Study: Cellular Origin Explains Different Types of Breast Cancers

Photodisc/Thinkstock(BOSTON) -- Identifying the root of the problem seems to be most effective way researchers at Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston have studied breast cancer.

According to new research led by Charlotte Kuperwasser, understanding breast cancer’s cellular origins may lead to an earlier diagnosis and more effective treatments.

The research, published online ahead of print this week in PNAS Early Edition as part of its breast cancer special feature, found that different types of breast cancer originate from different kinds of cells.

Common forms of breast cancer originate from breast cells known as luminal epithelial cells while rarer forms of breast cancer originate from basal epithelial cell types.

Research was conducted by using healthy breast cells obtained from breast reduction surgeries and cancer-causing genes to isolate different types of normal breast cells and evaluate their behavior as they became cancerous in a mouse model.

"By understanding more about the cellular beginnings of cancer, we can direct our research toward investigating preventive methods and possibly even developing new therapies," said Kuperwasser, Ph.D., associate professor in the department of anatomy and cellular biology at Tufts.

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