Breast Cancer-Treatment-New Approach
New Approach in the Treatment of Breast Cancer
Aug. 8, 2013 — Scientists at the
MedUni Vienna, in collaboration with a working group led by Nancy Hynes at the
University of Basel, have discovered a new approach in the treatment of breast
cancer: an international team involving the Clinical Institute of Pathology at
the MedUni Vienna has been able to demonstrate the activation of a receptor, the Ret protein
(Rearranged during transfection), on the surface of breast cancer cells. Increased levels of this protein
are associated with a lower likelihood of survival for breast cancer patients.
"Our results reveal that the Ret enzyme (Ret kinase)
may be an attractive and novel therapeutic target in selected groups of breast
cancer patients," says Lukas Kenner from the Clinical Institute of
Pathology at the MedUni Vienna and Head of the Vienna team, summarising the
results of the study that have now been published in the magazine "EMBO
Molecular Medicine."
Initial trials with specific Ret inhibitors
have shown that the spread of cancer and the number of metastases in the lungs
can be reduced if the activity of the Ret enzymes in tumour cells is blocked.
The tests so far have used two blocking substances that are already known.
Blockade
of the Ret enzyme reduces tumour growth
The scientists investigated tumour
tissue from more than 80 breast cancer patients, using antibodies to quantify
the Ret protein in the samples. In other experiments, four different cancer
cell lines were used to investigate the effect of Ret inhibitors on the
progression and spread of breast cancer. Says Kenner: "Our results show that
blocking Ret kinase
can reduce the growth and spread of tumours within the body and therefore could
well represent a promising new treatment."
Blocking receptor enzymes with
antibodies or low molecular weight inhibitors is an approach that has already been
tried in clinical practice as treatment for cancer. However only a proportion
of patients is eligible for this type of treatment. "As a result, more
efforts are needed to find additional inhibitors that can block breast
cancer," says Kenner.
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