AI Summary
The team of researchers from Hiroshima University has identified a molecule called AIbZIP that promotes cancer cell production, potentially serving as a therapeutic target for triple-negative breast cancer, an aggressive form of the disease. AIbZIP was found to be highly expressed in this subtype of breast cancer, playing a crucial role in cell cycle regulation by promoting degradation of p27, a negative regulator of cell proliferation. Targeting AIbZIP may offer new treatment opportunities for triple-negative breast cancer.
A team of researchers from Hiroshima University has discovered a molecule that promotes the production of cancer cells. This molecule may prove to be a potential therapeutic target in the treatment of triple-negative breast cancer, an aggressive form of breast cancer.
Their work was published in the journal Molecular Cancer Research on January 18, 2024.
Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer, ranking fifth among all cancers in cancer-related deaths. In 2020, there were 2.3 million new cases of breast cancers reported around the globe. In that year, breast cancer caused 685,000 deaths.
Several studies have reported that a molecule called AIbZIP (androgen-induced basic leucine zipper) promotes malignant behavior in different cancer types. So the research team examined the potential role of AIbZIP in malignant tumors. Their computer simulation analysis revealed that AIbZIP was highly expressed in the luminal androgen receptor subtype of triple negative breast cancer, playing a significant role in cell cycle regulation. They identified a novel mechanism by which AIbZIP regulates cancer cell proliferation in this type of breast cancer.
“We found that AIbZIP is highly upregulated in triple negative breast cancer. AIbZIP plays a crucial role for hyper proliferation of triple negative breast cancer cells by promoting the degradation of p27, a negative regulator for cell proliferation. Our study indicates that AIbZIP may be potential therapeutic target of triple negative breast cancer” said Atsushi Saito, an associate professor and Kazunori Imaizumi, a professor in the Department of Biochemistry, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University.
Breast