Possible new breast cancer treatments discovered

Cancer Research UK scientists have discovered that switching off a gene called CERT makes breast cancer cells more sensitive to a range of drugs.

The study, published in the Journal of Pathology, showed that low levels of the CERT protein are associated with a better outcome in women treated with chemotherapy. The research could lead to new tests to help doctors establish which breast cancer patients will benefit from chemotherapy by measuring levels of the protein, resulting potentially in saving women from unnecessary treatment.

By switching off the CERT gene, researchers improved the effects of a range of drugs on breast cancer cells. They found that particular cancer cells became more susceptible to a form of cell death called autophagy, where the cell eats itself. This approach specifically targeted polyploid cancer cells that contain too many chromosomes.

Polyploid cells can lead to chromosomal instability. Cancers with chromosomal instability are linked to poor survival because in this state the tumour develops a range of characteristics that can lead to drug resistance.

Dr Charles Swanton, head of translational research at Cancer Research UK’s London Research Institute, said: “These results are interesting because they provide some insight into new ways of specifically targeting cancer cells before they develop chromosomal instability.

“We are now trying to exploit this, either with existing drugs, or by developing new ones, to find a combination of drugs that promote this particular type of cell killing.”

Dr Julie Sharp, senior science information manager at Cancer Research UK, said: “This research reveals how resistance to treatment in some breast cancers can arise and highlights how we might identify those women who will benefit from chemotherapy, saving many from unnecessary treatment.”

Researchers intend to repeat the study on a larger group of women to see if their findings are confirmed. If they are, a test for CERT levels could become routine in the treatment of breast cancer patients.