PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Triple-negative breast cancer subtypes identified using microRNA

2013-02-08
(Press-News.org) Triple-negative breast cancer is an aggressive form of breast cancer that has few treatment options; This large-scale study shows that abnormal levels of small molecules called microRNA can be used to classify this malignancy into four subtypes; The findings could lead to new ways to identify the best therapy for individual patients and to more effective therapies in the future.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – A new, large-scale study of triple-negative breast cancer shows that small molecules called microRNA can be used to define four subtypes of this aggressive malignancy.

The findings, by researchers at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC – James) working with collaborators in Italy, could lead to new screening methods, prognostic markers and perhaps new targeted treatments for this aggressive and often-fatal form of breast cancer.

The study is published in the journal PLOS ONE.

"The treatment of women with triple-negative breast cancer is challenging because this malignancy can be very different genetically from one patient to another," says co-senior investigator Dr. Charles Shapiro, director of Breast Medical Oncology and professor of internal medicine at the OSUCCC – James.

"We believe these microRNA signatures define novel sub-sets of triple-negative breast cancer and offer new insights into the biology of the disease and better ways to treat these patients," Shapiro says.

The microRNAs that compose the signatures are involved in regulating cell growth, proliferation and survival, and in cell movement and migration.

"These findings strongly suggest that microRNAs play an important role in triple-negative breast cancer and might be used to better identify the most effective treatment for a patient's tumor," says co-senior investigator and researcher Dr. Kay Huebner, professor of molecular virology, immunology and medical genetics at Ohio State.

"Several of the deregulated microRNAs we found in the cancer samples are involved in chemo-resistance or radio-resistance. MicroRNA profiles can help us to improve and personalize therapies for individual patients," she says.

Triple-negative breast cancer accounts for about 15 percent of all breast cancers. It is characterized by cancer cells that lack estrogen, progesterone and HER2 receptors. For this reason, these tumors do not respond to hormone therapies or HER2-targeted treatments.

MicroRNAs help regulate the kind and amount of proteins that cells make. They do this by binding with messenger RNA (mRNA), molecular copies of genes that are translated into proteins. When microRNA is bound to an mRNA, the messenger molecule cannot be translated into a protein. Instead, it is either temporarily stored or destroyed.

This study investigated associations between microRNA expression levels, mRNA expression levels and overall survival and distant-disease-free survival in women with triple-negative breast cancer.

Shapiro, Huebner and their colleagues evaluated 59 normal, 165 tumor and 54 metastatic matched tissue samples, obtained through The Stefanie Spielman Fund for Breast Cancer Research at the OSUCCC – James.

The researchers ran a complete microRNA profile and a cancer-focused panel of genes for each sample. They then generated microRNA signatures represented by certain prognostic microRNAs that, when deregulated, indicate odds of survival.

"This was a large cohort of triple-negative breast cancer cases and a major analysis effort that we believe makes this work extremely valuable," Huebner says.

To stratify the cancers, the researchers determined microRNA and mRNA expression profiles in tumor, adjacent-normal tissue and lymph-node metastatic tissue from 173 women with the triple-negative breast cancer.

"We identified microRNAs and mRNAs that uniquely represent primary and metastatic tumors, and that are specifically deregulated in that stage of the disease, says co-author Dr. Pierluigi Gasparini, a postdoctoral researcher in Huebner's laboratory.

The results define microRNA expression signatures that characterize and contribute to the differences between primary and metastatic tumors.

"We now want to learn which of these deregulated microRNAs might represent early biomarkers for cancer or metastasis detection," Gasparini says.

The study's key technical findings include: The microRNA signatures correlated with prognosis and were correlated with changes in mRNA expression; Two microRNA signatures were predictive of overall survival and distant disease-free survival, respectively, in patients 50 years of age or younger; mRNA expression profiling resulted in clustering of triple-negative breast cancer into four molecular subclasses with different expression signatures.

"We believe these findings will be a reference point not only for our lab but also for many other research teams that might not have access to large patient populations, and hope that they will accelerate even more research on triple-negative breast cancer," Huebner says.

