New possibilities for the treatment of poor prognosis breast cancer

A recent study declared that the TLR9 protein expressed by cancer cells has an effect on the prognosis of triple-negative breast cancer. The new discovery creates possibilities for the development of much needed cancer therapy and medication. In the future, it may benefit hundreds of Finnish women.

Researchers Johanna Tuomela and Jouko Sandholm from the University of Turku have been a part of a research project in which a new subtype of poor prognosis triple-negative breast cancer was identified.

The research was coordinated by University of Turku's Cell Biology Docent Katri Selander, who works mainly as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Hematology and Oncology in the UAB in Alabama, USA.

Triple-negative breast cancer is a form of cancer where the cancer cells don't express hormone and Her2 receptors and therefore they don't respond to usual treatments. Even though breast cancer treatment and with it the prognosis have both improved, there are still approximately 850 people, who die of breast cancer every year in Finland. The majority of them has had the triple-negative breast cancer.

- Some of the patients with this type of cancer make a full recovery while others deteriorate quickly. Before it wasn't possible to identify which group the patient falls into, says researcher Johanna Tuomela from PET Centre.

The results of this study give light to the matter. The cells of the breast cancer subtype found in the study express low levels or none of the TLR9 protein which is a part of our immune system and causes inflammation reaction when activated. In triple-negative cancers low levels of TLR9 are related with fast spreading and poor prognosis.