Scientists discover new roles for estrogen in the pathology of breast cancer

Researchers at the University of Illinois have uncovered a previously unknown method whereby estrogen prepares cells to divide and grow, while also resisting cancer drugs in estrogen-positive breast cancers. According to the research team, "estrogen pre-activates the unfolded-protein response (UPR)", a process that protects cells from stress. The UPR enhances the production of molecular chaperones, enabling cells to divide and grow. Without the chaperone proteins, cancer cells cannot divide. Click here to read more about this new target for breast cancer therapy, along with other articles appearing in the October 2014 issue of Artemis, the monthly newsletter produced by the John Hopkins Breast Center.