Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

Advertisement

British Journal of Cancer
  • View all journals
  • Search
  • My Account Login
  • Content Explore content
  • About the journal
  • Publish with us
  • Sign up for alerts
  • RSS feed
  1. nature
  2. british journal of cancer
  3. regular article
  4. article
Anti-gonadotrophin releasing hormone antibodies inhibit the growth of MCF7 human breast cancer xenografts
Download PDF
Download PDF
  • Regular Article
  • Open access
  • Published: 09 April 1999

Anti-gonadotrophin releasing hormone antibodies inhibit the growth of MCF7 human breast cancer xenografts

  • E Jacobs2,
  • S A Watson2,
  • D Michaeli3,
  • I O Ellis1 &
  • …
  • J F R Robertson1 

British Journal of Cancer volume 80, pages 352–359 (1999)Cite this article

  • 777 Accesses

  • 18 Citations

  • Metrics details

This article has been updated

Summary

The human breast cancer cell line (MCF7) was established as xenografts in intact female nude mice. Xenografts did not require oestrogen supplementation for growth, although oestrogen supplementation caused more rapid tumour growth. GnRH Pharmaccine is an immunogen composed of gonadotrophin releasing hormone (GnRH) linked to diphtheria toxoid. Anti-GnRH antibodies purified from the serum of rabbits immunized with GnRH Pharmaccine, were used to passively immunize nude mice. In mice treated with anti-GnRH antibodies, xenograft growth was significantly inhibited relative to controls (median times of 71 and 29 days respectively taken for tumours to attain a predetermined cross-sectional area of 200 mm2, P < 0.001). The inhibition of tumour growth achieved by anti-GnRH antibodies was not significantly different from that produced by the anti-oestrogen, tamoxifen (59 days). Ovarian/uterine weights were reduced by 61% (P < 0.001) in anti-GnRH antibody-treated animals compared with controls. Histologically there was underdevelopment and atrophy of the reproductive organs. Serum levels of both oestrogen and luteinizing hormone were reduced by treatment with anti-GnRH antibodies (to 24.9% and 53% respectively of levels in controls, both P = 0.04). It is postulated that one of the mechanisms by which anti-GnRH antibody treatment inhibits tumour growth is indirectly, by reducing serum oestrogen levels.

Similar content being viewed by others

Transgenic mice overexpressing the LH receptor in the female reproductive system spontaneously develop endometrial tumour masses

Article Open access 23 April 2021

GnRHa protects the ovarian reserve by reducing endoplasmic reticulum stress during cyclophosphamide-based chemotherapy

Article Open access 07 October 2021

Estrogen levels in young women with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer on ovarian function suppression therapy

Article Open access 01 August 2024

Article PDF

Change history

  • 16 November 2011

    This paper was modified 12 months after initial publication to switch to Creative Commons licence terms, as noted at publication

References

  • Beatson, G. T. (1896). On the treatment of inoperable cases of carcinoma of the mamma: suggestions for a new method of treatment with illustrative cases. Lancet ii: 104–107.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blamey, R. W., Jonat, W., Kaufmann, M., Raffaele Bianco, A. & Namer, M. (1992). Goserelin depot in the treatment of premenopausal advanced breast cancer. Eur J Cancer 28A: 810–814.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cho, H., Aronica, S. M. & Katzenellenbogen, B. S. (1994). Regulation of progesterone receptor gene expression in MCF7 breast cancer cells: a comparison of the effects of cyclic adenosine 3′,5′-monophosphate, oestradiol, insulin-like growth factor-1 and serum factors. Endocrinology 134: 658–664.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dowsett, M., Goss, P. E., Powles, T. J., Hutchinson, G., Brodie, A. M. H., Jeffcoate, S. L. & Coombes, R. C. (1987). Use of the aromatase inhibitor 4 hydroxyandrostenedione in postmenopausal breast care: optimisation of therapeutic dose and route. Cancer Res 47: 1957–1961.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ferro, V. A. & Stimpson, W. H. (1997). Immunoneutralisation of gonadotrophin releasing hormone: a potential treatment for oestrogen-dependent breast cancer. Eur J Cancer 33: 1468–1478.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gottardis, M. M., Robinson, S. P. & Jordan, V. C. (1988). Oestradiol-stimulated growth of MCF7 tumours implanted in athymic mice: a model to study the tumouristatic action of tamoxifen. J Steroid Biochem 30: 311–314.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Goulding, H., Pinder, S., Cannon, P., Pearson, D., Nicholson, R., Snead, D., Bell, J., Elston, C. W., Robertson, J. F., Blamey, R. W. & Ellis, I. O. (1995). A new immunohistochemical antibody for the assessment of oestrogen receptor status on routine formalin fixed tissue samples. Hum Pathol 26: 291–294.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jacobs, E., Watson, S. A., Hardcastle, J. D. & Robertson, J. F. R. (1996). Oestrogen and progesterone receptors in gastrointestinal cancer cell lines. Eur J Cancer 32A: 2348–2353.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kraus, W. L. & Katzenellenbogen, B. S. (1993). Regulation of progesterone receptor gene expression and growth in the rat uterus: modulation of oestrogen actions by progesterone and sex steroid hormone antagonists. Endocrinology 132: 2371–2379.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lee, E. T. & Desu, M. M. (1972). A computer programme for comparing k samples with right censored data. Comp Progr Biomed 2: 315–321.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lett, H. (1905). An analysis of ninety nine cases of inoperable carcinoma of the breast treated by oophorectomy. Lancet i: 227–228.

