University of Kentucky
A recently study at UK's Markey Cancer Center uncovered a critical pathway involved in evasion of the immune system by breast-cancer cells, pointing the way to make chemotherapy for the disease more effective.
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| A study by UK Markey researcher Yadi Wu reveals a potential pathway for breast-cancer drug development. (Photo by Ben Corwin, UK Research Communications) |
The research suggests a chain reaction between three proteins helps breast-cancer cells evade the immune system. By disrupting this chain, researchers made the cells more susceptible to immunotherapy.
"The results suggest targeting this pathway in the development of cancer therapies," said Wu, an associate professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences. "This new knowledge could potentially lead to more effective breast cancer treatments for patients."
Cancer cells can avoid immune detection by manipulating genetic signals. One such way is through LSD1, a protein involved in regulating gene expression. High levels of LSD1 are found in many cancers and are linked to worse outcomes for patients. Studies show that blocking LSD1 can help immune cells fight cancer more effectively.
The lab study on breast-cancer cells revealed that CDK9, another protein involved in regulating gene expression, plays a crucial role in stabilizing LSD1 and therefore causing immune suppression. This stabilization is achieved through a process involving the third protein, RNF20.
When researchers disrupted this interplay by removing RNF20, breast cancer cells became sensitized to a type of immunotherapy treatment called anti-PD-1.
"This discovery is a significant step forward in our understanding of how cancer cells evade the immune system," said Wu. "Our findings highlight the potential importance of targeting the CDK9-RNF20-LSD1 pathway in the development of new cancer therapies, specifically immunotherapies."
The study was published the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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