Breast cancer: a study deciphers the causes – South West

An enzyme, which enters the nuclei of certain cells when they are compressed, may play a role in worsening breast cancer by promoting the spread of tumors, advance a study published Tuesday.

Compression of cells would make breast cancer worse

Conducted by teams from CNRS, Institut Curie and Inserm, this study, published in the journal Cell, focuses on the way cells behave when compressed together inside tumors in the breast. .

This research is based on an initial idea: this compression of cells encourages tumors to spread and, therefore, to make cancer worse. But we do not know what mechanism links the two phenomena. To answer this, the study authors took cells from patients with certain breast tumors. They then studied them in vitro or in mice.

Surprising discoveries

Their conclusions are in several stages. First, the researchers find that the nucleus of compressed cells tends to rupture and that this phenomenon damages the DNA located inside. They find that this degradation results in accelerated aging of healthy cells, but that it has other effects in tumor cells.

The authors then go further by looking for the causes of this DNA degradation. They note that it can be interrupted by blocking the action of an enzyme, called TREX1. What to conclude? These results confirm that breast cancer “is probably accompanied in humans by DNA damage” linked to cell compression, the authors explain.

“Our experiments neither prove that TREX1 is the main factor of DNA deterioration in this context, nor that DNA deterioration plays a role in the progression of the disease in humans”

However, should we draw a cause and effect link from this and, in particular, conclude that the action of TREX1 aggravates certain breast cancers? “Our experiments neither prove that TREX1 is the main factor of DNA deterioration in this context, nor that DNA deterioration plays a role in the progression of the disease in humans,” they warn.