LRRC8A Inhibition Overcomes Chemoresistance by Downregulating MRP3 and CYP3A4 in the 3D Spheroid Model of Human Breast Cancer Cells

Leucine-rich repeat-containing 8A (LRRC8A; also known as SWELL1), the essential subunit of volume-regulated anion channels (VRACs), is amplified in multiple malignancies and has been implicated in tumor progression and therapeutic resistance. Three-dimensional (3D) Cancer spheroids have been well-established as in vitro models that recapitulate characteristics of tumor stemness and intrinsic drug resistance. In the present study, spheroid formation in human breast Cancer cell lines, YMB-1 and MDA-MB-468, conferred resistance to multiple Anticancer drugs, including doxorubicin (DOX), gemcitabine (GEM), and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), thereby mimicking the characteristic properties of breast Cancer stem-like cells. LRRC8A expression was upregulated in 3D spheroids compared with adherent 2D monolayers, and its pharmacological inhibition induced membrane hyperpolarization accompanied by intracellular Cl^- accumulation. Inhibition of LRRC8A significantly sensitized spheroids to DOX, GEM, and 5-FU. Spheroid formation increased the expression of multidrug resistance-related protein 3 (MRP3) and the drug-metabolizing enzyme Cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4), whereas LRRC8A inhibition suppressed their expression. The transcriptional upregulation of MRP3 and CYP3A4 was mediated through the NRF2-CEBPB/D transcriptional axis. Collectively, these findings suggest that LRRC8A inhibition may represent a therapeutic strategy to overcome chemoresistance by repressing MRP3 and/or CYP3A4 expression in breast Cancer Stem Cells.

CYP3A4; LRRC8A; MRP3; NRF2; breast cancer; cancer stemness; chemoresistance.