Blood Pressure Drug (Losartan)Blocks Overexpression of Gene in Breast Cancer Patients
 

Blood Pressure Drug Blocks Overexpression of Gene in Breast Cancer Patients

Tasheema Prince
July 27 2009

A medication widely used to treat high blood pressure may be able to block the activity of a gene commonly found in breast cancer patients, according to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2009;106[25]:10284-9).

In the press release announcing the findings, researchers from the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer center explained that AGTR1, a gene that causes normal breast cells to behave like cancer cells, was dramatically overexpressed in 10% to 20% of breast cancer tumors. Once the researchers identified AGTR1 as an important cancer gene, the research team tested losartan as a targeted treatment for this gene. Losartan is approved by the FDA for the treatment of high blood pressure.

Their study revealed that when losartan was introduced, AGTR1-positive tumors were reduced, while AGTR1-negative tumors were not affected. In the mice studies, losartan shrank AGTR1-positive tumors by 20% after a 2-week period and by 30% after an 8-week period.

“Losartan may be a viable therapy for women with AGTR1 overexpressing breast tumors. This study lays the groundwork for a clinical trail to test losartan to treat breast cancers positive for AGTR1,” said study author Arul Chinnaiyan, MD, PhD, director of the Michigan Center for Translational Pathology.

http://www.oncologynursingnews.com/B...rticle/140118/