By turning off a gene, a research group at Tulane University in the US has succeeded in preventing the growth of tumors in triple-negative breast cancer .
The method also prevents the tumors from spreading and can even make the tumors shrink so much that they can no longer be detected.
About ten percent of all breast cancers are triple-negative and treatment options are fewer than other types of breast cancer.
So far these are animal experiments, but the researchers now intend to go ahead with clinical studies on humans.
The researchers studied two genes, Rab27a and TRAF3IP2, and although both had effects on the tumors, it was most effective to turn off TRAF3IP2.
“Rab27a slows the growth of tumors, but does not stop the spread of small amounts of cancer cells, micrometastases. Turning off TRAF3IP2, on the other hand, slows down growth, prevents the spread of cancer cells and shrinks existing tumors. This exciting discovery shows that TRAF3IP2 can play a role as a new treatment method for breast cancer, ”says Reza Izadpanah, who leads the research group.