ScienceDaily (Jan. 12, 2009) — Dr. Charles Clevenger and colleagues at Northwestern University have uncovered that cyclophilin B may contribute to progression in breast cancer.

The protein cyclophilin B affects cell division, motility, and death, all of which are altered in cancerous cells. To explore the role of cyclophilin B-mediated gene regulation in breast cancer, Dr. Clevenger and colleagues inhibited cyclophilin B expression in breast cancer cells. They found that absence of cyclophilin B impacted 27 different protein networks and decreased cell proliferation, motility, and tumorigenesis. In addition, in human breast tissue, increases in cyclophilin B protein levels correlated with the presence of breast cancer metastases.

The new studies by Fang et al "demonstrate that a decrease in cyclophilin B levels … can profoundly alter the expression of genes and cellular functions relevant to the pathogenesis and progression of breast cancer. In this regard, the development of additional pharmacologic agents that specifically target each of the cyclophilins may have significant utility in the treatment of this disease."

Story Source:

Adapted from materials provided by American Journal of Pathology, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

Journal Reference:

1. Fang F, Flegler AJ, Du P, Lin S, Clevenger CV. Expression of Cyclophilin B is Associated with Malignant Progression and Regulation of Genes Implicated in the Pathogenesis of Breast Cancer. Am J Pathol, 2009, 174:297-308

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