In a new study, researchers have discovered a new drug may suppress the formation of breast cancer metastases.
Metastases is the most deadly aspect of breast cancer. It spreads cancer cells throughout the body. The finding may help develop a new treatment for the disease and save lives.
The research was done by a team from the University and the University Hospital of Basel.
Previous research has shown that metastasis is responsible for more than 90% of cancer-related deaths. Most patients with metastatic disease are considered incurable.
In the study, the team has identified a drug that suppresses the spread of malignant cancer cells and their metastasis-seeding ability.
They tested 2486 FDA-approved compounds and found inhibitors with the unexpected ability to dissociate circulating tumor cells clusters.
Circulating tumor cells are cancer cells that leave a primary tumor and enter the bloodstream, on their way to seeding distant metastases.
The drug effect could prevent the formation of new metastases.
In the future, the team plans to conduct a clinical trial with breast cancer patients.
They hope the new finding could help save the lives of patients with breast cancer metastases.
The leader of the study is Prof. Nicola Aceto from the Department of Biomedicine at the University of Basel.
The study is published in the journal Cell.
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