INFORMATION:

Other researchers involved in this study were Luciano Cascione, Francesca Lovat, Stefania Carasi, Hansjuerg Alder, Gang He and Carlo M. Croce, The Ohio State University; Alfredo Pulvirenti and Alfredo Ferro, University of Catania, Italy; and Andrea Vecchione, University of Rome, Italy.

END



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Peering into living cells -- without dye nor fluophore

Peering into living cells -- without dye nor fluophore
2013-02-08
In the world of microscopy, this advance is almost comparable to the leap from photography to live television. Two young EPFL researchers, Yann Cotte and Fatih Toy, have designed a device that combines holographic microscopy and computational image processing to observe living biological tissues at the nanoscale. Their research is being done under the supervision of Christian Depeursinge, head of the Microvision and Microdiagnostics Group in EPFL's School of Engineering. Using their setup, three-dimensional images of living cells can be obtained in just a few minutes ...

Premiums for public health insurance affect coverage

2013-02-08
WASHINGTON –Requiring individuals to pay a premium for public health insurance coverage can counteract the coverage effects of expanding eligibility for public health insurance programs to higher income families. That is the finding of a study by a team of researchers from Georgetown University School of Nursing & Health Studies (NHS), University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), and Columbia University published today in the journal Health Services Research. "Our findings speak to the importance of not just the availability of insurance coverage, but also the ...

Bronchiectasis increases mortality risk in moderate-to-severe COPD

2013-02-08
Bronchiectasis is independently associated with an increased mortality risk in patients with moderate-to-severe COPD, according to a new study from researchers in Spain. Bronchiectasis, a permanent and progressive dilation of the lung's airways, is common in COPD patients and is associated with longer and more intense exacerbations, more frequent bacterial colonization of the bronchial mucosa, and a greater degree of functional impairment. "As COPD patients with bronchiectasis have an increased incidence of other known prognostic factors, we hypothesized that bronchiectasis ...

Using Twitter to predict the influence of lifestyle on health

2013-02-08
Researchers at the University of Rochester showed last year how Twitter can be used to predict how likely it is for a Twitter user to become sick. They have now used Twitter to model how other factors – social status, exposure to pollution, interpersonal interaction and others – influence health. "If you want to know, down to the individual level, how many people are sick in a population, you would have to survey the population, which is costly and time-consuming," said Adam Sadilek, postdoctoral researcher at the University of Rochester. "Twitter and the technology we ...

Student loan debt impacting borrowers, cosigners

2013-02-08
Student loan debt impacting borrowers, cosigners Article provided by Patrick J. Conway, Attorney at Law Visit us at http://www.patrickconwaylaw.com/ Receiving a college degree used to be one of the most crucial steps toward obtaining a well-paying job. After graduating, there would be many opportunities for work in a chosen field. When the economy collapsed and employment was difficult to find, many graduates were left with student loan payments that they were unable to afford. When these individuals considered the options that would allow them to regain their ...

Florida no-fault divorce: Strictly speaking, infidelity is irrelevant

2013-02-08
Florida no-fault divorce: Strictly speaking, infidelity is irrelevant Article provided by Beth M. Terry, P.A. Visit us at http://www.bethmterrypa.com Finding out that a spouse cheated can be a shock, and infidelity is a factor in many divorces. Even if adultery is the reason for a split in Florida, however, one does not need to prove it in order to get divorced. No-fault divorce in Florida Florida is one of many states with a no-fault divorce rule. This means that an individual does not need to prove fault by the other spouse as the basis for a divorce. Instead, ...

Supreme Court hears drunk-driving case

2013-02-08
Supreme Court hears drunk-driving case Article provided by Peter A D'Angelo, Attorney at Law, PLC Visit us at http://www.dangelodefense.com When a person is charged with driving under the influence, they may be afraid about what is going to happen next. Many of these people have never been in any kind of trouble with the law prior to this arrest, and they simply want to put the matter behind them as soon as possible. If the individual's blood alcohol test is above the legal limit, prosecutors may be aggressive in pursuing a conviction. While it may seem like ...

