Researchers identify key gene that may be a marker of breast cancer metastasisApril 19, 2007Research focuses on aggressive breast cancer cells that resist anti-estrogen therapy Researchers at Fox Chase Cancer Center have identified an important gene involved in the spread of breast cancer that has developed resistance to long-term estrogen deprivation. The discovery was reported today in an oral presentation during the 97th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research in Los Angeles. The gene may prove to be a useful marker for predicting which patients have the greatest risk of breast cancer recurrence so their doctors can offer the most appropriate treatment plan. The research focused on breast cancer cells that had grown resistant to a class of anti-hormone drugs called aromatase inhibitors. AIs shut down an enzyme, aromatase, that lets the body produce estrogen outside the ovaries. These drugs represent one of the newest, most effective forms of hormone therapy for postmenopausal women whose breast cancer tests positive for estrogen receptors, which means that estrogen in the body fuels the growth of cancer cells. "Unfortunately, one of the drawbacks to extended use of an AI may be that some of the cancer cells develop resistance to the drug and are able to grow and spread independent of estrogen," said Fox Chase Cancer Center biochemist Joan S. Lewis-Wambi, Ph.D, who presented the results of the study of aggressive AI-resistant breast cancer cells. "Our laboratory has developed several AI-resistant breast cancer cell lines and have found that these cells are very invasive compared to AI-sensitive breast cancer cells," she explained. "Analyses of gene activity in these AI-resistant cells have shown that they express high levels of genes associated with invasiveness and metastasis." The researchers found, however, that they could reverse this aggressive behavior by using molecules called "small interfering RNAs" to knock out the gene called CEACAM6 (carcinoembryonic antigen-related cell adhesion molecule 6). "Overall, these findings identify CEACAM6 as a unique mediator of the aggressiveness and spread of AI-resistant breast cancer," Lewis-Wambi said. \\\ Fox Chase Cancer Center |
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| Related Breast Cancer Current Events and Breast Cancer News Articles Menopause-cardiology consensus statement on cardiovascular disease and on HRT A menopause-cardiology consensus statement has called for direct action to prevent cardiovascular disease (CVD) in menopausal women. The statement also concludes that there is little evidence of increased CVD risk in taking HRT. Researchers Identify Role of Gene in Tumor Development, Growth and Progression Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center and VCU Institute of Molecular Medicine researchers have identified a gene that may play a pivotal role in two processes that are essential for tumor development, growth and progression to metastasis. UCLA researchers create 'fly paper' to capture circulating cancer cells Just as fly paper captures insects, an innovative new device with nano-sized features developed by researchers at UCLA is able to grab cancer cells in the blood that have broken off from a tumor. Fertility procedures need not delay breast cancer treatment for younger women A new study published in the November issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons shows that breast cancer patients under 40 years old who undergo fertility preservation do not face a significant delay in the treatment of their disease when their care is coordinated in a timely fashion. Coffee break: Compound brewing new research in colon, breast cancer A compound in coffee has been found to be estrogenic in studies by Texas AgriLife Research scientists. Drugs to treat anemia in cancer patients linked to thromboembolism Medications frequently given to cancer patients to reduce their risk of anemia are associated with an increased risk of deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism, according to new research led by Dawn Hershman, M.D, M.S., co-director of the breast cancer program at the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center. Discovery in worms by Queen's researchers points to more targeted cancer treatment Researchers at Queen's University have found a link between two genes involved in cancer formation in humans, by examining the genes in worms. The groundbreaking discovery provides a foundation for how tumor-forming genes interact, and may offer a drug target for cancer treatment. FDA approved leukemia drugs shows promise in ovarian cancer cells The drug Sprycel, approved for use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia, significantly inhibited the growth and invasiveness of ovarian cancer cells and also promoted their death, a study by researchers with UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center found. Carnegie Mellon researchers link health-care debate to risk of dying in US and Europe The current health care debate in the United States is complicated. Trade-offs between heath care expenditures, lifestyle choices and life expectancy have been suggested but seldom clearly demonstrated. Scientists uncover new key to the puzzle of hormone therapy and breast cancer The use of postmenopausal hormone therapy has decreased over time in the United States, which researchers suggest may play a key role in the declining rate of atypical ductal hyperplasia, a known risk factor for breast cancer. More Breast Cancer Current Events and Breast Cancer News Articles |
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