A New Target to Eliminate Dormant Breast Cancer Cells Before They Awaken
From left to right : Islam Elkholi and Jean-François Côté
A study led by researchers at the Montreal Clinical Research Institute (IRCM) offers new hope for understanding and limiting metastatic recurrence in breast cancer.
Breast cancer is among the most common forms of cancer and is the second leading cause of cancer death among Canadian women. Approximately one in four breast cancer patients experience metastatic recurrence, months or even years after their initial diagnosis and treatment. These recurrences occur when cancer cells spread from the breast to distant organs, where they remain dormant before reactivating. Developing strategies to eliminate these cells before they reawake is a critical unmet clinical need.
In this new study published in Cancer Research, the team led by Dr. Jean-François Côté, Director of the Cytoskeletal Organization and Cell Migration Research Unite at the IRCM, has identified a promising therapeutic target: the protein PIK3C3. Their findings reveal that PI3KC3 is essential for the survival of dormant cancer cells. By targeting this protein, they were able to eliminate these dormant cells before they trigger metastatic relapse.
“Metastasis of breast cancer remains one of the greatest challenges for patients living with breast cancer. Understanding how to prevent this process is key to improving survival in patients with breast cancer”, explained Dr. Côté.
“Pinpointing factors that allow cancer cells to survive during the dormancy phase, such as PIK3C3, would guide emerging clinical trials that investigate therapeutic opportunities for breast cancer patients at risk of developing metastatic relapses”, added first author Dr. Islam Elkholi, now a postdoctoral fellow at McGill University.
A wide collaboration
This study was made possible through collaborations with leading research institutions, including McGill University, University of Toronto from Canada, as well as the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in the United States.
Acknowledgments
This research was supported by generous funding from the Cancer Research Society (Canada), the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Canada Research Chair program, and the National Institutes of Health/National Cancer Institute in the USA, as well as by philanthropic support from the IRCM Foundation including the Transat Breast Cancer Research Chair and the Alain Fontaine Chair in Cancer Research.
Targeting the dependence on PIK3C3-mTORC1 signaling in dormancy-prone breast: link to full paper
