The key to enhancing treatment for particular types of aggressive breast cancer may be the body’s control mechanisms for delivering zinc to cells.
Zinc plays a vital part in human health. However, too much or too little zinc can lead to cell death. In fact, mounting evidence associates zinc with a number of diseases, including cancer.
Protein molecules control the levels of zinc within cells, and until now, how the molecules release the zinc was not known. Now, new research by Cardiff University scientists, including Dr Kathryn Taylor at the Cardiff School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, and colleagues at King’s College London, has identified a switch named CK2. This is a protein that opens 1 transporter (ZIP7) and allows the zinc to pass.
In earlier research, higher instances of intracellular zinc and the ZIP7 transporter were present in tamoxifen-resistant breast cancers. Among cancers that encourage cell growth, CK2 was also more common. This relationship in which CK2 opens ZIP7 suggests that treatments that prevent this release of zinc could also prevent cancer development.
Dr Taylor said, “We know that zinc, in the right quantities, is vital for development, our immune systems and many other aspects of human health. But when something goes wrong with the body’s zinc delivery system, it looks as though disease can result. In particular, our research has shown a link to highly aggressive forms of breast cancer. Our better understanding of how exactly zinc is delivered suggests if we can block malfunctioning transporter channels, we can potentially halt the growth of these forms of cancer. We believe this makes zinc, and zinc delivery, a high priority for future cancer research.”
Source: Cardiff University.