Siver Andreas Moestue1, Else Marie Huuse2, Olav Engebrten3, Beathe Sitter2, Gunhild Mari Mlandsmo3, Tone Frost Bathen2, Ingrid Susann Gribbestad2
1Institute of Circulation and Medical Imaging, Norwegian University of Science and Technology , Trondheim, Norway; 2Institute of Circulation and Medical Imaging, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway; 3Department of Tumor Biology, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo, Norway
Molecular sub-classification of breast cancer based on gene expression analysis represent clinically distinct patient groups. Two new murine breast cancer xenograft model systems, reflecting the basal-like (poor prognosis) and luminal A (better prognosis) subgroups, have recently been established. A significant difference in choline metabolism between the xenograft models was measured using HR-MAS with ERETIC quantification. The choline metabolite pattern shifted towards higher glycerophosphocholine concentration and lower phosphocholine concentration in the fastest growing basal-like xenograft model. The data from our study suggest that a high GPC/PC ratio is associated with fast-growing, aggressive tumors. This may reflect intrinsic differences between the molecular subgroups or differences in tumor microenvironment. Further studies of these xenograft models are warranted in order to explore the prognostic value of the choline metabolic composition in different molecular subgroups of breast cancer.
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