Researchers at UCSF have observed cancer cells actively infiltrating fat cells and extracting their stored energy, a process that appears vital for the progression of aggressive breast cancer. Their findings are published in Nature Communications.
Nature CommunicationsAs triple-negative breast cancer progresses, surrounding fat cells seem to decrease in size.
The study reveals that these deadly tumor cells create molecular pathways called gap junctions to connect with nearby fat cells. The tumors then instruct the fat cells to release energy reserves that could fuel their growth.
When researchers blocked these gap junctions, tumor growth was halted.
"Breast cancer hijacks our body's energy stores and we've identified how it does so in triple-negative cases," stated Andrei Goga, Ph.D., professor of cell and tissue biology at UCSF, co-leader of the Breast Oncology Program at the UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, and senior author on the paper.
Goga's team examined both patient tissues and laboratory models to make this discovery.
The insights hold significant clinical potential. While no trials have yet tested drugs to block gap junctions for breast cancer, similar medications are being studied for brain cancer treatments.
"This presents a promising opportunity to develop effective therapies for the most aggressive forms of breast cancer," concluded Goga.