Researchers in this study wanted to understand how normal breast cells become cancerous, focusing on the earliest steps of cancer development. One key step in this process is called cell immortalization, where cells gain the ability to keep dividing indefinitely. The researchers aimed to identify genes that drive this process and could potentially be targeted for treatment.
They focused on a gene called TONSL, which helps repair damaged DNA. By studying normal breast cells and comparing them to cancer cells, the researchers found that TONSL becomes more active very early in the transformation process. When TONSL levels increased, normal breast cells gained the ability to continue dividing longer than they normally would.
The study also showed that TONSL increases activity in important DNA repair pathways, allowing cells to survive damage that might otherwise stop them from growing. In breast cancer samples, higher levels of TONSL were linked to worse patient outcomes. Additionally, cancer cells that depended on TONSL were sensitive to drugs that target this pathway.
Overall, the findings suggest that TONSL helps drive early cancer development and may be a promising target for future breast cancer treatments.
