June 19, 2007 (Insidermedicine) Using a combination of experimental techniques, a gene implicated in a third of all breast cancers has been discovered, perhaps leading to new treatments, according to a report published in the journal Cell.

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in women today. In the US, approximately one in eight women will develop breast cancer and about 20% of those under age 40 will die from the disease.
 
Breast cancer cells, like other cancer cells, contain genetic material that has undergone mutations. Only a small proportion of these mutated genes will be involved in the disemination of the disease, and pinpointing them is very challenging.

In the present study, researchers used several complementary approaches to pinpoint breast cancer genes, concentrating on the kinases - proteins that initiate molecular reactions in cells. One of the focuses was the protein Ras, which belongs to a family of proteins that control cell integrity, growth, division, adhesion, death, and migration. Ras and related proteins are often found in epithelial cancers, of which breast cancer is one.

When Ras passes signals to the protein kinases MEK and PI3K, and activates them, the cells become cancerous. The current investigation revealed five human kinases that behave like PI3K. From these five kinases, researchers focused on the IKBKE gene, which may mutate during a woman’s lifetime, leading to the growth and spread of tumours. The IKBKE mutation is found in 30 to 40% of all breast cancers, making it an attractive target for drug therapy.

Furthermore, they found that when the IKBKE gene is switched off, the cancer cells stop multiplying and die.

The combination of screening techniques, using the latest technologies, has allowed researchers to identify a single gene responsible for keeping cancer cells alive and multiplying. The novel approach could potentially lead to the development of effective cancer treatments.

Reporting for Insidermedicine, I’m Dr. Susan Sharma.