The research, which was published in Clinical Cancer Research, shows a new approach in cancer treatment. The study was conducted by a team from King’s College London and funded by Breast Cancer Now. The discovery targets triple negative breast cancer, which is known for being resistant to traditional treatments.
h accounts for 15% of all diagnosed cases of breast cancer. It is known for being aggressive, resistant to chemotherapy, and more common in women under 40, with a lower survival rate. Traditional treatments such as surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy are used, but this type of cancer can often evade these treatments and return. Researchers analyzed data from over 6000 breast cancer samples to better understand the characteristics of these aggressive and chemotherapy-resistant cancer cells. They focused on studying the biology of the cancer, including gene expression in the tumor and the cell surface.The researchers examined the interior of cells to determine how cancer cells evade cancer medications. They found that the cancer cell surface marker EGFR and the oncogenic molecules CDK play a role in cell division and growth.
Using this information, they combined cetuximab, an antibody that targets the EGFR protein found in this type of cancer, with a drug that blocks CDK. This combination creates a personalized drug for breast cancer. Because the antibody drug targets only the cancer cells, it may be possible to administer a lower dose of the inhibitor than usual.The study aimed to identify vulnerabilities in cancer cells and found a way to create a personalized antibody drug conjugate for patients with aggressive cancer. By combining two drugs, a lower dose of the toxic drug can be targeted directly to the cancer cells, reducing the risk of adverse side effects for patients. While more research is needed before this therapy can be used in clinical settings, the potential for a less toxic treatment is promising. Lead author Professor Sophia Karagiannis from King’s College London expressed optimism about the possibilities for guiding cancer therapies in this way.this could provide new treatment options for cancers with poor prognosis. In addition to this antibody drug conjugate, we anticipate that our idea will pave the way for customizing new antibody drug conjugates of this kind for patient groups likely to benefit.”
Leading research scientist Dr. Anthony Cheung from King’s College London explained, “Triple negative breast cancer is a complex disease at the molecular and clinical level. By targeting EGFR overexpression and dysregulated cell cycle molecules in specific patient groups, the antibody drug conjugate, as opposed to the antibody alone, may halt cancer cell division and induce cytotoxic effects.”The research funded by Breast Cancer Now has made significant progress in understanding and targeting triple negative breast cancer, a particularly aggressive and difficult-to-treat form of the disease. Dr. Simon Vincent, the director of services, support, and influencing at Breast Cancer Now, emphasized the importance of this research, as around 8,000 women in the UK are diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer each year. This form of cancer is known to be more aggressive and more likely to return or spread following treatment. The exciting findings from this research have improved our understanding of the properties of aggressive breast cancer cells that are resistant to chemotherapy, bringing us closer to developing a targeted therapy to specifically destroy these cancer cells.The minimization of side effects for patients is an important goal in medical treatment. While more research is necessary before implementing this treatment in humans, it represents a significant advancement in the development of targeted therapies for triple negative breast cancer. The researchers are optimistic about how these findings could potentially lead to new and effective approaches in combating this devastating disease.
