Skip to main content

Gene Identification Breast Cancer Chemotherapy Resistance

Some interesting latest findings:
Chemotherapy before surgery is not always effective against some tumors. Now, a study published in Nature Medicine reveals that researchers at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center (VICC) have identified a gene expression pattern associated to resistance to breast cancer chemotherapy. In addition, the study findings suggest new treatment options for individuals with specific subtypes of breast cancer. 

Of all breast cancer patients that receive chemotherapy to shrink tumors before surgery, around 30% show a complete pathological response, although many still have residual breast cancer after the neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) is completed, meaning that these patients have a higher risk of cancer recurrence and dying from the disease. 

Justin Balko, Pharm.D., Ph.D., postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Carlos L. Arteage, M.D., associate director for Clinical Research and director of the Breast Cancer Program at VICC, examined gene expression patterns in 49 breast tumors obtained during surgery and after four months of NAC. 

The researchers identified 244 unique genes linked to high-grade, chemotherapy-resistant tumors. The team then combined these genes, labeled the CLUSTER signature, with previously identified gene signatures so that they could look for distinctive patterns of behavior.

They found that faster tumor cell growth after NAC was strongly associated with low concentrations of dual specificity protein phosphatase 4 (DUSP4). In addition, they found that low DUSP4 was also associated with basal-like breast cancer (BLBC). Compared to other breast cancer subtypes, DUSP4 promoter methylation and gene expression patterns of Ras-ERK pathway activation were also higher in BLBC.

Chemothrapy More Effective When DUAP4 Is Present

According to the researchers, chemotherapy was significantly more effective against cancer cells when DUSP4 was present than when DUSP4 was experimentally deleted. 

Balko explained:


"These data suggest that cells with low DUSP4 expression are enriched during NAC and that low DUSP4 expression in residual resected breast tumors is a potential biomarker for drug resistance and a high likelihood of tumor recurrence."


Furthermore, DUSP4 may be a potential biomarker for response to drugs that inhibit the MEK kinase. The team compared treatment with the chemotherapy drug docetaxel, with and without the MEK inhibitor selumetinib, by using DUSP4-deficient tumors in mice and found that the combination was significantly more effective at eliminating the tumors than docetaxel alone.

Balko said "These data support exploratory clinical trials combining chemotherapy and MEK inhibitors in patients with DUSP-deficient basal-like breast cancer."
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

"Hard nipples" - areola or nipple skin

Someone once wrote"... when i get really cold, or get goosebumbs all over my body, the whole things really scrunch up, like, my entire areola scrunches itself up into a wrinkled little mound. it looks really weird and ugly, and i haven't ever seen other people's breasts do it. what is wrong with my areola/nipples??" The answer: Well nothing is wrong. This is what my areola does too. It's a normal reaction to the coldness or to irritation / stimulation. The little muscles in the areola do a similar goosebump thing as your other skin can do. People often call this phenomenon "hard nipples". Also note that skin on areola has less feeling or sensation to it than other areas of your body. If the areola was very sensitive, then breastfeeding would probably be quite uncomfortable because the baby pulls and tugs it! The nipples are sensitive but the sensitivity changes with hormonal changes, such as occur at mestrual cycle or pregnancy. Also this v...
8 comments
Read more

Monumental cleavage alert! Did Natalie Portman get a boob job?

Black Swan Oscar winner Natalie Portman has sparked feverish debate about whether or not she's had a boob job, after she appeared on camera at an American football game looking bustier than before. The 31-year-old, who gave birth to son Aleph in June 2011, was watching the game in Austin, Texas during a break from shooting the as-yet-untitled new Terrence Malick film. With co-star Michael Fassbender by her side, a newly blonde Natalie was spotted by the cameras during the ABC broadcast. While it could very well be a push-up bra, or a consequence of breast-feeding her bub, Twitter fans immediately speculated about the star's potentially enhanced assets. "Natalie Portman @ the Texas-Baylor game ... boob job? Looks like it!" one user wrote. "Wait a second, did Natalie Portman get a boob job? Is she pregnant? On the sidelines of Texas game and #wow," another tweeted. Comments on the YouTube clip ran along the same lines, albeit many of them ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Ground breaking cancer Carctol Capsule in India with Dr.Vipin Tiwari

Sharing is caring and also very important to keep up with what’s happening in the world. Cancer news we see everyday! This is something I am very very excited about : Changing the future and also saving lives. Sound too good to be true well it’s not the research that has gone into this product is brilliant. Please check out Dr.Vipin Tiwari he is working in India. I was really happy he contacted me to share this product. So I want to share it also with you all. The mission: MISSION "Our mission is to offer products as well as services of the highest professional standards in order to make the whole world Cancer Free." The people at Dr. Nandlal Tiwari Pharmaceuticals Pvt. Ltd. are focused on researching the power of ayurveda, bring up natural medicines & therapies and spread it all over the world for the benfit of mankind. We work hard to bring smiles on hopeless patients of Cancer. With successful records in past and dedication of our employees we are con...
2 comments
Read more