Sendurai Mani: Targeting CD38 to stop aggressive breast cancer and boost the immune system
Sendurai Mani, Associate Director of Translational Oncology at Legorreta Cancer Center, shared a post on LinkedIn about recent paper by Tanvi H. Visal et al., titled “Accumulation of CD38 in Hybrid Epithelial/Mesenchymal Cells Promotes Immune Remodeling and Metastasis in Breast Cancer” published on AACR Journals.
Authors: Tanvi H. Visal, Recep Bayraktar, Petra den Hollander, Michael A. Attathikhun, Tieling Zhou, Jing Wang, Li Shen, Corina-Elena Minciuna, Meng Chen, Elizve Barrientos-Toro, Harsh Batra, Maria Gabriela Raso, Fei Yang, Edwin R. Parra, Aysegul A. Sahin, George A. Calin, Sendurai A. Mani
“Targeting CD38 to stop aggressive breast cancer and boost the immune system.
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) tends to be quite aggressive and develop metastases. Cancer cells often tap into a dormant embryonic process called epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) to adopt more aggressive and metastatic behaviors. These cancer cells that undergo EMT and display both epithelial and mesenchymal characteristics, often referred to as “hybrid EM cancer cells,” are notably more aggressive in spreading and forming metastases.
Our research has shown that these hybrid cells contain high levels of a molecule known as CD38. Unfortunately, this molecule can weaken the immune system and is associated with poorer outcomes in various cancers. By reducing CD38 in these cells, we could make them less able to move, invade, and spread while also enhancing the immune system’s capacity to combat the tumor.
CD38 levels are linked to PD-L1, a molecule that tumors cleverly utilize to evade immune responses. By blocking CD38, we can enhance the effectiveness of treatments aimed at PD-L1, which leads to more robust immune responses against tumors. Further research is needed to discover effective strategies for targeting CD38 in the treatment of TNBC and other aggressive tumors characterized by the EM phenotype.
This is a team work, led by graduate student Tanvi Visal Special thanks to collaborators Recep Bayraktar, Petra den Hollander, Michael Attathikhun, Tieling Zhou, Jing Wang, Li Shen, Corina-Elena Minciuna, Meng Chen, Elizve Barrientos-Toro, Harsh B., Maria Gabriela Raso MD, Fei Yang, Edwin Roger Parra Cuentas, Aysegul Sahin.
My heartfelt thanks to George Calin for his incredible support in taking Tanvi to his lab, mentoring her, and guiding her through the completion of her PhD while I transitioned to Brown University. His help made a huge difference!”
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