NEW WAY TO TREAT AGGRESSIVE BREAST CANCER

SINGAPORE, Sept 7 (Bernama) -- Scientists from the Genome Institute of

Singapore (GIS) and their colleagues at the National University of Singapore

(NUS) have uncovered a new way to target EZH2.

EZH2 is an enzyme that promotes estrogen receptor-negative breast cancer, an

aggressive type of the disease that does not respond to current forms of

treatment.

This discovery, published in the journal “Molecular Cell,” paves the way to

develop more effective treatment strategy for aggressive breast cancers

associated with EZH2, said GIS, an institute of the Agency for Science,

Technology and Research (A*STAR), in a statement today.

EZH2 enzymatic activity has been known to promote cancer by inactivating

some important tumor suppressors, which function as “brakes” to stop tumor

growth.

The team, led by GIS Senior Group Leader Dr Qiang Yu, have now discovered

that EZH2 is also able to promote cancer through the activation of specific

genes involved in the well-known cancer pathway, called NF-kB, that is

associated with aggressive estrogen receptor-negative breast cancer.

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SINGAPORE-CANCER 2 (LAST) SINGAPORE

These genes include inflammatory cytokines such as IL6 and IL8, which have

important roles in the progression of breast cancer and the self-renewal of

cancer stem cells.

Over-expression of EZH2 is often linked to aggressive spread of breast

cancer, the most common cancer in women all over the world.

-- BERNAMA

TNS TNS MGN