breast cancer tagged posts

Micrograph showing a lymph node invaded by ductal breast carcinoma, with extension of the tumour beyond the lymph node. Credit: Nephron/Wikipedia

Palbociclib, a new oral drug whose efficacy in combating breast cancer has been demonstrated alone and in combination with endocrine therapy, also has potential to combat other types of cancer, according to a literature review and original research at Abramson Cancer Center (ACC) in the University of Pennsylvania.

Palbociclib targets the rapid division of tumor cells by inhibiting the activity of the enzymes CDK4 and CDK6, which propel cell division and increase in number in most cancers. It is the first CDK4/6 inhibitor to be approved for the treatment of breast cancer...

A new study sheds light on the inherited components of 12 cancer types. The research confirmed the well-known heritability of breast and ovarian cancers and found a surprising inherited component to stomach cancer. In the graphic above, Lung 1 is lung squamous cell carcinoma, and Lung 2 is lung adenocarcinoma. Credit: Sara Dickherber

In a new analysis, researchers have shed light on these hereditary elements across 12 cancer types – showing a surprising inherited component to stomach cancer and providing some needed clarity on the consequences of certain types of mutations in well-known breast cancer susceptibility genes, BRCA1 and BRCA2...

Molecular model showing the novel proposed mechanism for the activation of SMURF2. The C-lobe (in yellow) of the SMURF2 protein interacts with an ubiquitin molecule (in green), which was transferred to SMURF2 by USP15. Credit: Image courtesy of National University of Singapore

In certain settings, the TGF-beta pathway can act as an oncogene, enhancing cancer progression in humans. The activation of this pathway can increase the growth of tumors by promoting cell invasion, activating cancer stem cells, and in some cases, promoting the spread of cancer. In recent years, a number of deubiquitinating enzymes have been shown to regulate the TGF-β pathway and may potentially be considered as a new class of drug targets...