THE ESSENTIAL
- Triple negative breast cancer is an aggressive form of breast cancer that is resistant to several treatments.
- Researchers have shed light on the role of a protein in the resistance of cancer cells to therapies.
- This opens the way to new treatments targeting this protein.
Research into triple negative breast cancer is moving forward. Researchers at the University of Kentucky in the United Kingdom have discovered the specific role of a protein in treatment resistance. In the specialist journal Molecular Cancerthey explain that NAC1 helps cancer cells and modifies the immune system’s response.
How is the NAC1 protein involved in treatment resistance?
During their work, the research team found that in tumors with high levels of NAC1, cancer stem cells are strengthened. According to the authors, this makes them “more likely to resist treatment and spread to other parts of the body”. This protein also has effects on immune cells, called “Myeloid-Derived Suppressants (MDSC)” : This may promote tumor growth by protecting cancer cells from attack by the immune system.
NAC1 protein: a future therapeutic target to treat triple negative breast cancer
“These results could open new doors for the treatment of patients with triple negative breast cancer.”estimate the lead authors of the study Xia Liu and Jinming Yang. They are members of the Department of Toxicology and Cancer Biology at the UK College of Medicine. This work could help develop new therapeutic strategies to block the action of the NAC1 protein by restoring the immune system’s ability to recognize and fight cancer cells. “This study shows that NAC1 is a promising therapeutic target to simultaneously eradicate cancer stem cells and attenuate immune evasion.”they develop.
Triple negative breast cancer, an aggressive form of the disease
These results are of particular importance: triple negative breast cancer is an aggressive form of the disease, with limited therapeutic options. “So-called ‘triple negative’ breast cancers constitute a group of tumors characterized by the absence of hormonal receptors (progesterone and estrogen) and the HER2 protein on the surface of their cells, indicates the Roche Institute. They are therefore not eligible for treatments targeting these three types of markers.” This form of the disease represents between 10 and 15% of cases of breast cancer.
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