Detection of the gene causes breast cancer to spread to the lungs

Cancer researchers have identified a set of genes that they believe could promote the spread of breast cancer to the lungs. This finding helps explain the steps that breast cancer cells invade the lungs and introduce biological targets so that existing drugs stop this process.

Most deaths from cancer are caused by tumor cells spreading to other organs. This process is called metastasis. Breast cancer mainly spreads to the lungs, liver and bones.

A new study of human breast cancer cells transplanted in mice showed that the process of lung metastasis depends on the activity of four genes at once . The study, published in Nature, shows that gene-blocking suppresses the development and spread of breast cancer to the lungs, while blocking all genes at once, almost stop this process, at least in the mouse.

Microbiologist Don Nguyen and researchers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City led the study.

Breast cancer cells (Photo: News-medical.net)

Don Nguyen said: 'All of the four genes that we discovered do not play an important role in the early stages of tumor formation, but we guess that they play an important role at times when cancer becomes more invasive and spreads to other parts. '

"Cancer researchers have known these genes before our study. Among these genes, one gene plays an important role in the growth and development of several types. "Two other genes support the development of blood vessels that feed tumors. The fourth gene was previously involved in promoting metastasis."

The new study shows that these genes work together in every step of the metastasis process so that breast tumors develop blood vessels, tumor cells pass through the walls of these blood vessels to save pine in the lungs, and eventually these cells come out of the bloodstream there and start to grow again.

Results of the analysis of tumors in microscopic mice showed that blocking all four genes could significantly reduce blood vessel disorders. Microbiologist Nguyen said blood vessels formed to make a small number of cancer cells escape outside circulation.

He said: 'We speculate that genes work at different stages of metastasis and by stopping them, we slow down the growth of tumor cells no matter where they are. where, and therefore will help prevent them from spreading to other agencies. '

There are currently two drugs on the market that can directly attack proteins made by genes that the study identified. Researchers found that using a combination of these two drugs is more effective than using only one type of drug individually.

Mr. Nguyen said: 'Cancer depends on the activity of many genes, so this finding helps reinforce the currently designed clinical strategies for combining therapy, which is the prediction method. is more effective at inhibiting targeted activity of complex genes. '

These four genes are among 18 genes linked to the metastasis of breast cancer identified by the Sloan-Kettering group in a previous study. Scientists are now investigating the function of all these genes in more detail, including finding out whether they promote cancer spread to other organs.

Nguyen said his team is also helping Sloan-Kettering Center doctors to design clinical trials to see if the drugs they use in mice can help prevent the spread of tumors to the lungs. in people or not.

He said : 'There is certainly a promising thing by adopting available and approved therapies for safety, we can inhibit the activity of these genes.'

Linh Anh