Study to uncover breast cancer drug resistance

Breast Cancer Campaign has awarded £140,000 for research to help identify the reasons why some breast cancers can develop resistance to cancer drugs.

Led by Dr Frances Fuller-Pace in the Division of Pathology and Neuroscience and Dr Simak Ali at Imperial College London, the research will provide vital knowledge of the factors underlying cancer progression and the development of resistance.

Specifically, the study will centre around the relationship between a protein called p68 and Estrogen Receptor alpha in breast cancer.

Receptors are specialised proteins that exist on cells and work as a sort of key. When the right molecule comes along and attaches to the receptor it switches on certain processes in the cell. In the case of breast cancer cells, when estrogen attaches to the Estrogen Receptor it triggers the cell to grow and multiply.

Cancer drugs such as Tamoxifen work by attaching to the Estrogen Receptor on the cancer cells, blocking estrogen from attaching and preventing any growth or replication.

"Although drugs like Tamoxifen are effective in the short term, relapse sometimes occurs with the emergence of more aggressive tumours that have developed resistance to the drug," Dr Fuller-Pace says.

p68 is known to regulate the activity of Estrogen Receptor alpha. Dr Fuller-Pace and Dr Ali will investigate the relationship between the two and hope to find out how alterations in Estrogen Receptor function, through its interaction with p68, could lead to the development of resistance.

Dr Fuller-Pace said, "In the longer term, the knowledge we gain from these studies could eventually lead to new drug design aimed at alleviating tumour development and resistance."

The project grant of £140,000 from Breast Cancer Campaign includes £35,000 donated by Debenhams which selected this research in the 'adopt a project' scheme.