SOX11 and p53 May Spell Unique Development of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

Could you create a breast cancer tumor in mature mice by reactivating how embryonic breast cancer cells develop?  And, if you could, what would you learn?

In a study published in the journal Breast Cancer Research, scientists discovered that basal-like  breast cancers with the BRCA1 mutation—many of them triple-negative breast cancers—grow differently than other cancers.  In fact, the way they grow predicts the prognosis of the tumor.

The protein p53 was found to be active in development of these cancers, which supports much previous research.  The also determined that a progenitor cell,  SOX11,  may play a significant role.  A progenitor cel is active in cell development and regulation. In this research, SOX11 was also

• highly expressed in some mammary tumors with the BRCA1 mutation.

• found to regulate breast cancer cell proliferation and cell survival.

This is an initial study, but it gets us closer to understanding the genetic profile of triple-negative breast cancer.

Please consider a donation to Positives About Negative to keep this site going.  This work is entirely supported by readers.  Just click on the Donate button in the right of the page.  Thank you!

Read more about diet and TNBC in my book, Surviving Triple-Negative Breast Cancer.