Fog Blog Breast Cancer Update Log:

HERE IS THE FINAL INSTALLMENT IN THE SERIES ......5 BREAST CANCER BREAKTHROUGHS OF 2017..........Identification of Lysyl Oxidase (Lox)Previous research identified the role of lysyl oxidase or Lox in cancer metastasis to the bone and uncovered a link to lung, bowel, prostate, and pancreatic cancer. Now researchers have revealed Lox enables breast cancer cells to latch on to growth receptors – sparking more rapid growth. In a mouse model study, a novel type of drug had promising results for thwarting this action. When tested on mice, the drug halted the protein’s capacity to spark cancer cell growth, slowing both the growth of tumors and the rate at which cells multiplied. This is the first time Lox has been shown to have a controlling influence on tumor growth.Although more studies are needed, researchers are hopeful similar inhibitors that disrupted Lox’s ability to promote cancer cell growth in mice might be able to slow or block cancer progression in humans.