Turning Off 4 Genes Stops Breast Cancer Spreading

Significant news regarding breast cancer is being reported today. Scientist believe that they have found four links between human genes and the reason breast cancer spreads.

This study could have a large impact on the treatment of breast cancer and the survival rates of sufferers.

In the research the four suspected genes were 'turned off' during studies of breast cancer with mice. The findings were startling. Researchers saw that by switching the breast cancer spreading genes off, the breast cancer tumour had a huge decrease in its ability to spread. When breast cancer is spreading it is called metastasis, this is when the cancer cells break away from the main tumour, enter the bloodstream and infect another part of the body. When the cancer spreads to other parts of the body is when it becomes the most life threatening and difficult to treat. The process of metastasis is the leading cause of death, 90%, from cancer.

Researchers in the US carried out the study. The results are so positive that they now want to head straight into clinical trials with particular drugs. The drugs they are interested in are already known to zero in on two of the four suspect genes.

The researchers found that when proteins produced by the genes combine the cancer cells are able to break free of the main tumour and spread to other parts of the body. When scientists turned these genes off at the same time tumour was prevented from growing any larger and cells were unable to spread.

Scientists also injected mice with cancer cells where the four specific genes had been switched off. When observing these cells in the mice researchers saw that it was not possible for the cancer cells to enter the tissue of the lungs.

Prior to turning all four genes of simultaneously the researchers attempted to turn of one gene individually in order to observe the effects. This method did not have a significant effect on the breast cancer.

Three different drugs were used to turn the four genes off in the cancer cells. Two of these drugs: cetuximab and celecoxib are already clinically approved. The third drug that they used has yet to be approved and is only in its testing stage. This drug is called GM6001. It was found that the two approved drugs alone were able to stop the tumour spreading.

The clinical trial will involve woman who have been found to have breast cancer that the four genes control.

Though this is just the tip of what need to be understood about how cancer grow and spread it is certainly a significant step in the right direction. If a gene link can be fully proved for one type of cancer and a treatment developed it will aid the development of treatments for other cancers.

Sources
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/healthnews.php?newsid=67608
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6544987.stm
http://www.playfuls.com/news_006476_Genes_Set_Implicated_In_Spread_Of_Breast_Cancer_Identified_.html