Scientists explain why cancer occurs: a tumor suppressor gene determines cell fate
Release date: 2017-01-12
Why does breast cancer develop further and why do some patients develop resistance to treatment? A team of researchers from the University of Basel recently presented new insights into the molecular processes of breast tissue, and they found that the tumor suppressor LATS plays a key role in the development and treatment of breast cancer.
The findings were published in the January 9 issue of Nature.
All breast cancers are not homogeneous, and up to 70% of breast cancer cells contain estrogen receptors. Currently, treatments using these receptors can achieve relatively good therapeutic effects because these tumors require females. Hormones can grow, so many drugs use it as a target to interfere with the expression of estrogen. However, about one-third of patients have developed resistance to this treatment, or have not responded. So far scientists have been unable to predict this situation, mainly because its basic molecular mechanism is still unclear.
In a recent study, a team led by Professor Mohamed Bentires-Alj from the Department of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Basel discovered a key player through a comprehensive molecular analysis: LATS, which the researchers pointed out could work with other proteins to affect the mammary gland. Cancer development and treatment.
The tumor suppressor gene LATS determines cell fate
The researchers focused on tumor suppressor genes, genes that prevent cancer in normal cells. LATS (LATS1 and LATS2) are a class of tumor suppressor genes. Once it is removed, the biological processes of breast tissue will change: the number of so-called luminal precursor cells in the mammary epithelial tissue will Increase, this is the origin of most breast cancer types in the human body. "LATS balances the fate of cells in breast tissue, and if it is missing, it breaks the balance and causes tumors," explains Ventires-Alj.
Unresistible drug resistance
In healthy breast tissue, LATS can associate estrogen receptor alpha (ERa) with protein degradation. In the absence of LATS, the receptor cannot be properly degraded and adversely affects cancer treatment.
"Research has shown that cancer cells without LATS no longer respond to Fluvestrant, a pro-degradative estrogen receptor antagonist drug that produces resistance," says Ventires-Alj.
The researchers also found that removal of LATS also leads to an increase in the number of YAP and TAZ in cancer cells and the stabilization of proteins that promote cell proliferation. "By analyzing the molecular processes in healthy breast tissue, we further understand the origin of cancer cells. How to augment, and why some tumors are resistant to treatment."
Source: Biopass
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