Breast cancer is one of the most common types of cancer worldwide, and its treatment remains a major challenge for clinicians and researchers. Despite significant advances in breast cancer therapy over the last few decades, there is still a need for more effective and targeted treatments. Recently, researchers have identified a gene called TONSL that could be a promising new target for breast cancer treatment. In this article, we will explore the potential of targeting TONSL to develop new therapies for breast cancer patients.
Breast cancer remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths in women. However, there have been significant strides in research which has led to the development of better diagnostic and treatment procedures. A new target for breast cancer treatment has been identified by researchers at the Vera Bradley Foundation Center for Breast Cancer Research at Indiana University’s Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center. In a bid to understand what initiates breast cells to become cancerous, researchers used healthy breast cells from the Komen Tissue Bank at the IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center to understand the earliest changes in healthy cells as they become cancerous. They subsequently found the TONSL gene that can make breast cells proliferate indefinitely, and this gene is amplified in about 20 percent of breast cancers and more than 30 percent of metastatic breast cancers.
The TONSL protein works hand in hand with other proteins, including FACT, and researchers found that in breast cancer models that had the TONSL amplification, breast cancer was highly susceptible to an existing drug that targets that FACT complex. Therefore, researchers are hoping that these findings can be translated into future breast cancer treatments. Aditi Khatpe, the first author of the paper, and a cancer center trainee in Nakshatri’s lab, was awarded the AACR-Sanofi Scholar-in-Training Award for the research abstract highlighting these findings. She presented the research poster at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) 2023 Annual Meeting.
Breast cancer is a diverse disease with different subtypes, and some patients respond to different treatments while others do not. With the discovery that 20 percent of breast cancer patients have an amplification of the TONSL gene, further research will be needed to target TONSL. Researchers at the Vera Bradley Foundation Center for Breast Cancer Research at Indiana University’s Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center hope that the findings from this research can be translated into future breast cancer treatments.
In conclusion, the discovery of the TONSL gene as a target for breast cancer treatment is a significant milestone in breast cancer research. The discovery was made by comparing healthy breast tissue and cancerous cells, with the aim of identifying the earliest genomic change that occurs when a breast cell becomes cancerous. Researchers at the Vera Bradley Foundation Center for Breast Cancer Research at Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center used healthy breast cells from the Komen Tissue Bank at the IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center to understand the earliest changes in healthy cells’ path towards becoming cancerous. The findings of this research could have significant implications in targeting TONSL for future breast cancer treatments.
In conclusion, the discovery of TONSL gene as a potential target for breast cancer treatment is a significant development in the fight against this deadly disease. By understanding the role that TONSL plays in breast cancer, researchers can now explore new therapies that specifically target this gene, paving the way towards more effective treatments and ultimately, a cure for breast cancer. While there is still much work to be done, the promise of TONSL gene therapy brings hope to millions of women worldwide who are battling this disease. With continued research and innovative approaches, we can achieve our goal of defeating breast cancer once and for all.
