Recent breast cancer research from the UH Center for Nuclear Receptors and Cell Signaling (CNRCS) has garnered the attention of the online research community. The November 2012 publication, 鈥淓R尾1 represses basal-like breast cancer epithelial to mesenchymal transition by destabilizing EGFR,鈥� has consistently ranked among the most viewed online articles for , one of the most recognized breast cancer research journals.
鈥淭hese findings provide further evidence that estrogen receptor-beta-1 has the potential to predict metastasis in breast cancer,鈥� says research assistant professor Christoforos Thomas, who co-authored the article. 鈥淭his could lead to improved survival rates in triple-negative cancers, which often can be more aggressive.鈥�
Thomas and the team are dedicated to studying the role of the nuclear receptor estrogen receptor-beta1 (ER尾1) in breast cancer. By using ER尾1 to regulate epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT), a process which alters the motility and invasiveness of cells, CNRCS researchers found that ER尾1 is capable of inhibiting EMT and the metastatic potential of basal-like breast cancer cells.
鈥淏asal-like cancers are known to develop distant metastases associated with EMT,鈥� says CNRCS director Dr. Jan-脜ke Gustafsson. 鈥淲e now have evidence that ER尾1 inhibits EMT thereby reducing the invasiveness of these cancer cells, strengthening the possibility that ER尾1 can help identify patients with basal-like cancer with lower risk to develop metastasis.鈥�
In addition to currently ranking as the third-most viewed Breast Cancer Research article, the publication also was deemed 鈥淗ighly accessed.鈥� To view the abstract or download the provisional PDF, visit . The research was supported by the Emerging Technology Fund of Texas, the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, the Welch Foundation and the Swedish Cancer Society.
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