Scientists find a promising treatment for aggressive breast cancer A team of Indian researchers has designed a new compound that could treat one of the most aggressive forms of breast cancer. Cancer treatment varies depending on several factors such as the type, its stage of advancement, and the patient’s overall health. Some cancers are more aggrssive, and difficut to treat. The new compound has shown promise in the the treatment of Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). A research led by Dr. Asis Bala, at the Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology (IASST), an autonomous institute under the Department of Science and Technology (DST), GoI, and Dr. Krishna P. Bhabak, Department of Chemistry at IIT Guwahati, has designed a new compound which can combat aggressive breast cancer. The findings are published in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry.What is triple-negative breast cancer
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a rare and aggressive form of breast cancer. It is different from other types of invasive breast cancers, as it tends to grow and spread faster, has fewer treatment options, and tends to have a worse prognosis (outlook). The term triple-negative breast cancer means the cancer cells don’t have estrogen or progesterone receptors (ER or PR) and also don’t have too much of the HER2 protein.
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TNBC accounts for about 10-15% of all breast cancers, according to the American Cancer Society. It is found more common in women under the age of 40, and are Black, or have BRCA1 mutation.Symptoms
TNBC have the same signs and symptoms as other common types of breast cancer. The symptoms include:
- New lump or mass in the breast. The painless, hard mass that has irregular edges is more likely to be cancer. However, some breast cancers can also appear to be soft, round, tender, or even painful.
- Swelling
- Skin dimpling
- Pain in breast or nipple
- Nipple retraction (turning inward)
- Changes in nipple or breast skin (red, dry, flaking, or thickened)
- Nipple discharge
- Swollen lymph nodes under the arm or near the collar bone
How the new compound treats TNBC
The researchers have designed nitro-substituted organoselenium compound, that can reduce the invasiveness of aggressive TNBC cells by modulating various signalling pathways.Some of these organoselenium compounds are sourced from plants and others synthesised in the lab. However, their ability to target interconnected oncogenic signalling networks was not extensively studied until now. The researchers have successfully designed and synthesized an organoselenium compound 4-nitro-substituted benzylic diselenide 7. The team synthesised it via nucleophilic substitution of benzylic halides with Na₂Se₂ and NaHSe, obtained by reducing elemental selenium with sodium borohydride under an inert atmosphere. This newly synthesized nitro-substituted organoselenium compound, called diselenide 7. The researchers found that the new compound reduced the invasiveness of aggressive TNBC, by modulating various signaling pathways. They found the the compound significantly decreased tumour volume, reduced angiogenesis and metastasis, and, extended the animals’ lifespan, when tested on Swiss albino mice with breast adenocarcinoma.The new compound fights cancer by shutting down key processes that cancer cells use to survive. This treatment blocks two important pathways, Akt/mTOR and ERK, that help cancer cells grow and are critical for uncontrolled cell growth. It also creates reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reduces inflammation, which can damage DNA and harm the cancer cells, leading to cell death.
