Scientists have identified a new way to treat an aggressive form of breast cancer that spreads quickly and typically strikes women at a younger age.
New research by a team of University of Kentucky researchers has identified the way tumor cells grow and spread in cases of what’s commonly known as “triple-negative breast cancer,” which doesn’t respond to conventional chemotherapy.
The finding, reported in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, could pave the way for new treatments, the researchers said.
In a nutshell, the scientists identified a way to interrupt the way tumors take over healthy cells to grow and spread through the body – a process known as metastasis.
"This finding has significant clinical ramification, because chemical compounds or agents that can disrupt the [process] will have a great therapeutic potential of treating triple-negative breast cancer," said UK's Peter Zhou, principal investigator for the study. "Investigators at the Markey Cancer Center are currently exploring this idea and are keen to develop drugs that can treat triple-negative breast cancer."
Triple-negative breast cancer is the worst type of breast cancer. It grows and spreads quickly and few drugs are effective in treating it, Zhou said.
"An understanding of the mechanism underlying the biology of metastasis in triple-negative breast cancer will provide novel therapeutic approaches,” he added.