Treating Breast Cancer Using a Novel Therapeutic Strategy

SLU ID 14-018 | Suppressing Breast Tumors by Regulating Cancer Cell Senescence and Metastasis

Background

Breast cancer is a type of cancer that develops from breast tissue, most commonly in cells from the lining of milk ducts and the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. There are more than 20 sub-types of breast cancer. Breast cancer is 100 times more common in women than in men. Worldwide, breast cancer accounts for about 25 percent of all cancer in women making it the leading type of cancer for women. SALL1 is a multi-zinc finger transcription factor that represses gene expression and regulates organogenesis and stem cell development. It is a novel tumor suppressor in breast cancer and plays a critical role in tumor pathogenesis. However, the potential role of the SALL1 gene in tumor biology tumorigenesis remains largely unexamined.

Overview

Researchers at Saint Louis University (SLU) have identified a novel role and related mechanisms of SALL1 in breast cancer. They demonstrated that SALL1 is a novel tumor suppressor in breast cancer and plays a critical role in tumor pathogenesis. Through in vivo studies, SLU researchers demonstrated that SALL1 expression in breast cancer cells inhibited tumorigenesis and metastasis in breast cancer models.

Benefits

The potential benefits of this technology include:

• Increasing the number of breast cancer treatment options

• Increasing the effectiveness of breast cancer treatments

• Minimizing the invasiveness of breast cancer treatments

Applications

This technology has potential application for treating several types of cancer including:

• Breast cancer

• Ovarian cancer

• Prostate cancer

Opportunity

Saint Louis University is seeking a partner to further develop and commercialize this technology.