Due to chemotherapy resistance and a high rate of relapse, triple negative cancers are among the most difficult breast cancers to treat. In this issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation , researchers led by Carlos Arteaga at Vanderbilt University identified a protein, TGF-β, that is highly expressed in triple negative breast cancer cells after chemotherapy. In a mouse model of breast cancer, TGF-β both diverted cells down a path to becoming cancerous and allowed for cancer to come back after treatment. Importantly, loss of TGF-β prevented tumor recurrence in mice. These studies identify a mechanism by which cancer cells elude standard chemotherapy and provide a rationale for testing the therapeutic potential of agents that block TGF-β.
TITLE:
TGFβ inhibition enhances chemotherapy action against triple negative breast cancer
AUTHOR CONTACT:
Carlos Arteaga
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN, USA
Phone: 615-936-3524
Fax: 615-936-1790
E-mail: carlos.arteaga@vanderbilt.edu
Journal of Clinical Investigation