BioCentury
ARTICLE | Translation in Brief

An E3 for TNBC

Why an E3 ligase could be a potent target for triple-negative breast cancer

March 30, 2017 8:33 PM UTC

With the multiple myeloma drug Velcade bortezomib having put E3 ubiquitin ligases on the drug development map, scientists are now taking aim at another E3 ligase for a hard-to-treat solid tumor: triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). A Cancer Research paper published last week presented preclinical data in mice suggesting UBR5 could be a new target in the disease.

The study showed that UBR5 (ubiquitin protein ligase E3 component n-recognin 5) plays two distinct roles within tumors. First, it drives tumor growth through a mechanism likely involving immunosuppression. Second, it promotes metastasis by controlling the mesenchymal-epithelial transition required for migratory cancer cells to colonize other tissues. ...