Breast cancer articles within Nature

Featured

  • Article |

    LACTB modulates mitochondrial lipid metabolism and changes the differentiation state of breast cancer cells, thereby negatively affecting the growth of various tumorigenic, but not non-tumorigenic, cells both in vitro and in vivo.

    • Zuzana Keckesova
    • , Joana Liu Donaher
    •  & Robert A. Weinberg

  • Article |

    Two related papers show that cells disseminated from malignant lesions at early time points during tumorigenesis can contribute to metastases at distant organs and provide insights into the molecular basis of dissemination.

    • Hedayatollah Hosseini
    • , Milan M. S. Obradović
    •  & Christoph A. Klein

  • Letter |

    Two related papers show that cells disseminated from malignant lesions at early time points during tumorigenesis can contribute to metastases at distant organs and provide insights into the molecular basis of dissemination.

    • Kathryn L. Harper
    • , Maria Soledad Sosa
    •  & Julio A. Aguirre-Ghiso

  • Article |

    Quantitative mass-spectrometry-based proteomic and phosphoproteomic analyses of genomically annotated human breast cancer samples elucidates functional consequences of somatic mutations, narrows candidate nominations for driver genes within large deletions and amplified regions, and identifies potential therapeutic targets.

    • Philipp Mertins
    • , D. R. Mani
    •  & Steven A. Carr

  • Article |

    Whole-genome sequencing of tumours from 560 breast cancer cases provides a comprehensive genome-wide view of recurrent somatic mutations and mutation frequencies across both protein coding and non-coding regions; several mutational signatures in these cancer genomes are associated with BRCA1 or BRCA2 function and defective homologous-recombination-based DNA repair.

    • Serena Nik-Zainal
    • , Helen Davies
    •  & Michael R. Stratton

  • Letter |

    BET inhibitors that target bromodomain chromatin readers such as BRD4 are being explored as potential therapeutics in cancer; here triple-negative breast cancer cell lines are shown to respond to BET inhibitors and resistance seems to be associated with transcriptional changes rather than drug efflux and mutations, opening potential avenues to improve clinical responses to BET inhibitors.

    • Shaokun Shu
    • , Charles Y. Lin
    •  & Kornelia Polyak

  • Letter |

    Expression of the tumour suppressor PTEN in disseminated primary tumour cells is lost after tumour cells metastasize to the brain, with downregulation instigated by microRNAs from astrocytes, which are transferred from cell to cell by exosomes; these findings reveal the dynamic nature of metastatic cancer cells when adapting to a new tissue environment.

    • Lin Zhang
    • , Siyuan Zhang
    •  & Dihua Yu

  • Letter |

    Single-cell analysis of gene expression in metastatic cells from distinct human breast tumour models shows that early metastatic cells possess basal, stem and mesenchymal cell properties, whereas advanced metastatic cells have more proliferative properties and are more mature, enabling them to be targeted with an anti-proliferative compound.

    • Devon A. Lawson
    • , Nirav R. Bhakta
    •  & Zena Werb

  • Letter |

    This study finds that the epithelial-to-mesenchymal (EMT) transition program, which is common to both mammary gland reconstituting stem cells and mammary tumour-initiating cells, is differentially regulated by two distinct EMT factors, Slug and Snail; the findings illustrate that although they appear similar, normal tissue stem cells and tumour-initiating cells are controlled by distinct regulatory processes.

    • Xin Ye
    • , Wai Leong Tam
    •  & Robert A. Weinberg

  • Letter |

    PIK3CA mutations are associated with distinct types of human breast cancers but the cellular origin and mechanisms responsible for this heterogeneity were unclear; here, using a genetic approach in mice, PIK3CA mutations are shown to activate a genetic program directing multiple cell fates in normally lineage-restricted cell types.

    • Alexandra Van Keymeulen
    • , May Yin Lee
    •  & Cédric Blanpain

  • Article |

    Progesterones, oestrogens and their receptors (PR, ERα and ERβ) are essential in normal breast development and homeostasis, as well as in breast cancer; here it is shown that PR controls ERα function by redirecting where ERα binds to the chromatin, acting as a proliferative brake in ERα+ breast tumours.

    • Hisham Mohammed
    • , I. Alasdair Russell
    •  & Jason S. Carroll

  • Letter |

    Different clones of a mammary tumour cell line possess differential abilities to contribute to the formation of metastasis; the expression of Serpine2 and Slp1 proteins drives vascular mimicry and metastasis to the lung, with similar associations observed in human data sets, and these proteins also function as anticoagulants, thus further promoting extravasation of tumour cells.

