by Hemalatha Manikandan on August 22, 2023

Estrogen Receptor Mutation Prospects in Endometrial Cancer Treatment

Inhibiting CDK9, a protein that works with estrogen receptors, was effective at minimizing the proliferation of endometrial cancer cells with high levels of estrogen receptor activity. This study of estrogen receptor mutations was published in Molecular Cancer Research, Huntsman Cancer Institute

Endometrial Cancer

Cancer of the Endometrium, or the inner lining of the uterus (womb) is called endometrial cancer.

Endometrial cancer is the most common gynecological cancer and high levels of estrogen promote its development. Estrogen is a reproductive hormone that binds and activates estrogen receptors. Cancer can cause estrogen receptors to remain in a state of constant activity which increases the shedding of the endometrial lining.

"Our goal was to characterize estrogen receptor mutations in endometrial cancer to see how they affected gene expression, along with how these mutations made cells more aggressive and fast-growing," says Zannel Blanchard, Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow at Huntsman Cancer Institute and lead investigator on the study. "We found that the mutations caused large changes in gene expression and cellular behavior."

Targeting CDK9 in Endometrial Cancer Treatment

The team used their findings to identify potential treatments for endometrial cancers with high levels of estrogen receptor activity. They found that inhibitors of CDK9, a protein that works with estrogen receptors, were effective at reducing the growth and aggressiveness of endometrial cancer cells.

Easy Screening Method to Detect Mutations Of Endometrial Cancer

Uterine lavage, where the inside of the uterus is rinsed with saline fluid to collect loose cells and DNA helps detect endometrial cancer.

"Besides surgery to treat endometrial cancer, there's only one drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration for treating primary endometrial cancer, and it was approved in the 1970s," says Jay Gertz, Ph.D., the senior author and researcher at Huntsman Cancer Institute and associate professor of oncological sciences at the University of Utah. "Our results help us to really start moving toward personalized—or precision—medicine for endometrial cancer."

"It's exciting because the study suggests that there may be more options for endometrial cancer patients," says Blanchard. "There's more going on when you look deeper and we get to share these findings with patients who have been through treatment."

The study suggests that molecular evaluation of tumors could lead to more personalized treatment options for endometrial cancer patients.

Reference :

  1. Allele-specific Gene Regulation, Phenotypes, and Therapeutic Vulnerabilities in Estrogen Receptor Alpha-mutant Endometrial Cancer -(https://aacrjournals.org/mcr/article-abstract/doi/10.1158/1541-7786.MCR-22-0848/727856/Allele-specific-Gene-Regulation-Phenotypes-and?redirectedFrom=fulltext)