Advancements in Breast Cancer Research 2024: Comprehensive Insights For You

From identifying novel ways to improve screening, accuracy of diagnoses, risk assessments and personalized treatment plans with AI to discovering innovative therapies to treat specific subtypes of breast cancer, breast cancer research has begun bearing fruit in 2024. Healthcare scientists, clinicians and researchers from across the world have pioneered several new techniques and therapies to diagnose, manage and treat breast cancer including the integration of various AI algorithms to improve efficiency and accuracy. We, the members here at Pink Pulse, will be taking you through 5 of some of the most significant breakthroughs made in breast cancer research during this past year.

CAR-T cell therapy for breast cancer

CAR-T cell therapy is a form of immunotherapy that involves the extraction of specific human immune cells, which are then genetically modified to become CAR-T cells and are administered to patients to attack the tumors. Although the first CAR-T cell therapy was approved for use by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) in 2017 for treatment of various forms of leukemia, they have since been developed and utilized to treat other blood cancers. The difficulty treating breast cancer with this therapy was mainly due to the cells surrounding the tumor in the breast suppressing the immune response and the lack of specific targets that were unique to the breast cancer cells. 

A group of doctors at a research center based at the Institute of Cancer Research, London, discovered that targeting a protein known as endosialin, found predominantly in cells surrounding the tumor’s blood vessels, decreased breast cancer growth and also had minimal side effects due to it being cancer-specific. This was discovered as a result of testing with various mice strains and tumors, and more research is currently being undertaken in order for clinical trials to take place in the near-future. 

Use of AI model, Mirai, to predict breast cancer

Making headlines all across the news including in the Hindustan Times and several other platforms, Mirai was developed in 2020 by Professor Regina Barzilay, faculty lead for AI based at the MIT, and it was found to predict a person’s breast cancer risk 5 years in advance. Additionally, it is capable of detecting subtle abnormalities during screening and mammograms that even professional radiologists may not have identified or may have overlooked. 

Some of the commendable benefits of Mirai include the increased efficiency of radiologists interpreting the scans and the reduction of the impact of human bias. In addition, it reduces the chances of any misinterpretations, and thus lowers the chances of a person having to come in for an additional biopsy. This AI model has improved the delivery of personalized treatment approaches as it can accurately identify biomarkers, including the ER, PR and HER2 receptors, which may be crucial for determining an appropriate treatment and diagnosis tailored to the patient. Several other forms of AI, including Google’s “AlphaFold” have been fundamental in the development of novel, innovative drugs as it can rapidly decode several proteins’ 3D structures within a span of months, which can accelerate the process of drug development, resulting in possible future improvements of patient outcomes. 

Radiation enhancement therapy for breast cancer

According to a study funded by the Terry Fox Research Institute, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and the Varian Grants Program, data from phase 1 clinical trials which were carried out showed that radiotherapy alone could not destroy the cancer entirely in many patients. Consequently, research was conducted into utilizing focussed ultrasound-stimulated microbubbles to enhance the efficacy of the radiation causing cancer cell death. This would thereby ease the delivery of chemotherapy or targeted therapy and would ease the release of necessary tumor biomarkers into the bloodstream, which could be taken in for a liquid biopsy. 

The results from the Phase 1 clinical trial testing the radio-enhancement therapy appeared optimistic as the therapy displayed safety and effectiveness in most of the patients tested, and these results call for Phase 2 clinical trials. None of the patients had to undergo further surgical removal of the tumor, and these findings could potentially enhance future treatment outcomes of patients. 

Cancer cells pretending to be ‘super fit’ discovery

A team of researchers, based at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, discovered that cancer cells ‘disguise’ themselves as the more fit, healthier cells during a quality control mechanism known as cell competition, which destroys the more dangerous and damaged cells, maintaining tissue function and health. It was also uncovered that the cells which synthesized lower levels of glutamate were marked as the ‘loser’ cells; ultimately, cancer cells would increase their production of glutamate to hijack the mechanism by appearing as the healthier cells. As a result, the normal, healthy cells would supply all of their nutrients to the cancer cells, which could survive, multiply and spread while the healthier cells died. 

