Scientists at the University of Virginia say they may have a new treatment for women with the most aggressive form of breast cancer – an approach developed through some serious pillow talk.
Up to 20% of breast cancers are known as triple-negative – the most aggressive form of the disease. It spreads quickly, is resistant to chemotherapy and kills about 40,000 women a year in this country.
Sanchita Bhatnagar, a professor of biochemistry and molecular genetics at UVa, identified a gene that promotes the spread of triple-negative breast cancer and created a tiny package or nano-particle made with fat cells or lipids. Its mission – to carry a drug that blocks the gene.
“There are two layers of lipids, but inside they are hollow," she explains. "That’s where we can package drugs.”
Then the challenge was getting these little fat bombs to cancer cells without damaging healthy tissue. To solve that problem, Bhatnaga turned to a fellow scientist, Jogender Tushir-Singh, who happens to be her husband. His specialty is designing antibodies, and he came up with one that binds to a specific protein.
“Now this protein is abundant in cancer cells," says Bhatnagar. "So now, when we put this antibody on the surface of our nanoparticle, we were able to deliver our drugs to the cancer cells.”
This approach proved successful when used in mice. The lab is now talking with drug companies about funds for future tests.
