Serum amyloid A and inflammasome activation: A link to breast cancer progression?

Carla Fourie, Preetha Shridas, Tanja Davis, Willem J.S. de Villiers, Anna Mart Engelbrecht

Research output: Contribution to journalShort surveypeer-review

20 Scopus citations

Abstract

Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in women globally. Although there have been many significant advances made in the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer, numerous unresolved challenges remain, which include prevention, early diagnosis, metastasis and recurrence. The role of inflammation in cancer development is well established and is believed to be one of the leading hallmarks of cancer progression. Recently, the role of the inflammasome, a cytosolic multiprotein complex, has received attention in different cancers. By contributing to the activation of inflammatory cytokines the inflammasome intensifies the inflammatory cascade. The inflammasome can be activated through several pathways, which include the binding of pattern associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) and damage associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) to toll-like receptors (TLRs). Serum amyloid A (SAA), a non-specific acute-phase protein, can function as an endogenous DAMP by binding to pattern recognition receptors like TLRs on both breast cancer cells and cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs). SAA can thus stimulate the production of IL-1β, thereby creating a favourable inflammatory environment to support tumour growth. The aim of this review is to highlight the possible role of SAA as an endogenous DAMP in the tumour microenvironment (TME) thereby promoting breast cancer growth through the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)62-70
Number of pages9
JournalCytokine and Growth Factor Reviews
Volume59
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 2021

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 Elsevier Ltd

Keywords

  • Breast cancer
  • Inflammasome
  • Interleukin-1
  • Serum amyloid A
  • Toll-like receptor

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism
  • Immunology and Allergy
  • Immunology
  • General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

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