Breast Cancer Antibody Breakthrough: New Treatment Shows Promise
- Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a particularly aggressive form of the disease, known for its rapid growth, early spread, and lack of response to manny common treatments.Researchers are...
- Scientists at MUSC Hollings Cancer Center have developed an experimental antibody that interferes with several survival mechanisms used by TNBC cells.Published in Breast Cancer Research, the study shows...
- The research focuses on a protein called secreted frizzled-related protein 2 (SFRP2).
New Antibody Shows Promise Against Aggressive Breast Cancer
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a particularly aggressive form of the disease, known for its rapid growth, early spread, and lack of response to manny common treatments.Researchers are now exploring a new approach to combat this challenging cancer, and early results are encouraging.
Scientists at MUSC Hollings Cancer Center have developed an experimental antibody that interferes with several survival mechanisms used by TNBC cells.Published in Breast Cancer Research, the study shows the antibody slowed tumor growth, reduced cancer spread to the lungs, and reactivated immune cells to fight the disease. Importantly, the treatment also killed cancer cells that had become resistant to chemotherapy.
Targeting a Key Cancer Enabler
The research focuses on a protein called secreted frizzled-related protein 2 (SFRP2). This protein supports tumor growth by fostering new blood vessel formation, preventing cancer cell death, and suppressing the immune system.
The findings are the culmination of nearly 20 years of research led by dr. Nancy Klauber-demore, a breast surgical oncologist and co-leader of the Developmental Cancer Therapeutics Research Program at Hollings.The project involved a team from MUSC’s Surgery, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and Pathology and Laboratory Medicine departments.
“My lab first identified the role of SFRP2 in breast cancer in 2008,” said klauber-DeMore. “As then, we’ve discovered its mechanism of action in breast cancer growth, metastasis and immune exhaustion and developed an antibody to block SFRP2.”
The team tested a humanized monoclonal antibody, engineered to specifically bind to SFRP2 and block its cancer-promoting effects.
Reprogramming the Immune System
Researchers analyzed human tumor samples and found SFRP2 present not only in cancer cells but also in nearby immune cells, including tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and macrophages.
“this is the first time anyone has demonstrated that SFRP2 is expressed on tumor-associated macrophages,” Klauber-DeMore explained. “That finding alone opens up an entirely new way of understanding and possibly manipulating the immune microenvironment.”
Macrophages can be either helpful (M1) or harmful (M2) in the fight against cancer. M1 macrophages activate the immune system, while M2 macrophages suppress it and aid tumor growth. In TNBC, macrophages frequently enough shift toward the M2 state. Further research will explore how the antibody impacts this shift.