    Google Scholar 

  • Osborne, K. C., Hobbs, K. & Clark, G. M. (1985). Effect of oestrogens and anti-oestrogens on growth of human breast cancer cells in athymic nude mice. Cancer Res 45: 584–590.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Williams, M. R., Walker, I. L. J., Turkes, A., Blamey, R. W. & Nicholson, R. I. (1986). The use of LH-RH agonist (ICI 118,630, Zoladex) in advanced premenopausal breast cancer. Br J Cancer 53: 629–636.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Williamson, K., Robertson, J. F. R., Ellis, I. O., Elston, C. W., Nicholson, R. I. & Blamey, R. W. (1988). Effect of LHRH agonist, Zoladex® on ovarian histology. Br J Surg 75: 595–596.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yano, T., Korkut, E., Pinski, J., Szepeshazi, K., Milovanovic, S., Groot, K., Clarke, R., Comaru-Schally, A. M. & Schally, A. V. (1992). Inhibition of growth of MCF-7 MIII human breast carcinoma in nude mice by treatment with agonists or antagonists of LH-RH. Br Cancer Res Treat 21: 35–45.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Professorial Unit of Surgery, City Hospital, Nottingham, NG5 1PB, UK

    I O Ellis & J F R Robertson

  2. Department of Surgery, Cancer Studies Unit, D-floor, West Block, University Hospital, Nottingham, NG7 2UH, UK

    E Jacobs & S A Watson

  3. Aphton Corporation, Woodland, 95776, CA, USA

    D Michaeli

Authors
  1. E Jacobs
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  2. S A Watson
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  3. D Michaeli
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  4. I O Ellis
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  5. J F R Robertson
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

From twelve months after its original publication, this work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Jacobs, E., Watson, S., Michaeli, D. et al. Anti-gonadotrophin releasing hormone antibodies inhibit the growth of MCF7 human breast cancer xenografts. Br J Cancer 80, 352–359 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bjc.6690362

Download citation

  • Received: 07 June 1998

  • Revised: 16 November 1998

  • Accepted: 17 November 1998

  • Published: 09 April 1999

  • Issue date: 01 May 1999

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bjc.6690362

Share this article

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

Keywords

  • breast cancer
  • xenograft
  • GnRH
  • immunotherapy

This article is cited by

  • Immunization with a recombinant GnRH vaccine fused to heat shock protein 65 inhibits mammary tumor growth in vivo

    • Xue Jun Wang
    • Kai Gu
    • Jing Jing Liu

    Cancer Immunology, Immunotherapy (2010)

Download PDF

Advertisement

Explore content

  • Research articles
  • Reviews & Analysis
  • News & Comment
  • Current issue
  • Collections
  • Follow us on Twitter
  • Sign up for alerts
  • RSS feed

About the journal

  • Journal Information
  • Open access publishing
  • About the Editors
  • Contact
  • Special Issues
  • For Advertisers
  • Subscribe

Publish with us

  • For Authors & Referees
  • Language editing services
  • Submit manuscript

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

  • Explore articles by subject
  • Find a job
  • Guide to authors
  • Editorial policies

British Journal of Cancer (Br J Cancer)

ISSN 1532-1827 (online)

ISSN 0007-0920 (print)

nature.com sitemap

About Nature Portfolio

  • About us
  • Press releases
  • Press office
  • Contact us

Discover content

  • Journals A-Z
  • Articles by subject
  • protocols.io
  • Nature Index

Publishing policies

  • Nature portfolio policies
  • Open access

Author & Researcher services

  • Reprints & permissions
  • Research data
  • Language editing
  • Scientific editing
  • Nature Masterclasses
  • Research Solutions

Libraries & institutions

  • Librarian service & tools
  • Librarian portal
  • Open research
  • Recommend to library

Advertising & partnerships

  • Advertising
  • Partnerships & Services
  • Media kits
  • Branded content

Professional development

  • Nature Awards
  • Nature Careers
  • Nature Conferences

Regional websites

  • Nature Africa
  • Nature China
  • Nature India
  • Nature Japan
  • Nature Middle East
  • Privacy Policy
  • Use of cookies
  • Legal notice
  • Accessibility statement
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Your US state privacy rights
Springer Nature

© 2025 Springer Nature Limited