Researchers Discover one reason why Breast Cancer Cells Become Drug Resistant

[alicem]

This sounds very promising!!!! If true, it can't happen soon enough as we all know!

"Breast cancer treatments such as Herceptin that target a marker called HER2 have dramatically improved outcomes for women with this type of cancer. But nearly half of these cancers are resistant to Herceptin from the start and almost all of them will eventually become resistant.

Now, researchers at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center have discovered one reason why the cancer cells become resistant: They turn on a completely different pathway, one that is involved in inflammation, fueling the cancer independently of HER2.

The pathway at work involves a protein called Interleukin-6, or IL-6. The researchers also showed in mice that a drug that blocks IL-6 can stop this effect and overcome the Herceptin resistance."

You can read the full article here:

http://www.news-medical.net/news/201...resistant.aspx

[Ellie F]

Thanks Alice
Lani has also posted the write up for this drug.
Sounds really exciting
Ellie

[alicem]

Thanks Ellie,

I thought Lani was probably on top of things, but when I tried looking for a post I couldn't find anything!