Grant: Operating Grant

Breast cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality in women, second only to lung cancer. Initiation and progression of breast carcinomas is a complex, heterogeneous multi-steps process that involves the deregulation of a number of cellular control switches, ultimately linked to the activation of transcription factors that are responsible for the expression of genes involved in cell division and cell death and thereby uncontrolled proliferation of cancer cells. Cancer treatment is rapidly evolving toward the use of therapies that specifically targets mechanisms controlling cell proliferation and/or survival. NF-kappaB is one of the abnormally constitutively active transcription factor, but the cause(s) of its constitutive activation in breast cancers remain elusive. We recently identified a new pathway of NF-kappaB regulation that involves oxygen derivatives produced in the cells. Interestingly, one of the oxygen derivatives producing system in the cells was recently found involved in the uncontrolled proliferation of breast cancer cells. Using state of the art molecular biology techniques, our research endeavor is aimed at characterizing this new NF-kappaB pathway specific to breast cancer cells in order to define how gene expression and proliferation of breast cancer cells could be limited. We believe that our research will help design new therapeutic agents that are urgently needed.