Estrogen’s Role in Promoting Tumor Growth⁤ and Potential Cancer ⁤Treatment

Estrogen, a female hormone, has been found to promote the growth of ⁣breast cancer and ‌other tumors by weakening immune cells that help suppress tumors.

The research team ⁣envisions that anti-estrogen drugs could be applied to cancer⁣ treatment.

On the 28th (local time), Professor Donald McDonell’s team from the‍ Cancer Institute of Duke University published in the ‌scientific journal Science Advances the results of ​experiments on mouse models of breast cancer and melanoma which ⁢demonstrated that ⁤estrogen weakens the ability of‌ the immune system to attack⁢ tumors and have an‌ immunotherapeutic effect has also been ⁣revealed to be decreased.

Breast Cancer and the Importance ⁣of Immunotherapy

Breast cancer is one of ⁤the most common cancers ⁣in ⁣women. ⁤Triple-negative breast⁣ cancer, which lacks the estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and epidermal​ growth factor receptor 2 ⁤(HER2), metastasizes⁤ to the brain and lungs more often than other breast cancers and has a 5-year survival rate‌ of only 12%.

Professor McDonell said: “Treatment ‍of triple-negative breast cancer⁤ has significantly improved with the‍ advent of ​immunotherapy, but in many cases ⁣the ⁢effect is not⁣ good. The main aim of⁤ this research is to develop a method to ​increase the antitumor activity of immunotherapy.”

The Role of Eosinophils in Tumors

Eosinophils ‌have ​recently been ⁤found to play an important role in tumors, and ‌tumor-associated eosinophilia (TATE) has been​ shown to be⁢ associated with a better ⁣prognosis ⁢in cancer patients, including colon cancer, esophageal cancer, stomach cancer, oral ‌cancer, melanoma, and liver ​cancer.

Experiments in mouse models of breast‌ cancer and melanoma demonstrated that‌ estrogen promoted the ‌growth of estrogen receptor-negative breast tumors and‌ melanoma tumors that do not depend on estrogen​ receptors for ⁤growth‍ by ⁣reducing the⁣ number of eosinophils and associated eosinophilia to the⁤ tumor (TATE).

Potential ⁤Application of Anti-Estrogen Drugs

In contrast, it was found that in mice⁢ given anti-estrogen drugs, estrogen receptor signaling was suppressed, improving​ the effectiveness of ​immunotherapy and​ slowing tumor growth.

“These findings show that estrogen plays an important role in the action of eosinophils ‌and the regulation of⁣ TATE,” Professor⁣ McDonell said. “This suggests the potential application‌ of anti-estrogen drugs to improve⁣ the efficacy of immunotherapy for different types⁢ of cancers.”

He added: “Based on these findings,⁤ we are ⁣planning a clinical trial ‍of an anti-estrogen ​drug called⁣ “lasopoxifene”⁢ for patients with ⁢triple-negative breast cancer.”