Abortion PillThe chemical compound in the “abortion pill” has been found to prevent the development of mammary tumors caused by the mutant gene responsible for the majority of breast and ovarian cancers, a group of scientists from UC Irvine reported.
The key compound, known as mifepristone, prevented breast tumors by inhibiting the production of progesterone. progesterone is a hormone involved in the female reproductive cycle which is found in the tissues of the breast. The discovery may open up more, and far more palatable options for women who have a genetic predisposition to developing breast and ovarian cancers. Currently, the typical prevention method relies on the surgical removal of breasts or ovaries for the majority of these women.
The study is published in the December 1 issue of Science.
“We found that progesterone plays a role in the development of breast cancer by encouraging the proliferation of mammary cells that carry a breast cancer gene,” said Eva Lee, the study’s lead author and a professor of developmental and cell biology and biological chemistry at UCI. “Mifepristone can block that response. We’re excited about this discovery and hope it leads to new options for women with a high risk for developing breast cancer.”
In the study, Lee and her colleagues addressed how mifepristone affects the functionality of mutated genes called BRCA-1 genes. This group of mutated genes is widely studied by cancer researchers because a mutated version of this gene significantly contributes to the development of breast and ovarian cancers. By the age of 70, more than 50 percent of women with the mutated BRCA-1 gene develop these cancers.
The researchers studied mice that possessed the mutated BRCA-1 gene. Mice treated with mifepristone, an anti-progesterone compound, did not develop mammary tumors after 12 months. All of the untreated mice developed tumors by eight months of age.
Progesterone, secreted by the ovaries, is essential to the term of a pregnancy. Mifepristone, also called RU486, is designed to abort pregnancy in the first trimester by shutting down the secretion of progesterone and ending the viability of the fetus. In smaller doses, it is also an emergency contraceptive.
UCI researchers found that progesterone encourages the development of cancer when the mutated BRCA-1 is exists because it increases the rate of cell division. Mifepristone, they discovered, blocked a binding process that is necessary for progesterone to cause the cells to divide.
Previous studies have linked high levels of progesterone with an increased risk of breast cancer. This was proven to be especially true for menopausal women who received hormone-replacement therapy that included progesterone and estrogen to ease things like hot flashes and night sweats. The previous findings, combined with this new data, lead scientists to believe that anti-progesterone could provide women at risk with more prevention options in the future.
The research was conducted with the backing of the National Cancer Institute, the Breast Cancer Research Foundation and the Department of Defense.
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