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07/18: BC Cancer Agency research provides advance in understanding breast stem cells: JNCI
A study published today in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute by the BC Cancer Agency and colleagues in Australia provides new understanding of what makes some breast cancer cells more aggressive than others.
Dr. Connie Eaves of the BC Cancer Agency, and her colleagues at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute in Australia have found normal breast stem cells possess certain properties that are known to be characteristic of aggressive breast cancer – lack of expression of estrogen receptors, lack of expression of the progesterone receptor, and lack of expression of Her2. All of these are features of more mature normal breast cells and also of breast cancers that are easier to treat.
This research builds on work published by Dr. Eaves’ team in the journal Nature earlier this year demonstrating the existence of stem cells in normal adult mouse breast tissue.
This initial work enabled the BC Cancer Agency group and their Australian collaborators to then ask for the first time whether failure to express estrogen receptors, the progesterone receptor, and Her2 was a feature of normal breast stem cells. Interestingly – the answer proved to be a consistent yes.
“This research suggests that aggressive breast cancers contain many cells that may have other properties of normal breast stem cells,” explains Dr. Eaves. “This is important because we know that normal breast stem cells have a huge potential to expand their numbers and, if these were not properly controlled, we would expect a nasty pace of cell growth to occur.”
What this research offers scientists now is the ability to determine the pathways that regulate normal breast stem cell growth, and then to test whether that information can be used to develop new therapies for breast cancer.
“The good news is that with breast tissue, you don’t need to worry about killing the normal breast stem cells, because you can live without them,” says Dr. Eaves. “Thus you can develop a therapy that may eliminate the normal breast stem cells along with the breast cancer cells. This is something you can’t do with other cancers such as liver, lung, and bone marrow.”
This study was funded with support from the Canadian Stem Cell Network, Genome BC and Genome Canada, the BC/Yukon Chapter of the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Council of Canada. Research and enhancements to care at the BC Cancer Agency, an agency of the Provincial Health Services Authority, are supported by the BC Cancer Foundation.
The BC Cancer Agency, a part of the Provincial Health Services Authority, is committed to reducing the incidence of cancer, reducing the mortality from cancer, and improving the quality of life of those living with cancer. It provides a comprehensive cancer control program for the people of British Columbia by working with community partners to deliver a range of oncology services, including prevention, early detection, diagnosis and treatment, research, education, supportive care, rehabilitation and palliative care. The BC Cancer Foundation supports research and care enhancements at the BC Cancer Agency.
For more information, or to arrange an interview, please contact:
Nicole Adams
Public Relations
BC Cancer Agency
T/ 604.877.6272
E/ nadams@bccancer.bc.ca
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