News | PTEN Mutations and ERBB2-Targeted Therapy: New Hope for Endometrial Cancer
New research from the University of Missouri School of Medicine suggests that targeted cancer cell therapy may slow the growth of endometrial cancer. The finding offers new hope for treating one of the most common cancers of the female reproductive organs.
Approximately 65,000 women are expected to be diagnosed with endometrial cancer this year. Mutations in the PTEN protein are associated with an increased risk of several human cancers. PTEN normally regulates cell division and growth, while mutations can cause uncontrolled cell proliferation.
Laboratory research manager Krystina Dunston and NextGen Precision Health researchers Tae Hoon Kim and Jae-Wook Jeong used a mouse model carrying a PTEN mutation to study targeted cancer cell therapy. They found that targeting and silencing expression of the ERBB2 gene significantly increased the likelihood of inhibiting tumor growth. ERBB2 is one of many genes that regulate cell growth.
“ERBB2 and PTEN belong to different signaling pathways, but we believe they are connected in endometrial cancer. Studying ERBB2-targeted treatment in endometrial cancer with PTEN mutations is essential to understanding how tumors grow in this type of cancer,” Dunston explained.
Signaling pathways trigger cellular responses by amplifying an initial signal, creating downstream effects in which one cellular response activates another. Slowing the growth of endometrial cancer can preserve more treatment options for patients. The standard treatment is currently hysterectomy, while advanced disease may require more aggressive treatments such as radiation and chemotherapy.
“All of these treatments can affect fertility, so finding alternative ways to treat and prevent this disease is very important,” Dunston added.
The research article, “ERBB2-Targeted Therapy Shows Significant Inhibition of Tumorigenesis in Endometrial Cancer With Pten Mutation in Mice,” was recently published in Reproductive Sciences, the journal of the Society for Reproductive Investigation. In addition to Dunston, Kim, and Jeong, the authors included MU Health Care gynecologic oncologist Mark Hunter, MD, and pathologist Eric Johannesen, MD. Co-authors Jin-Seok Jung and Jung-Yoon Yoo also contributed.
News | PTEN Mutations and ERBB2-Targeted Therapy: New Hope for Endometrial Cancer
News | PTEN Mutations and ERBB2-Targeted Therapy: New Hope for Endometrial Cancer
New research from the University of Missouri School of Medicine suggests that targeted cancer cell therapy may slow the growth of endometrial cancer. The finding offers new hope for treating one of the most common cancers of the female reproductive organs.
Approximately 65,000 women are expected to be diagnosed with endometrial cancer this year. Mutations in the PTEN protein are associated with an increased risk of several human cancers. PTEN normally regulates cell division and growth, while mutations can cause uncontrolled cell proliferation.
Laboratory research manager Krystina Dunston and NextGen Precision Health researchers Tae Hoon Kim and Jae-Wook Jeong used a mouse model carrying a PTEN mutation to study targeted cancer cell therapy. They found that targeting and silencing expression of the ERBB2 gene significantly increased the likelihood of inhibiting tumor growth. ERBB2 is one of many genes that regulate cell growth.
“ERBB2 and PTEN belong to different signaling pathways, but we believe they are connected in endometrial cancer. Studying ERBB2-targeted treatment in endometrial cancer with PTEN mutations is essential to understanding how tumors grow in this type of cancer,” Dunston explained.
Signaling pathways trigger cellular responses by amplifying an initial signal, creating downstream effects in which one cellular response activates another. Slowing the growth of endometrial cancer can preserve more treatment options for patients. The standard treatment is currently hysterectomy, while advanced disease may require more aggressive treatments such as radiation and chemotherapy.
“All of these treatments can affect fertility, so finding alternative ways to treat and prevent this disease is very important,” Dunston added.
The research article, “ERBB2-Targeted Therapy Shows Significant Inhibition of Tumorigenesis in Endometrial Cancer With Pten Mutation in Mice,” was recently published in Reproductive Sciences, the journal of the Society for Reproductive Investigation. In addition to Dunston, Kim, and Jeong, the authors included MU Health Care gynecologic oncologist Mark Hunter, MD, and pathologist Eric Johannesen, MD. Co-authors Jin-Seok Jung and Jung-Yoon Yoo also contributed.
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