Breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease encompassing a variety of subtypes, which are clinical, morphological and molecularly different. It is the most common tumor in women and despite current advances in early diagnosis and treatment remains the leading cause of death among women with cancer.

15% of newly diagnosed cases are triple-negative breast cancers, which are defined by their lack of expression of receptors (estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PGR) and human epidermal growth factor 2 (HER2). Today the triple-negative breast cancer is probably one of the most active areas of research in oncology due to lack of therapeutic targets and specific drugs and the relative poor prognosis of patients, especially those with advanced disease who respond poorly to standard chemotherapy and where the tumor progresses rapidly. The progress in the understanding of this complex disease it requires a better understanding of the molecular profile and the development of specific therapies aimed at targets of triple negative breast cancer.

Researchers from the Human Genetics IDIBELL in collaboration with researchers from the Catalan Institute of Oncology, technological LEITAT Center and the University of Barcelona have identified a peptide (amino acid sequence) derived from protein called R3178-210 RCAN3. This molecule significantly inhibited tumor growth and angiogenesis (formation of new blood vessels supplying nutrients to the tumor cells) in a mouse model which has been implanted human breast tumor triple negative. The study results are published in the journal Carcinogenesis.

“Our work has not only allowed us to identify new molecular mechanisms involved in tumor progression of breast cancer,” explains the researcher Mercedes Pérez Riba, co-author of the study, “but shows that the peptide has powerful properties R3178-210 as suppressor tumor and also is a new tool for the development of new potent and specific antitumor drugs “.

Sergio Martínez-Hoyer, Sonia Solé-Sánchez, Fernando Aguado, Sara Martínez-Martínez, Eva Serrano-Candelas, José Luis Hernández, Mar Iglesias, Juan Miguel Redondo, Oriol Casanovas, Ramon Messeguer and Merced Pérez-Riba. A novel role for an RCAN3-derived peptide as a tumor suppressor in breast cáncer. Carcinogenesis, 2015, 1-8. doi: 10.1093