    • Elvin Wagenblast
    • , Mar Soto
    •  & Simon R. V. Knott

  • Letter |

    In mouse models of breast cancer, anti-CCL2 therapy—thought to be potentially useful in treating cancer—is shown to accelerate the growth of lung metastases on discontinuation due to a surge of recruitment of bone marrow monocytes and increased interleukin-6-dependent vascularization of the lung metastatic environment.

    • Laura Bonapace
    • , Marie-May Coissieux
    •  & Mohamed Bentires-Alj

  • Letter |

    BRCA2, the breast cancer susceptibility gene factor, interacts with TREX-2, a protein complex involved in the biogenesis and export of messenger ribonucleoprotein, to process DNA–RNA hybrid structures called R-loops that can trigger genome instability; these may be a central cause of the stress occurring in early cancer cells that drives oncogenesis.

    • Vaibhav Bhatia
    • , Sonia I. Barroso
    •  & Andrés Aguilera

  • Outlook |

    Despite a huge amount of funding and research, regional and individual differences in cancer trends make it a hard disease to wipe out. By Mike May.

    • Mike May

  • Letter |

    This study finds that triple-negative breast cancers (TNBC) show an increased basal level of endoplasmic reticulum stress and activation of the XBP1 branch of the unfolded protein response; furthermore, XBP1 promotes tumour formation of TNBC cell lines by interacting with and regulating HIF1α.

    • Xi Chen
    • , Dimitrios Iliopoulos
    •  & Laurie H. Glimcher

  • Letter |

    Rare truncating mutations in the p53-inducible protein phosphatase PPM1D are shown to be associated with predisposition to breast cancer and ovarian cancer; notably, all of the mutations are mosaic in white blood cells but are not present in tumours, and probably have a gain-of-function effect.

    • Elise Ruark
    • , Katie Snape
    •  & Nazneen Rahman

  • Editorial |

    An influential US advocacy group has set a deadline to beat breast cancer by 2020. But it puts public trust at risk by promising an objective that science cannot yet deliver.

  • News & Views |

    The identification of a signalling protein that regulates the accumulation of fat and connective tissue in breasts may help to explain why high mammographic density is linked to breast-cancer risk. It may also provide a marker for predicting this risk.

    • Victoria L. Seewaldt

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The Cancer Genome Atlas Network describe their multifaceted analyses of primary breast cancers, shedding light on breast cancer heterogeneity; although only three genes (TP53, PIK3CA and GATA3) are mutated at a frequency greater than 10% across all breast cancers, numerous subtype-associated and novel mutations were identified.

    • Daniel C. Koboldt
    • , Robert S. Fulton
    •  & Jacqueline D. Palchik

  • News & Views |

    Whole-genome sequencing of breast cancers is exposing the scope of tumour diversity and helping to pinpoint avenues for precise diagnostics and targeted therapy. See Articles p.346 & p.353, Letters p.395, p.400 & p.405

    • Joe Gray
    •  & Brian Druker

  • Letter
    | Open Access

    This paper reports one of the largest breast cancer whole-exome and whole-genome sequencing efforts so far, identifying previously unknown recurrent mutations in CBFB, deletions of RUNX1 and recurrent MAGI1–AKT3 fusion; the fusion suggests that the use of ATP-competitive AKT inhibitors should be evaluated in clinical trials.

    • Shantanu Banerji
    • , Kristian Cibulskis
    •  & Matthew Meyerson

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Whole-genome analysis of oestrogen-receptor-positive tumours in patients treated with aromatase inhibitors show that distinct phenotypes are associated with specific patterns of somatic mutations; however, most recurrent mutations are relatively infrequent so prospective clinical trials will require comprehensive sequencing and large study populations.

    • Matthew J. Ellis
    • , Li Ding
    •  & Elaine R. Mardis

  • Outlook |

    For women worldwide, breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed and has the highest death toll. With improvements in screening and treatments over the past 50 years, more women are living longer, but the numbers reveal some tough challenges. By Amy Maxmen.

    • Amy Maxmen

  • Outlook |

    Specific research and treatment of breast cancer in men has been neglected and deserves greater attention, says Valerie Speirs.

    • Valerie Speirs

  • Outlook |

    The system for clinical trials must be redesigned if there is to be a decline in breast cancer metastasis, argues Patricia S. Steeg.

    • Patricia S. Steeg

  • Outlook |

    Physical activity has numerous proven benefits, and its long-contested ability to keep cancer at bay is now being put to the test.

    • Julie Corliss

  • Outlook |

    If detected early, most cases of breast cancer seem to be curable. But the tumour's deadly offspring could be sleeping in the body.

    • Jocelyn Rice

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