Cell mechanism responsible for breast cancer spread discovered

Researchers have discovered a cellular mechanism that drives the spread of breast cancer to other parts of the body (metastasis), as well as a therapy which blocks that mechanism.

"Genetic mutations do not drive this mechanism," Alana Welm, PhD, senior author of the study, from Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah, said. "Instead, it's improper regulation of when genes turn on and off."

The new discovery focuses on a protein called RON kinase (RON), which signals some areas of tumour cell DNA to become active. Normally, RON operates mostly during embryonic development and is not highly expressed in healthy adults.

But in about 50 percent of breast cancer cases, RON becomes re-expressed and reprograms genes responsible for metastasis, making them active.

Welm said that if there's an entire program in the tumour cell that's important for metastasis, blocking one small part of that program, for example, the action of a single gene, will probably not be an effective strategy.

But if you could find a way to turn off the entire program, you're more likely to have the desired effect. The researchers found that inhibiting RON turns off the entire metastasis program in these tumour cells.

The study is published in the journal Cell Reports.