ADELAIDE, Australia / RankWire.AI / – Australian scientists have made a breakthrough by pinpointing a molecular switch that controls the spread of aggressive tumors, revealing a promising new approach to prevent secondary cancers. The discovery, detailed in EMBO Molecular Medicine, involves researchers from Adelaide University and the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute demonstrating that restoring a critical regulatory molecule called miR-342 greatly diminishes tumor metastasis. These results point to a novel strategy for addressing triple-negative breast cancer by targeting dormant cancer cells before they develop into dangerous secondary tumors in distant organs.
Although triple-negative breast cancer accounts for 10% to 15% of the approximately 21,000 breast cancer diagnoses annually in Australia, it accounts for a disproportionately high number of fatalities. This cancer subtype is characterized by the absence of estrogen, progesterone, and HER2 receptors, making traditional hormone therapies ineffective. The research team showed that a decline in miR-342 levels leads to the overactivation of a cancer-promoting pathway known as E2F, enabling dormant cancer cells to disseminate and form life-threatening secondary tumors throughout the body.
New Therapeutic Strategies Offer Hope to Prevent Metastasis in High-Risk Patients
In laboratory models, scientists found that increasing miR-342 levels significantly curtailed the spread of cancer to distant organs. Additionally, they discovered that palbociclib, an existing CDK4/6 inhibitor approved for hormone receptor-positive breast cancers, was able to substantially inhibit metastatic tumor growth in models with low miR-342 expression. The findings suggest that assessing miR-342 levels could enable clinicians to repurpose current drugs for treating patients at high risk of metastasis.
Associate Professor Philip Gregory, co-senior author from Adelaide University’s Centre for Cancer Biology, confirmed that preventing metastasis remains the greatest challenge in managing aggressive breast cancers. Gregory highlighted that since palbociclib targets the overactive E2F pathway, administering it after cancer cells have spread can prevent the growth of microscopic deposits. This approach shifts focus from merely shrinking primary tumors to stopping the development of microscopic secondary cancers that could become life-threatening.
Research Published in Peer-Reviewed EMBO Molecular Medicine
The team emphasized that the biological diversity of triple-negative breast cancer has historically impeded the creation of universal targeted treatments. By identifying a specific vulnerability shared among a distinct patient subgroup, this study advances the possibility of personalized therapies. As Australian researchers develop a new promising approach, efforts are underway to validate these findings with patient-derived models in preparation for clinical trials.
Medical oncologists and cancer research groups across Australia have welcomed these results, stressing the urgent need for expanded options when standard treatments do not suffice. The research team intends to work with international clinical networks to expedite biomarker screening protocols. Confirming the utility of miR-342 testing could soon enable clinicians to identify suitable candidates for targeted CDK4/6 inhibitor therapies during early intervention stages.