Chinese researchers find the gene that promotes breast cancer to metastasize

A study group led by Professor Gao Hua from Tongji University in China found TM4SF1 gene which promotes breast cancer to metastasize to multiple organs. There are also many other studies on some recombinant proteins that promote tumor metastasis. Related research papers were recently published in the journal Cell. Cutting off or preventing the expression of this gene may be the primary target to treat recurrence and metastasis of breast cancer. "Our research on targeted therapies has got good results." Gao Hua said.

Tumor recurrence and metastasis is the most direct cause of death of the vast majority of cancer patients. In early stage of breast cancer, tumor cells would leave the primary site "seed and grow" to fatal metastases at a plurality of far-end organs like lung, bone and brain. Despite the fact that the recurrence of tumor metastasis has important clinical significance, the related research is very weak, especially whether core genes exist in the process of tumor metastasis to multiple target organs is still unclear.

The human body has a kind of proteins which come across the lipid bilayer, and they are also known as transmembrane proteins. TM4SF1 is a member of transmembrane 4 protein family with specific evolution. They have up-regulated expression in lung cancer, colorectal cancer, breast cancer and ovarian cancer a variety of tumor compared with that in normal tissues. Over the years, Gao Hua study group used a mouse model as a screening tool in vivo to establish a high-throughput, genome-wide-level, function-related genetic screening platform in order to find out the molecules directly related to the recurrence and metastasis of breast cancer, lung cancer, colorectal cancer and other tumors and the cellular and molecular mechanism. In 2014, with the help of recombinant mouse proteins and recombinant dog proteins, the study group found that TM4SF1 played a very important role in self-renewing of normal and cancer stem cells.

On this basis, the study group continued to use immunohistochemical methods to analyze tissue microarray of 147 cases of breast cancer patients who had complete clinical information and found TM4SF1 genes had up-regulated expression in breast cancer patients, and the survival of patients was significantly shorter; Conversely, the survival was significantly prolonged. The computer bioinformatic analysis of 3,455 cases of primary site and metastatic tumor site of breast cancer also showed similar results.

Gao Hua said that according to the strength or weakness of TM4SF1 gene expression, they can predict the length of time of occurrence of breast cancer metastasis. "Currently, we are in accordance with the idea of translational medicine to cooperate with domestic enterprises to conduct treatment research on monoclonal antibodies and small molecule compounds. We have made good progress and achieved good results."

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