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Brain cell protein discovered in 10% of invasive tumor cells.
2003 OCT 2 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The ability of some breast cancers to grow rapidly and tenaciously may be the result of a survival strategy borrowed from brain cells, scientists at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have found.
In a study published in the September 16, 2003, issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science USA, investigators led by Kornelia Polyak, MD, PhD, report that a protein known to enhance the survival of certain brain cells is present in about 10% of invasive breast tumors. The protein, called dermcidin, or DCD, was also found to contribute to cachexia, a muscle-wasting and weight-losing condition that afflicts many cancer patients.
"The fact that DCD protects nerve cells in the brain from damage suggests it may have a similar effect on certain breast cancer cells, by enabling them to grow faster and avoid apoptosis [the natural process that causes cells to die after a set number of divisions]," says Polyak, the study's senior author. "It appears that the same substance that is beneficial in the case of nerve cells can play a harmful role in the development of certain breast cancers."
The discovery of DCD's effect on different types of cells may lead to new ways of treating not only breast cancer but also conditions such as stroke and Alzheimer's disease, which involve the death of large numbers of brain cells.
Polyak and her colleagues decided to focus on DCD after finding it to be especially prevalent in invasive breast cancer cells. Using sophisticated gene-screening techniques, they tested 600 breast tumor samples and determined that although normal breast cells do not contain the protein, it is overabundant in about 10% of all invasive breast cancers.
A British research team had previously discovered that only two other types of cells in the body normally produce DCD: nerve cells of the brain and cells of the sweat glands. In both cases, the protein improves the cells' chances of survival by shielding them from damage and accelerating their growth.
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Source: HighBeam Research, Brain cell protein discovered in 10% of invasive tumor cells.