological and biochemical features of metastatic breast cancer, including anchorage-independent growth, invasiveness in three-dimensional reconstituted membranes, loss of E-cadherin expression, and increased tyrosine kinase activity. A comprehensive analysis of tyrosine kinase expression revealed overexpression or functional activation of the Axl, FAK, and EphA2 tyrosine kinases in transformed MCF-10A cells. CONCLUSIONS MCF-10A and these new derivatives provide a genetically matched model to study defects in cell adhesion and signaling that are relevant to cellular behaviors that often typify aggressive breast cancer cells.