New hope in the prevention of breast cancer comes from an international study published in the prestigious journal Nature. The research entitled “Antiprogestin therapy targets hallmarks of breast cancer risk” demonstrates that a drug already approved for other uses, Ulipristal acetate, could be repurposed to reduce the risk of developing breast cancer in premenopausal women with a strong family predisposition. The study coordinated by the Manchester Breast Center of the University of Manchester and supported by the British organizations Breast Cancer Now and Prevent Breast Cancer saw the participation of several international research centers – including a group from the University of Calabria which contributed significantly to the biological and computational analyzes on the molecular mechanisms linked to the role of the hormone progesterone in tumor development.
The contribution of the University of Calabria
The Unical team, led by Professor Emeritus Sebastiano Andò and composed of researchers Amanda Caruso and Martina Forestiero, now a specialist at the School of Pathology and Clinical Biochemistry directed by Prof. Stefania Catalano, made available advanced skills in computational biology, modeling of cellular processes and imaging analysis. In particular, the Calabrian researchers collaborated on the characterization of the cellular and structural changes of the breast tissue induced by the drug and on the mapping of collagen proteins, crucial changes in making it less susceptible to neoplastic transformation. Thanks to their mathematical models and analyzes of MRI data, it was possible to precisely quantify how the reduction in breast tissue density and collagen levels is associated with a lower risk of tumor onset. An integrated approach – in other words – which made it possible to correlate the biological effects detected in clinical samples with the molecular processes described in the laboratory, confirming that blocking the action of progesterone can modify the breast environment, significantly reducing the risk of tumor development.
With the publication in Nature, the group from the University of Calabria consolidates the level of excellence of the university’s biomedical research, included on the occasion in a scientific network of international prestige which is contributing to producing concrete results in the fight against one of the most widespread oncological diseases in the world.
Ulipristal acetate a drug with new potential
Ulipristal acetate is currently used as an emergency contraceptive and in the treatment of uterine fibroids. According to the study administered for 12 weeks to women with a high genetic predisposition, the drug resulted in a significant reduction in breast density and collagen levels, factors closely linked to the risk of breast cancer. These results open the way to a new pharmacological prevention strategy for breast cancer, particularly promising for women who until now had preventive mastectomy or long hormonal therapies with heavy side effects as their only options. The authors of the study now hope to start larger, long-term clinical trials to confirm the preventive efficacy of Ulipristal acetate and define its safety profiles.