Israeli Researchers Achieve Breast Cancer Breakthrough

Israeli researchers have identified a protein that plays a central role in enabling aggressive breast cancer cells to spread to other parts of the body, offering new hope for treating metastatic disease.

The breakthrough comes from a team at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, where scientists pinpointed PKC-eta (protein kinase C-eta) as a key driver of metastasis in triple-negative breast cancer. This aggressive subtype remains one of the most challenging diagnoses due to its tendency to spread rapidly to vital organs such as the lungs, liver, and brain.

Led by Prof. Etta Livneh, and Prof. Moshe Elkabets, along with postdoctoral fellow Liju Vijaya Steltar, the research team found that PKC-eta actively promotes the migration of cancer cells from the primary tumor to distant sites. Their findings were published in the peer-reviewed journal Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy.

Additional contributors to the study included Dr. Ofir Cohen and other researchers from various departments at Ben-Gurion University, as well as international collaborators. The work underscores the ongoing focus of Israeli scientists on understanding the biological mechanisms behind cancer metastasis, particularly in hard-to-treat forms of the disease.

Triple-negative breast cancer lacks the three most common receptors targeted in breast cancer treatment—estrogen, progesterone, and HER2—making it less responsive to hormonal therapies and drugs that target HER2. Treatment options are more limited, and preventing metastasis is critical to improving patient outcomes.

While advances in surgery and localized treatments have improved the ability to remove primary tumors, the spread of cancer cells remains the primary cause of mortality in breast cancer. By identifying PKC-eta as a central regulator of this process, the researchers have opened a potential avenue for future therapeutic interventions aimed at blocking or inhibiting the protein’s activity.

The study adds to a growing body of research from Israeli institutions focused on cancer metastasis. Related work from Tel Aviv University has explored how abnormal chromosomes may facilitate breast cancer spread to the brain, while other studies have examined the dual role of immune cells such as neutrophils in both fighting and potentially fueling tumor growth.

These collective efforts reflect a broader strategy among Israeli scientists to uncover the underlying mechanisms of cancer progression, with the goal of developing more effective treatments and improving survival rates for patients with aggressive forms of the disease.