Breakthrough in breast cancer research could stop the disease from spreading

Scientists have achieved a significant breakthrough in the battle against breast cancer by dismantling the very components that enable the deadly disease to metastasise. Researchers have discovered that cancer alters the metabolism of certain immune cells, causing them to release a metabolite known as uracil, which aids in constructing a 'scaffold' within distant organs, facilitating the growth of secondary tumours.

By inhibiting the enzyme uridine phosphorylase-1 (UPP1), responsible for producing uracil, scientists were able to prevent this 'scaffold' from forming in mice and rejuvenated the immune system's capacity to eliminate secondary cancer cells, thereby thwarting metastasis. This groundbreaking work was carried out in the laboratories of Professor Jim Norman and Professor Karen Blyth at the Cancer Research UK Scotland Institute and the University of Glasgow.

This discovery paves the way for potentially potent new methods to combat cancer – identifying uracil in the bloodstream could signal early indications of cancer metastasis, while impeding UPP1 with medication could halt its progression before it even begins.

The study's lead author, Dr Cassie Clarke, from the Cancer Research UK Scotland Institute and University of Glasgow, said: "This study represents a major shift in how we think about preventing the spread of breast cancer. By targeting these metabolic changes as early as possible we could stop the cancer progressing and save lives."

Published in Embo Reports, the research indicates that crucial metabolic alterations take place prior to the dissemination of cancer, presenting an essential opportunity for intervention.

Identifying these alterations at an early stage could enable treatments to prevent cancer cells from migrating throughout the body and establishing tumours in different locations.

Dr Catherine Elliott, Cancer Research UK's director of research, explained: "Discoveries in cancer research have made huge strides in making breast cancer a far more treatable disease than ever before. However, metastasis - when cancer spreads - is a major factor in breast cancer becoming harder to treat especially if the cancer returns months or even many years later.

"This discovery gives us new hope for detecting and stopping metastasis early and ensuring people have many more years with their families and loved ones."

With approximately 56,800 people receiving a breast cancer diagnosis in the United Kingdom annually and roughly 11,300 people dying from it each year, discovering innovative approaches to combat it remains crucial. Due to research breakthroughs, breast cancer has evolved into a significantly more manageable illness, yet when it metastasises to different parts of the body, effective control becomes increasingly challenging.

Comprehending the mechanisms behind breast cancer's spread is essential to preventing the disease from becoming uncontrollable with existing treatments. The research team is now delving deeper into precisely how UPP1 alters immune cell behaviour, examining the function of immune cell metabolism in early breast cancer development, and evaluating the potential of medications that inhibit immune cell metabolism to prevent cancer onset.

Simon Vincent, the chief scientific officer at Breast Cancer Now, said: "This is an exciting piece of joint research that expands our understanding of how secondary breast cancer develops.

"The researchers discovered that high levels of a protein called UPP1 may make some cancers, including breast cancer, more likely to spread to other parts of the body, where the disease becomes incurable.

"In mice, targeting the UPP1 protein before secondary breast cancer developed led to fewer secondary breast tumours and a boosted immune response in the lungs.

"Now we need more research to see if this new insight can be turned into new drugs that stop secondary breast cancer, and potentially other secondary cancers, in their tracks. With around 61,000 people living with secondary breast cancer in the UK, research like this is vital."