Inhibition of EGFR pathway signaling and the metastatic potential of breast cancer cells by PA-MSHA mediated by type 1 fimbriae via a mannose-dependent manner

To identify more therapeutic targets and clarify the detailed mechanisms of Pseudomonas aeruginosa-mannose-sensitive hemagglutinin (PA-MSHA) on breast cancer cells both in vitro and in vivo. PA-MSHA was administered to epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-positive human breast cancer cell lines MDA-MB-231HM and MDA-MB-468 in vitro and to mice bearing tumor xenografts. The mannose cocultured test was used to detect the effect of mannose on PA-MSHA-induced cell proliferation, cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, and EGFR pathway signaling. We found that cells stimulated with PA-MSHA exhibited a downregulation of EGFR signaling. The addition of mannose partially inhibited the PA-MSHA-stimulated cell anti-proliferative effect, cell apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, activation of apoptosis-associated caspases, and even downregulation of the EGFR signaling pathway. In vivo, PA-MSHA treatment significantly suppressed mammary tumorigenesis in xenografts in mice and decreased lung metastasis in MDA-MB-231HM cell-transplanted mice. Tumor sample analyses confirmed inhibition of the EGFR pathway in the PA-MSHA-treated mice. In conclusion, this study showed that the involvement of the mannose-mediated EGFR pathway has a critical function in the preclinical rationale for the development of PA-MSHA for the treatment of human breast cancer. It also suggests the potentially beneficial use of PA-MSHA in adjuvant therapy for breast tumors with EGFR overexpression.