Scientists Find New Target for Aggressive Breast Cancer

A gene that normally only works in reproductive cells might unlock better treatments for one of the most aggressive forms of breast cancer.

Scientists at The Institute of Cancer Research in London found that a gene called HORMAD1 becomes active in 60% of triple negative breast cancers. This discovery could help doctors choose more effective treatments for patients who currently have fewer options.

Triple negative breast cancer affects about 8,000 women in the UK each year. It's more aggressive than other breast cancers and more likely to return within the first few years after treatment. It also disproportionately affects women under 40, Black women, and those with inherited BRCA gene mutations.

The research team discovered that when HORMAD1 switches on in cancer cells, it disrupts a key safety mechanism. This creates errors in DNA that help cancer grow and resist treatment. But here's the good news: those same errors also create a weakness that can be targeted.

The scientists tested drugs that block three specific proteins involved in this process. Aurora B, MPS1 and BUB1 inhibitors all stopped the growth of cancer cells with active HORMAD1 in laboratory tests.

When researchers tested Aurora B inhibitors on mice with human triple negative breast cancer tumors, the treatment successfully reduced tumor growth. Two Aurora B inhibitors are already in early stage clinical trials for other cancers.

Professor Andrew Tutt, who led the study published in Nature Communications, says testing for HORMAD1 activity could guide treatment decisions in the future. The research team will now work on developing drugs specifically targeting these proteins for breast cancer patients.

The Bright Side

This breakthrough means doctors might soon be able to test whether a patient's tumor has the active HORMAD1 gene and choose treatments accordingly. That's a big step toward personalized medicine for a cancer that desperately needs more treatment options.

The drugs being tested aren't entirely new, which could speed up the path to helping patients. Some are already being studied in clinical trials, meaning they've already passed early safety tests.

For the thousands of women diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer each year, this research offers something invaluable: hope for more precise, effective treatments tailored to their specific cancer.