Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) remains one of the most aggressive types of breast cancer. Determined by a lack of three markers, estrogen receptors, progesterone receptors, and HER2/neu protein, TNBC has a high mortality rate. Less than 20% of breast cancer cases fit the triple negative subtype, but good treatment options remain a major clinical challenge.
Black women experience TNBC with significantly aggressive phenotypes, regardless of other characters, including stage at diagnosis. The five-year survival rate for Black women remains around 14%, less than half of that of women from different races. The relatively aggressive characteristics result in significantly poorer outcomes for Black women.
While significant socioeconomic inequities for Black women have been well-documented, the role of genetics in driving the racial disparities facing Black women with TNBC remains a less understood but crucial aspect of the disease.
A new study published in EMBO Reports has unveiled a gene that could potentially explain the disparities in TNBC outcomes between Black women and those of other racial backgrounds.
The researchers found that healthy breast tissue, meaning tissue that does not contain cancer cells, from Black women expresses high amounts of “tripartite motif-containing protein 37” (TRIM37), an oncogene correlated to poor patient survival in breast cancer tissue.
The study uncovered a genetic variant called rs57141087, which could enhance the activity of TRIM37. Further, the researchers discovered that the breast cells with high levels of TRIM37 undergo enhanced transformation, the biological process during which a normal cell becomes malignant. Finally, the study shows that TRIM37 expression in breast tissue promotes the initiation and progression of breast cancer.
Ultimately, the authors propose that TRIM37 could be a game-changer in the fight against TNBC in Black women. It has the potential to serve as a biomarker, enabling the identification of patients at the highest risk of aggressive TNBC and paving the way for more effective screening and targeted treatment interventions.
Sources: Front Molec Bio, Front Biosci, Cancers, EMBO Rep, Nature