A Michigan State University researcher's new model for studying breast cancer could help scientists better understand why and where cancer metastasizes. Professor Eran Andrechek who teaches in the MSU Department of Physiology, has been researching the E2F5 gene, of which little is known, and its role in the development of breast cancer. Based on findings from Andrechek’s lab, the loss of E2F5 results in altered regulation of Cyclin D1, a protein linked to metastatic breast tumors after long latency.
The study also demonstrates that the removal of E2F5 in the mammary gland leads to tumor formation. As scientists better understand how genes impact breast cancer, they could also learn why cancers metastasize and where cancers are likely to spread. The research was published in one of the most recent issues of Oncogene, a leading cancer journal.
Andrechek also received a two-year $300,000 American Cancer Society grant to support the next phase of his work. In addition, the lead graduate student on the breast cancer metastasis research project, Jesus Garcia Lerena, won a fellowship through the Susan G. Komen ASPIRE grant program earlier this year.
ASPIRE, or A Supplement to Promote Inclusion for Research Excellence, supports research trainees from historically underrepresented communities. Lerena, who is from Cuba, joined the Andrechek lab in 2022. According to Andrechek, while a genetically engineered mouse model can be artificially tweaked through injection to force cancer cel.
