Australian scientists discovered a gene, which is responsible for the development of the most aggressive and dangerous variety of breast cancer with catastrophically low survival. This is reported in the article published in the journal Nature Communications.
The growth of the hormone-sensitive cancer breast tumor depends on the presence of hormones such as progesterone and estrogen. This type of cancer is usually sensitive to hormone therapy, however, a small proportion of patients suffers from a special type of estrogen-positive (ER +) cancer called intclust2, which is the most deadly of all types of breast cancer. Metastases often penetrate the lymph nodes and apply to the entire body, which is the cause of the death of half of the women with this cancer.
researchers studied 119 breast cancer samples. It turned out that intclust2 is characterized by significant amplification (that is, additional copies are formed) the DNA portion in chromosome 11, where the AAMDC gene is located. When scientists reduced the level of AAMDC in breast cancer cells in mice, a large number of malignant cells have undergone programmable cell death.
Hormonal treatment deprives the hormone cancer, which it uses for growth, but additional copies of AAMDC can protect cancer from therapy. As a result, the tumor is capable of maintaining growth in metabolic stress conditions. AMDC amplification is also observed in some other types of cancer (ovaries, prostate and lungs), which may be the cause of their immunity to treatment.