Scientists at the University of York, using clinical specimens from
charity Breast Cancer Now's Tissue Bank, have conducted new research
into a specific sodium channel that indicates the presence of cancer
cells and affects tumour growth rates.
Led by Dr Will Brackenbury, a Medical Research Council Fellow in
York's Department of Biology, a team studied a particular protein, or
sodium channel, known as Nav1.5.Sodium channels, also known as VGSCs, exist in the membranes of
excitable cells, such as neurons, where they are involved in the
transmission of electrical impulses. Also present in breast cancer
cells, research indicates they play a significant role in the growth and
spread of tumors.
Dr Brackenbury said: "This research into Nav1.5 gives us further
mechanistic understanding of this particular molecule's role in a cancer
cell. As our separate studies show, this sodium channel is both
up-regulated in breast cancer and is also seen to play a key role in
rates of tumor growth and metastasis.
"Gaining a detailed understanding of the presence of Nav1.5 in
tumors is significant as it could lead to a potential new diagnostic
tool for breast cancer. The sodium channel's effect on tumor growth
rates also signifies that Nav1.5 is a useful therapeutic target, perhaps
holding a key to the development of future molecular treatments for
specific cancers."
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