researchers have found a way to wake up these dormant breast cancer cells and have shown that stopping this mechanism can greatly improve treatment outcomes in experimental models. The discovery is significant because it could lead to better and more effective treatments for breast cancer recurrence.Researchers have found a way to activate dormant breast cancer cells, and have shown that stopping this process can greatly improve treatment results in experimental models.
Despite advancements in research-based therapies, breast cancer remains the second leading cause of death in women. One of the biggest challenges in treating breast cancer is its tendency to come back. Even when the initial treatment seems successful and the cancer is gone, it can reappear years later either in the same area or, in the worst cases, spreading to other parts of the body.
Various organs in the body, such as the brain, can be affected by dormant breast cancer cells.
It is not well understood why breast cancer cells awaken even after several years of being dormant. However, discovering these reasons could lead to the development of new therapies to prevent cancer recurrence.
The activity of DUSP6 protein is associated with the awakening of breast cancer cells
A recent study from Finland has provided valuable new information on how breast cancer cells of the HER2-positive subtype can awaken during treatment.
The research team, led by Jukka Westermarck, the Professor of Cancer Biology at the Turku Bioscience Centr rnrnThe researchers at the University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University conducted a study on breast cancer cells that were sensitive to HER2 inhibitor treatment for nine months. They monitored how these cancer cells were able to resume their growth during the treatment. Through sequencing the molecular changes in the cells, the researchers identified the DUSP6 protein, which showed a close association with the development of therapy resistance. The lead researcher, Majid Momeny, also demonstrated that blocking the activity of the DUSP6 protein during cancer treatment led to a loss of resistance in the breast cancer cells.Their growth potential was enhanced when the protein was blocked, and it also increased the sensitivity of previously resistant cancer cells to HER2 inhibitors. Additionally, inhibiting DUSP6 slowed the growth of breast cancer metastases in the brain in mouse models. Professor Westermarck stated that based on their findings, blocking the DUSP6 protein could be the basis for effective combination therapy in cases of HER2 breast cancer that have become resistant to treatment. The study’s significance is underscored by the group’s access to experimental drug molecules that can inhibit the DUSP6 protein.The researchers showed that they could block the protein in mice without causing major side effects by giving them the drug. Additionally, the drug was found to greatly improve the effectiveness of various HER2 inhibitors that are already in use.
Westermarck adds, “The molecules we used in this study are not yet ready for treating patients, but these new research findings are valuable evidence that DUSP6 is a highly promising target for future cancer drug development and should be further explored.”