Table 1.
Mouse Models of Activin Social Network Function in Breast
| Activin Network Member | Model | Manipulation | Outcome | Investigator |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inhbb | Knockout mouse | Inhbb−/− mouse | Reduced ductal and alveolar development, lactation failure | Matzuk et al. (49), 1994; Schrewe et al. (51), 1994 |
| Inhbb | Knockout mouse | Inhbb−/− mouse | Lactation failure, retarded ductal and alveolar morphogenesis, absence of secreted milk | Robinson et al. (54), 1997 |
| Inhbb | Knockout mouse | Inhbb−/− mouse and syngeneic transplant of mammary tissue | WT epithelia transplanted into Inhbb−/− stroma failed to develop | Robinson et al. (54), 1997 |
| Activin A | Heterotopic xenograft in mice | Activin A overexpression in human luminal breast cancer cells (MCF7) xenografted into the flanks of nude mice | Increased tumor growth associated with increased expression of SMA, VEGF, and decreased CDH1 | Bashir et al. (22), 2015 |
| Activin A | Heterotopic xenograft in mice | Tail-vein injection of activin A overexpression in human luminal breast cancer cells (MCF7) | Increased size, not number, of liver metastases | Bashir et al. (22),2015 |
| Activin (?) | Heterotopic xenograft in mice | Activin overexpression in R30C human breast cancer cell line (ER-negative) subcutaneously xenografted into flanks of mice | Increased tumor size; decreased tumor angiogenesis | Krneta et al. (64), 2006 |
| ACTR-IIA | Heterotopic xenograft in mice | Subcutaneous or intracardiac xenograft of DA-MB-231-luc-D3H2LN human triple-negative breast cancer cells and treatment with soluble activin receptor type IIA fusion protein by subcutaneous injection 2×/wk | No change in tumor burden with subcutaneous xenografted cells; reduced osteolytic disease and metastasis to bone of metastatic outgrowth xenografted cells | Chantry et al. (59), 2010 |
| FST | Compound hemizygous mice | Overexpression of follistatin in transgenic mouse model of HER2/Neu-induced metastatic breast cancer | No change in tumor growth or latency, complete abrogation of metastatic progression to lung | Seachrist et al. (28), 2017 |
| FST | Heterotopic xenograft in mice | FST overexpression in R30C human breast cancer cell line (breast cancer subtype unknown) subcutaneously xenografted into flanks of mice | Decreased tumor size, increased tumor angiogenesis, increased TUNEL+ cells | Krneta et al. (64), 2006 |
The activin dimer is unknown.
Abbreviations: SMA, smooth muscle actin; VEGF, vascular endothelial growth factor.