New Potential Treatment for Breast Cancer Metastasis

Highlights

Breast Cancer Metastasis is cancer that spreads to other parts of the body.
New class of drugs that inhibit CDK4/6 which regulates cancer metastasis protein SNAIL, was found to be a potential treatment for breast cancer metastasis.
Further research is required to use CDK4/6 inhibitors for the treatment of other types of cancer metastasis.

Metastatic breast cancer or the cancer that spreads to other parts of the body can be treated by using a new class of drugs that is approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA).

The Mayo Clinic research team have identified a key drug target CDK4/6 that regulates cancer metastasis protein SNAIL. Drugs that inhibit CDK4/6 were found to prevent triple-negative breast cancer.

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‘New drugs that inhibit CDK4/6 which regulates breast cancer protein SNAIL, can be a potential treatment for breast cancer metastasis.’

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The research findings were published in the journal Nature Communications.

CDK4/6 inhibitors were approved for the treatment of estrogen positive breast cancer and not triple-negative breast cancer.

Zhenkun Lou, Ph.D., of Mayo Clinic, said, "Metastasis is a hallmark of cancer and a leading cause of cancer death."

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"Despite great progress in cancer therapy, the prevention of cancer metastasis is still an unfulfilled challenge."

Dr. Lou and his research team, focused on the treatment for triple-negative breast cancer. Triple-negative breast cancer does not exhibit receptors for estrogen, progesterone or the HER-2/neu gene that are targets for current breast cancer treatment.

"Prior published data suggested that CDK 4/6 inhibitors were not effective in reducing the growth rates of estrogen receptor negative breast cancer," says Dr. Lou.

"Our data confirmed that, while the rate of growth of triple-negative breast cancer was not affected by CDK 4/6 inhibitors, this class of drugs was able to significantly inhibit the spread of triple-negative breast cancer to distant organs when tested in multiple different triple-negative breast cancer models, including patient-derived xenografts."

The implantation of tumor tissue into the immunodeficient mouse was found to help identify the drug or drug combinations that are likely to be effective for cancer patients.

Further research is required to expand the use of CDK4/6 inhibitors to prevent cancer metastasis.

Matthew Goetz, M.D.,oncologist, co-leader of Women’s Cancer Program, Mayo Clinic, said, "These findings may provide a new treatment for the prevention of cancer metastasis."

"Mayo Clinic is now developing new studies that will focus on the role of CDK 4/6 inhibitors and their potential to inhibit cancer metastasis in women with triple-negative breast cancer who are at highest risk for cancer metastasis."

Facts on Metastatic Breast Cancer

Stage 4 breast cancer or metastatic breast cancer is a fatal form of breast cancer.
Around 40,000 deaths occur every year in the United States due to metastatic breast cancer.
Initial diagnosis shows around 6% of people with metastatic breast cancer.
Treatment for metastatic breast cancer can only control and improve the quality of life for the patients.

References

13 Facts About Metastatic Breast Cancer - (http://www.mbcn.org/13-facts-about-metastatic-breast-cancer/ )

Source-Medindia