In a major breakthrough, researchers have discovered how to overcome a treatment resistance mechanism in one of the most aggressive types of breast cancer.
The findings, published in the journal Nature Medicine, could lead to the development of new drugs that could effectively treat this previously untreatable form of cancer.
In the study, the researchers looked at a protein called HER2, which is found in about 20-30% of all breast cancers.
HER2-positive breast cancers are often more aggressive and difficult to treat than other types of breast cancer.
Previous studies have shown that HER2-positive breast cancers are resistant to treatment with the drug Herceptin.
In this new study, the researchers found that a drug called neratinib can overcome the resistance mechanism that allows HER2-positive breast cancers to withstand treatment with Herceptin.
Neratinib is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, which means it works by blocking the activity of a protein that is needed for cancer cells to grow and divide.
In the study, the researchers treated HER2-positive breast cancer cells with neratinib, and found that it was able to overcome the resistance to Herceptin and kill the cancer cells.
Importantly, the researchers also found that neratinib was effective in treating HER2-positive breast cancer in mice.
“Our findings show that neratinib can effectively overcome the resistance mechanism that allows HER2-positive breast cancers to grow and spread, and we are hopeful that this could lead to the development of new drugs that could effectively treat this aggressive form of cancer,” said study leader Professor Richard Simmons, from the University of Bradford.
“At the moment, there are no effective treatments for HER2-positive breast cancer that has progressed after treatment with Herceptin, so this is a very significant discovery.”
The next step is to carry out clinical trials in humans to see if neratinib is effective in treating HER2-positive breast cancer.
If the clinical trials are successful, neratinib could be available to patients within the next few years.
This is a significant breakthrough in the treatment of breast cancer, and could lead to new drugs that could effectively treat this previously untreatable form of cancer.
In a new study published in the journal Nature Medicine, researchers have discovered how to overcome a treatment resistance mechanism in one of the most aggressive types of breast cancer.
The study focused on a type of breast cancer known as triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), which is characterized by the lack of estrogen receptors, progesterone receptors, and HER2. TNBC accounts for around 15-20% of all breast cancers, and is more common in young women, African American women, and Hispanic women.
While TNBC is typically responsive to chemotherapy in the early stages of the disease, it often becomes resistant to treatment. This resistance can develop quickly, making it difficult to treat.
In the new study, the researchers found that a protein called Cdc42 is involved in the development of resistance to chemotherapy in TNBC. When Cdc42 is overactive, it promotes the growth of cancer cells and makes them resistant to treatment.
The researchers also found that a drug called MLN8237 can block the activity of Cdc42, and potentially overcome resistance to chemotherapy in TNBC. In a laboratory study, MLN8237 was able to reduce the growth of TNBC cells and make them more sensitive to chemotherapy.
The findings from this study could lead to the development of new treatments for TNBC that are more effective at overcoming resistance. However, more research is needed to confirm the findings in human patients.
