Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 20, 2026

A Portal Vein Injection Model to Study Liver Metastasis of Breast Cancer
07:35

A Portal Vein Injection Model to Study Liver Metastasis of Breast Cancer

Published on: December 26, 2016

Biological determinants of endocrine resistance in breast cancer

Elizabeth A Musgrove1, Robert L Sutherland

  • 1Cancer Research Program, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, New South Wales 2010, Australia. e.musgrove@garvan.org.au

Nature Reviews. Cancer
|August 25, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Endocrine therapies improve breast cancer survival but face resistance. Identifying genetic drivers of this resistance is crucial for developing new treatments and biomarkers.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Endocrinology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Endocrine therapies (anti-oestrogens, aromatase inhibitors) reduce breast cancer mortality.
  • Therapeutic resistance limits the efficacy of these vital treatments.
  • Gene expression signatures highlight proliferation and survival signaling in resistance.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To define the specific genetic lesions and molecular processes underlying clinical endocrine resistance.
  • To identify potential therapeutic targets and biomarkers for endocrine resistance in breast cancer.

Main Methods:

  • Leveraging large-scale computational approaches.
  • Utilizing genetic analyses to identify resistance mediators.

Main Results:

  • Candidate biomarkers and gene signatures point to deregulation of proliferation and survival signaling.
  • The precise genetic drivers of endocrine resistance remain incompletely defined.

Conclusions:

  • Further research into genetic lesions is needed to fully understand endocrine resistance.
  • Large-scale computational and genetic studies promise to uncover therapeutic targets and biomarkers for improved breast cancer treatment.

More Related Videos

Systems Biology of Metabolic Regulation by Estrogen Receptor Signaling in Breast Cancer10:36

Systems Biology of Metabolic Regulation by Estrogen Receptor Signaling in Breast Cancer

Published on: March 17, 2016

Related Concept Videos

Treatment Resistant Cancers02:56

Treatment Resistant Cancers

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States. A cancer cell is genetically unstable and hence can mutate faster. They can also modify their microenvironment and escape immune surveillance. The difficulties in treating cancer are further compounded by the emergence of rapid resistance to anticancer drugs. The most common ways to attain resistance in cancer cells include alteration in drug transport and metabolism, modification of drug target, elevated DNA damage response, or...
Adaptive Mechanisms in Cancer Cells02:53

Adaptive Mechanisms in Cancer Cells

Cancer cells accumulate genetic changes at an abnormally rapid rate due to the defects in the DNA repair mechanisms. From an evolutionary perspective, such genetic instability is advantageous for cancer development. Mutant cell lines accumulate a series of beneficial mutations that contribute to their progression into cancer.
Some of the advantages that cancer cells have on normal cells include - enhanced ability to divide without terminally differentiating, induce new blood vessel formation,...
Adaptive Mechanisms in Cancer Cells02:53

Adaptive Mechanisms in Cancer Cells

Cancer cells accumulate genetic changes at an abnormally rapid rate due to the defects in the DNA repair mechanisms. From an evolutionary perspective, such genetic instability is advantageous for cancer development. Mutant cell lines accumulate a series of beneficial mutations that contribute to their progression into cancer.
Some of the advantages that cancer cells have on normal cells include - enhanced ability to divide without terminally differentiating, induce new blood vessel formation,...
Pharmacogenetics of Drug Targets: β₂-Adrenergic Receptors, Apo E, Thymidylate Synthase01:11

Pharmacogenetics of Drug Targets: β₂-Adrenergic Receptors, Apo E, Thymidylate Synthase

Genetic polymorphisms in drug targets have emerged as critical determinants of interindividual variability in drug response and toxicity. Pharmacogenomic investigations increasingly focus on identifying these variations to personalize and optimize therapeutic interventions. A drug target may be a receptor, enzyme, or signaling protein involved in pharmacologic responses or disease-related pathways. While early pharmacogenetic studies focused primarily on drug metabolism, current research...
Factors Affecting Drug Biotransformation: Biological01:19

Factors Affecting Drug Biotransformation: Biological

Biological factors significantly impact drug metabolism, influencing drug clearance, efficacy, and potential toxicity.
Species differences: Variations in enzyme systems across species can cause disparities in drug metabolism. For instance, humans may metabolize certain drugs faster than rodents, altering therapeutic effects.
Strain differences: Genetic variations within a species can result in differing enzyme activity, impacting drug response and toxicity. For example, some mouse strains may...
Mitogens and the Cell Cycle02:38

Mitogens and the Cell Cycle

Mitogens and their receptors play a crucial role in controlling the progression of the cell cycle. However, the loss of mitogenic control over cell division leads to tumor formation. Therefore, mitogens and mitogen receptors play an important role in cancer research. For instance, the epidermal growth factor (EGF) - a type of mitogen and its transmembrane receptor (EGFR), decides the fate of the cell's proliferation. When EGF binds to EGFR, a member of the ErbB family of tyrosine kinase...