A major step forward in understanding breast cancer comes from the Bellinzona Institute of Oncology Research (IOR), affiliated with the University of Italian Switzerland and part of the Bios+ consortium. A team of researchers led by Professor Arianna Calcinotto has identified a previously unknown mechanism that could pave the way for new targeted therapies for the most aggressive forms of breast cancer.
According to the study, published in the journal Nature Communications , some highly proliferating hormone-dependent breast tumors are able to exploit immature immune cells to their advantage. These cells, rather than contributing to the body's defense, are "reprogrammed" by the tumor itself, eventually becoming unwitting allies of the disease.
An army that changes sides
Immature immune cells, recruited into the tumor microenvironment, stop fighting the growth of malignant cells and instead begin producing a substance that promotes the emergence of more aggressive tumor clones. In this way, the tumor becomes progressively more resistant, accumulating mutations that accelerate its evolution.
The discovery has an unexpected twist: this very process makes tumor cells dependent on a protein that can be targeted by drugs already available on the market. In preclinical models, researchers have demonstrated that a drug currently used against other types of tumors can selectively target these transformed cells, blocking their growth.
From research to the patient's bedside
"The identified mechanism represents an unexpected vulnerability," observes Professor Calcinotto. "The ability to use a drug already approved allows us to accelerate the process, offering new therapeutic possibilities without waiting for the development of novel molecules."
The next step will be to test this strategy directly in patients, with targeted clinical trials. If the results are confirmed, the implications could be immediate: a subgroup of women with particularly aggressive breast cancer would have access to more effective treatments much more quickly.
An impact beyond the boundaries of research
The work conducted in Bellinzona is part of an increasingly central trend in oncology research that examines not only the tumor itself, but also its interaction with the immune system and the surrounding microenvironment. In this perspective, disease is no longer considered an isolated entity, but rather a complex phenomenon involving multiple biological actors.
The Ticino team's discovery, in addition to strengthening the international role of the Oncology Research Institute, represents a concrete example of how translational research can be transformed into a clinical opportunity. This result confirms Ticino's importance in the European scientific landscape, with potential benefits for patients globally.