Bankruptcy options for homeowners facing foreclosure

2013-02-08
Bankruptcy options for homeowners facing foreclosure Article provided by Michael J. Logan, Ltd. Visit us at http://www.mikeloganlaw.com The economic downturn has hit many homeowners hard, causing thousands of hard-working people to fear losing their homes to foreclosure. Fortunately, there are some legal options that can help stop a foreclosure. Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy are just two of the options, in addition to a homeowner's foreclosure rights. Pre-bankruptcy options A homeowner who is served a notice of foreclosure has a right of reinstatement. ...

Major Horsepower Added to the I-X Piston Powered Auto-Rama as Summit Racing Equipment Announced as New Title Sponsor and Lincoln Electric as Presenting Sponsor

2013-02-08
The I-X Piston Powered Auto-Rama announced today that Summit Racing Equipment is the new title sponsor of the event and that Lincoln Electric is the Presenting sponsor of the show held March 15 -17, 2013 at the I-X Center, which will officially be called The Summit Racing Equipment I-X Piston Powered Auto-Rama Presented by Lincoln Electric. These fully-integrated partnerships will include a diverse array of marketing and branding elements. These elements will position Summit Racing Equipment and Lincoln Electric as the "drivers" to The Summit Racing Equipment ...

Prenco Environmental Continuously Demonstrates Unrivalled Services in Spill Control

2013-02-08
Notable spill and pollution control & management specialists - Prenco Environmental - demonstrates due diligence in the event of spill either on land or water by taking all steps necessary to prevent pollution and minimise environmental damage. For over 50 years, Prenco Environmental has helped organisations in different industries to contain and control spills By providing innovative products and the latest technology coupled with fast and immediate response. Whenever spills occur, even how rare it might be, Prenco Environmental is ready to provide: High ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Scientists trace origins of now extinct plant population from volcanically active Nishinoshima

AI algorithm based on routine mammogram + age can predict women’s major cardiovascular disease risk

New hurdle seen to prostate screening: primary-care docs

MSU researchers explore how virtual sports aid mental health

Working together, cells extend their senses

Cheese fungi help unlock secrets of evolution

Researchers find brain region that fuels compulsive drinking

Mental health effects of exposure to firearm violence persist long after direct exposure

Research identifies immune response that controls Oropouche infection and prevents neurological damage

University of Cincinnati, Kent State University awarded $3M by NSF to share research resources

Ancient DNA reveals deeply complex Mastodon family and repeated migrations driven by climate change

Measuring the quantum W state

Researchers find a way to use antibodies to direct T cells to kill Cytomegalovirus-infected cells

Engineers create mini microscope for real-time brain imaging

Funding for training and research in biological complexity

The Journal of Nuclear Medicine Ahead-of-Print Tip Sheet: September 12, 2025

ISSCR statement on the scientific and therapeutic value of human fetal tissue research

Novel PET tracer detects synaptic changes in spinal cord and brain after spinal cord injury

Wiley advances Knowitall Solutions with new trendfinder application for user-friendly chemometric analysis and additional enhancements to analytical workflows

Benchmark study tracks trends in dog behavior

OpenAI, DeepSeek, and Google vary widely in identifying hate speech

Research spotlight: Study identifies a surprising new treatment target for chronic limb threatening ischemia

Childhood loneliness and cognitive decline and dementia risk in middle-aged and older adults

Parental diseases of despair and suicidal events in their children

Acupuncture for chronic low back pain in older adults

Acupuncture treatment improves disabling effects of chronic low back pain in older adults

How interstellar objects similar to 3I/ATLAS could jump-start planet formation around infant stars

Rented e-bicycles more dangerous than e-scooters in cities

Ditches as waterways: Managing ‘ditch-scapes’ to strengthen communities and the environment

In-situ molecular passivation enables pure-blue perovskite LEDs via vacuum thermal evaporation

[Press-News.org] Triple-negative breast cancer subtypes identified using microRNA