Researcher identify protein associated with metastases of breast cancer to the lung

Researchers at Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute have discovered that breast cancer cells that metastasize to the lung show a higher level of a specific protein. The protein, peroxiredoxin 2 (PRDX2), is an oxidation-reduction enzyme that protects cells against free radicals. It protects against oxidative stress and promotes the growth and proliferation of breast cancer cells in the lungs, or metastasis. The research team conducted several experiments in cell lines and mice which demonstrate that low levels of PRDX2’s expression in tumor cells can stop the metastatic process in the lung. "These findings suggest that modifying the expression of PRDX2 could lead to a new therapeutic approach to prevent lung metastases, as there are drugs already being tested in other diseases, capable of inhibiting the protein,” Àngels Sierra, who led the research, said.