A new study conducted by the Goodman Cancer Research Center (GCRC) of McGill University shows that mice expressing activated and mutated estrogen receptor alpha (ERalpha) have undergone important biological changes that are important Gene. display. Its role in development and cancer provides new clues. The estrogen receptor is overexpressed in approximately 70% of breast cancer cases, and mutations in the estrogen receptor are usually accompanied by increased resistance to breast cancer treatment, which may lead to a poor prognosis for patients. To understand how the biological effects of ERa mutations cause cancer, GCRC researchers constructed the first mouse model expressing one of these mutations, which caused the sex organs. It provides new insights into its development impact.
This study, led by Dr. William Muller of GCRC and published in Gene & Development, revealed abnormal development of reproductive organs, mammary glands and bones in mice that express mutations in the estrogen receptor. This mutation not only caused developmental delay and abnormal sexual development in male and female mice, but also caused physiological and genetic changes in male mice, making them more phenotypically similar to female mice.
Professor Muller pointed out: "The feminization of male mice we have observed is consistent with the long-held belief that the estrogen signaling pathway is essential for the sex differentiation of the male and female reproductive tracts. Understanding this change is crucial for breast cancer. Important. I hope that the biological role of ERa will enable us to develop better treatments for cancer patients in the future."
"The new discovery of GCRC has an ERa gene mutation, which indicates that male mice have significant developmental and behavioral changes. From a pathological point of view, the testes and testicular follicles of male mice were significantly atrophied and there were no capsular glands. The developmental changes seen in these mice may be related to cancer. In short, developmental biology is very important in cancer research. Understanding how genes affect the development of specific organs can tell us a lot about how these genes cause or contribute to cancer.