Corticotropin Releasing Factor Receptors in breast cancer: Expression and activity in hormone-dependent growth in vitro

Corticotropin Releasing Factor (CRF) neuropeptides coordinate the stress response via two distinct membrane receptors (CRF-Rs). We have previously shown expression of both CRF-Rs in human breast cancer tissues. In the present study, we examined in vitro using the MCF-7 cell line model, the regulation of CRF-Rs expression and their signaling in hormone-dependent breast cancer growth. Our findings show that similarly to breast cancer biopsies, the predominant receptor type expressed in the cell line is CRF-R2α. The transcription of CRF-R1 and CRF-R2 is up and down-regulated respectively by exposure to estradiol (E2); however this effect seems not to be exerted at the level of promoter gene methylation, although in human breast cancer specimens, CRF-R1 methylation was found to be positively associated with the presence of steroid hormone receptors. Finally, we showed that specific activation of CRF-R2 increased the migration of MCF-7 cells and potentiated an estrogen-inducing effect. Our data support an involvement of CRF-R signaling in breast cancer pathophysiology via a regulatory steroid-hormone interplay.