Certain cancer cells could develop resistance to forms of therapy, including chemotherapy and targeted therapy during this cell competition mechanism; scientists believe understanding this mechanism better could improve the possibilities of developing novel treatment options and inhibiting cells from becoming resistant. 

Young women can have children after breast cancer

A study revealed at the 2024 ASCO (American Society of Clinical Oncology) Annual Meeting proved that young women could still get pregnant and have children even after receiving a diagnosis of breast cancer and having completed treatments due to progress in breast cancer care and research. In a study involving about 200 women ages 40 and below with non-metastatic breast cancer, two-thirds of them were able to have a baby. Though receiving chemotherapy was shown to reduce fertility, the results showcased that fertility preservation was beneficial and played a key role in helping young women who wished to get pregnant. The study also exemplified the importance of counseling for women, especially regarding the options of fertility preservation as women who had access to these services were more likely to be successful at having children; fertility preservation nearly tripled the odds of having children. Additionally, insurance coverages could be provided to women who lacked financial security in order to render these preservation services more accessible to them, enabling them to finalize their plan for having children.  

At PinkPulse, it is our mission to aid the spreading of breast cancer awareness amongst communities, and as breast cancer research has paved the path leading to multiple new forms of therapies, we believe the funding of breast cancer research is crucial to our mission of supporting women with this disease and increasing accessibility of novel treatments. To drive this mission forward, we encourage you, as our reader(s), to donate to our breast cancer organization and contribute to our mission in funding breast cancer research and raising awareness; even the smallest contributions you make will be appreciated immensely as you will certainly be making a difference in the lives of women suffering from this disease. Please check out our donation page here: 

Citations:

Nature: “Reporting on invasive lobular breast cancer in clinical trials: a systematic review” https://www.nature.com/articles/s41523-024-00627-5 

BMJ Journals: “Targeting the activated microenvironment with endosialin (CD248)-directed CAR-T cells ablates perivascular cells to impair tumor growth and metastasis” https://jitc.bmj.com/content/12/2/e008608 

Breast Cancer Now: “Our researchers have discovered a new targeted immunotherapy approach” https://breastcancernow.org/about-us/research-news/our-researchers-have-discovered-a-new-targeted-immunotherapy-approach/ 

Cancer Research UK: “CAR T-cell therapy” https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/treatment/immunotherapy/types/CAR-T-cell-therapy 

BCRF: “Can AI and Machine Learning Revolutionize the Mammogram?” https://www.bcrf.org/blog/ai-breast-cancer-detection-screening/ 

Hindustan Times: “AI predicts breast cancer risk 5 years in advance: 3-year-old AI model goes viral after Anand Mahindra's tweet” https://www.hindustantimes.com/lifestyle/health/ai-predicts-breast-cancer-risk-5-years-in-advance-3-year-old-ai-model-goes-viral-after-anand-mahindras-tweet-101722323185642.html 

PLOS Medicine: “Radiation enhancement using focussed ultrasound-stimulated microbubbles for breast cancer: A Phase 1 clinical trial” https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1004408 

Breast Cancer Now: “New research reveals how cancer cells pretend to be ‘super-fit’ to survive and spread” https://breastcancernow.org/about-us/research-news/new-research-reveals-how-cancer-cells-pretend-to-be-super-fit-to-survive-and-spread/ 

ABC News: “Most younger women who want kids after breast cancer are successful, research data shows” https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Wellness/younger-women-kids-after-breast-cancer-successful-research/story?id=110468437 

Breastcancer.org: “Most Young Women Can Have Children After Breast Cancer” https://www.breastcancer.org/research-news/most-young-breast-cancer-survivors-can-have-children