Discovery of Tumor-Promoting Protein in Breast Cancer..."Hope for Personalized Therapies"

The Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (hereafter referred to as KRIBB) announced on September 25 that Dr. Hyunju Cha's research team has identified that the protein 'ATE1' plays a key role in promoting tumor growth in breast cancer cells.

Members of Dr. Hyunju Cha's research team are posing for a commemorative photo. Provided by Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology.

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ATE1 is an enzyme that regulates protein function. While it acts as a tumor suppressor in liver and prostate cancers, it is known to promote tumor growth in melanoma, indicating that its role varies depending on the cancer type. However, the mechanism of action in breast cancer had remained unresolved until recently.

To address this, the research team analyzed large-scale genomic data from breast cancer patients (TCGA) and confirmed that ATE1 is expressed at significantly higher levels in breast cancer cells compared to normal cells.

The research team explained that, considering patients with higher levels of ATE1 expression tend to have poorer treatment outcomes, the degree of ATE1 expression is presumed to be closely associated with patient survival.

In experiments using cell line models, inhibiting ATE1 led to a marked reduction in cancer cell proliferation and metastasis, while having little effect on normal cells.

Similarly, in mouse models implanted with breast cancer cells, inhibition of ATE1 resulted in a significant decrease in both tumor size and weight.

The research team also confirmed that ATE1 promotes breast cancer by activating intracellular signaling pathways that drive continuous cell proliferation, while simultaneously blocking pathways that induce programmed cell death.

Dr. Hyunju Cha stated, "ATE1 could serve as a crucial clue in determining treatment outcomes for cancer patients," adding, "We expect this study to open new avenues in cancer research and serve as an important milestone in the development of personalized therapies with fewer side effects."

Meanwhile, these research findings were recently published in the online edition of the international journal 'Cell Communication and Signaling.'

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