A group of researchers have determined that the ‘Inhibitor of Differentiation 4’ (ID4) gene is not only associated with a highly aggressive triple negative breast cancer but also controls it. Triple breast cancer is type of breast cancer that lacks estrogen, progesterone and HER2 receptors. These receptors are used by many treatments to target cancer cells. A lack of these receptors also leads to poorer prognosis. Those with triple breast cancer either die quickly i.e. in 3-5 years or they stay alive for much longer. The apparent difference can be attributed to whether the cancer developed from specialized cells or stem cells, and the latter leads to the more aggressive one.
The researchers blocked the expression of ID4 and noticed that it led to the activation of other genes that lead to specialization. It also led to the expression of estrogen and progesterone receptors that would potentially improve the prognosis of triple negative breast cancer. However, it is still not clear whether the receptor is actually an estrogen receptor or is it a merely a similar structure. The team is now planning to work with an expert on estrogen receptor function to determine the exact biochemical roles that ID4 plays in the development of cancer.
Article summary courtesy by Waleed Khan
Article: Medical News Today
References:
ID4 controls mammary stem cells and marks breast cancers with a stem cell-like phenotype, Alex Swarbrick, et al., Nat. Commun., doi:10.1038/ncomms7548, published online 27 March 2015, abstract.