Enzyme that causes breast tumours identified

London, Nov 20 : Scientists from Institute for Cancer Research have discovered an enzyme that plays a critical role in turning breast tissue into tumours.

The enzyme called lysyl oxidase (LOX) has been found to stiffen collagen, a major component of the supportive tissue in the breast.

It causes the collagen to change in a process known as cross-linking, which makes the tissue more fibrous.

The team showed that blocking the enzyme significantly reduced size and frequency of tumours in mice.

Higher levels of LOX increased the levels of collagen in mammary glands, made the tissue stiffer and correlated with a higher number of tumours invading the breast tissue.

After using chemicals or an antibody to block the enzyme, they found collagen in the mammary glands contained fewer cross-links and was less fibrous.

The study suggests that breast tissue controlled by enzymes such as LOX was a key factor in cancer development.

"The enzyme triggers a clear physical change in breast tissue and, if we could stop this happening, we expect it would slow the growth of any cancers that did develop and make them easier to eradicate," BBC News quoted lead researcher Dr Janine Erler from the Institute of Cancer Research, as saying.

"This study may also help explain why the rate of breast cancer increases dramatically with age - aged tissues are stiffer and contain higher levels of abnormal collagen cross-links, said Professor Valerie Weaver of the University of California in San Francisco, who was also part of the team.

The study is published in the journal Cell.

Copyright Asian News International (ANI)

Comments on Enzyme that causes breast tumours identified

As the senior author and the person who conceived, directed and ran the study over an 8 year time period - i would like to point out that NONE of the work was conducted in the UK - Janine Erler who is a scientist now in the UK played a minor role in the study while she was training with Amato Giaccia at Stanford - for her contribution she was included as middle co author - however the above article misrepresents her contribution - and unfortunately this compromises all of the hard work done by the first author kandice levental - who was a study working with me on the project for 5 years and my postdoctoral fellow hongmei Yu who worked hard for 2 years on the project - all of the ideas, work and effort was supported by NIH and DOD - two U.S. funding sources - I am not one to detract from others efforts - but i do take offense when someone is afforded undue credit where they definitely did not contribute - I fear that this is shoddy and sensational journalism - and i would request that anyone who has any desire to understand the truth please refer to the UCSF website press release or contact me via email and read the original article - it will be blatantly obvious then where the source and ideas for the work orginated - i also suggest that a great deal of caution be taken when interpreting the study results using LOX inhibitory antibodies and or pharmaceutical inhibitors - because we would not want a similarly detrimental situation occur as what happened when mmp inhibitors were rushed too quickly into the clinic

By » valerie marie weaver on 2009-11-22 01:50:54

i would like to point out that i was the senior author - the person who directed the work, conceived of the idea and whose laboratory ALL studies were conducted - while i recognize that sometimes journalists can mis quote and mis represent information - this to my mind is one of the most egregious examples of shoddy journalism

By » valerie marie weaver on 2009-11-21 06:31:59

Enzyme that causes breast tumours identified

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Comments on Enzyme that causes breast tumours identified