[Reading Science] 'Cells That Suppress Breast Cancer Metastasis Exist'

UNIST Researchers Make World's First Discovery
Expected to Contribute to Early Detection and Drug Development

Cells that directly regulate the growth and metastasis of breast cancer have been discovered for the first time in the world by a domestic research team. This research achievement is expected to contribute to the early detection of breast cancer and the development of therapeutic agents in the future.

Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) announced on the 4th that Professor Ji-Young Park's team in the Department of Life Sciences has revealed for the first time that 'cancer-associated adipocytes' in the tumor microenvironment of breast cancer regulate the survival and metastasis of breast cancer cells.

Inhibition of FAM3C in Cancer-Associated Adipocytes (sWAT) Suppresses Breast Cancer Growth and Metastasis in a Breast Cancer Mouse Model
(A-B) Fluorescence imaging of breast cancer growth in a breast cancer mouse model showed that inhibition of FAM3C in cancer-associated adipose tissue suppressed breast cancer growth. (C-D) Fluorescence specifically expressed in breast cancer cells was also observed in the lungs, confirming the occurrence of breast cancer metastasis. Metastasis of breast cancer cells was inhibited by the suppression of FAM3C in cancer-associated adipocytes.

The tumor microenvironment refers to the cellular environment in which a tumor exists. Cancer-associated adipocytes found in the breast cancer tumor microenvironment regulate a secretory protein called FAM3C. Through the regulated secretory protein, the breast cancer tumor microenvironment is altered to promote the survival and metastasis of breast cancer cells.

In the early stages of breast cancer, an increase in the FAM3C secretory protein enhances the survival of cancer-associated adipocytes and suppresses fibrosis; however, when fibrosis is suppressed, the secretory protein can more easily access cancer cells, thereby promoting their survival and growth.

Front row (among 3 people), first from the left, Professor Park Ji-young; back row (among 4 people), second from the right, first author Researcher Kim Sa-hee. Photo by UNIST

Conversely, in the late stages, the secretion of FAM3C decreases and fibrosis is promoted, enabling cancer cells to move and invade more easily.

The research team confirmed through experiments that inhibiting the FAM3C secretory protein in the early stages of breast cancer suppresses the growth and metastasis of breast cancer.

Professor Ji-Young Park stated, "We expect this to be utilized in future research for the development of early diagnostic markers and metastasis therapeutic agents for breast cancer."

The research results were published online on December 20 last year in 'Cancer Research,' an international journal in the field of oncology published by the American Association for Cancer Research.

The research was supported by the Ministry of Science and ICT, the National Research Foundation of Korea's Bio & Medical Technology Development Program, individual basic mid-career research projects, and the Leading Research Center.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.