Protein Discovery May Change Breast Cancer Treatment: A Surprising Twist

Singapore, 26 August 2024 — Scientists from Duke-NUS Medical School have discovered a surprising role for a protein called #Gα13, which could change how certain #breast cancers are treated. Typically linked to cancer growth, Gα13 was found to actually act as a #tumour suppressor in #oestrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer. This is significant since #ER+ breast cancer accounts for 80% of cases, yet nearly half of those diagnosed suffer #relapses despite treatment.

Loss of Gα13 in ER+ breast cancer cells leads to increased cell growth and tumour development, suggesting that Gα13 may suppress tumours in this subtype of cancer. (Credit: Illustration by Liao Pei-Ju, Duke-NUS Medical School)

The study showed that losing Gα13 in ER+ cancer cells led to more aggressive tumour growth. The discovery challenges the long-held belief that Gα13 only promotes cancer and instead reveals it helps slow down or stop cancer cell growth in this subtype. Published in Breast Cancer Research, it’s the first study to identify Gα13’s protective role in solid tumours.

Dr. Lalitha Subramanyan, a Duke-NUS graduate and first author, highlighted that the findings fill a critical gap in understanding how different pathways influence cancer progression. “This makes the discovery of Gα13’s protective role even more significant,” she said.

Experts believe these insights could lead to new, personalized treatments for breast cancer, especially for those resistant to current therapies. Associate Professor Mei Wang from Duke-NUS explained that targeting Gα13 and related proteins could offer new options for treating patients with recurrent ER+ cancers.

The study also found that low levels of Gα13 were linked to poorer survival outcomes, further proving its role as a tumour suppressor. Moving forward, the team plans to explore Gα13’s role in other hormone-sensitive cancers.

As breast cancer remains the most diagnosed cancer globally, this discovery offers hope for improved treatment strategies, potentially benefiting millions of women worldwide.

Reference:

Subramanyan, L.V., Rasheed, S.A.K., Wang, L. et al. GNA13 suppresses proliferation of ER+ breast cancer cells via ERα dependent upregulation of the MYC oncogene. Breast Cancer Res 26, 113 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13058-024-01866-x

Note: The content may be simplified and reduced in size for length and readability while retaining key information. For full details, please refer to the original source.