A new treatment approach aimed at preventing the spread of breast cancer has received a patent, offering fresh hope in the fight against one of the deadliest cancers affecting women worldwide.
The breakthrough comes from a study led by Liju Vijaya Stelter at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. The research findings were published in the journal Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy and focus on preventing the spread of aggressive breast cancer cells to other parts of the body.
The study specifically examined triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Researchers identified a protein known as PKC eta, which plays a key role in helping cancer cells detach from the original tumour and spread to other organs through a process known as metastasis. Metastasis is responsible for the majority of breast cancer-related deaths.
A significant part of the discovery is a small peptide called Upep 2, which is produced from a lesser-known genetic region known as UORF. Researchers found that Upep 2 can break down and eliminate the harmful PKC eta protein, potentially preventing cancer cells from spreading.
The patented treatment method is based on this mechanism and could pave the way for new therapies targeting metastatic breast cancer. Researchers say the discovery represents an important step toward developing more effective treatments for patients diagnosed with aggressive forms of breast cancer.
