A University of Cincinnati Venture Lab-backed startup is developing a breast cancer treatment that may be more effective with fewer side effects thanks to RNA nanotechnology that is similar to what was used to produce COVID-19 vaccines.
Researcher receives grant to develop new breast cancer treatment miragenews.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from miragenews.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
A grant renewal for a University of Cincinnati researcher will help continue the study of genetic drivers of breast cancer and potential therapeutic targets.
According to the American Cancer Society s estimate, over 280,000 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in women in 2021, explains Xiaoting Zhang, PhD, professor and Thomas Boat Endowed Chair in UC s Department of Cancer Biology, director of the Breast Cancer Research Program and member of the University of Cincinnati Cancer Center, who led this research. Like many other cancers, breast cancer cells are fueled by mutations and overproduction of driver genes, which lead the process of cancer development.
He says one of these genes, called HER2 (human epidermal growth factor receptor 2), accounts for about 20% of all human breast cancer cases, and while there are some therapies to target it, unwanted side effects and treatment resistance often occur in patients, causing relapse.