New discoveries on the causes of breast cancer may help towards effective treatments for genetic forms of disease, according to Austrian researchers.
A study of the effect of synthetic sex hormones on breast cancer has led to new clues about the development of the genetic BRCA1 form of cancer, researchers say.
This led to a protein called RANKL and its receptor RANK, the researchers say.
This protein is important in bone metabolism, but also link sex hormones to breast cells, signalling the breast cells to grow.
A team from the Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, Vienna, Austria, led by Dr Josef Penninger took a closer look at this pathway. They found that RANKL is the main driver of BRCA1 mutation-driven breast cancer.
Tests show that blocking the RANKL/RANK system in mice with the BRCA1 mutation produced "largely normal mammary glands", while mice whose RANKL/RANK system was not blocked grew invasive carcinomas.
Further tests on breast tissue cells from women with the BRCA1 mutation also showed that inhibition of RANKL led to "a significant reduction of growth and spreading of breast tissue cells".
Looking at the genetics of more than 23,000 women, the team than showed that genetic variants in the RANK gene are linked with a higher risk of developing breast cancer in women who carry BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations.
Co-researcher Dr Verena Sigl says: "Our finding is so exciting because there is already an approved drug against RANKL called Denosumab. It is an antibody with very few side effects, which binds tightly to RANKL, thereby inhibiting its ability to act.
"Based on our discovery, the already approved drug Denosumab or other future drugs that will block RANKL/RANK, could be used for breast cancer prevention in BRCA mutation carriers."
Sigl, V. et al. RANKL/RANK control Brca1 mutation-driven mammary tumors. Cell Research 31 May 2016
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