New findings put forth by the University of Maryland Fischell Department of Bioengineering (BIOE) and researchers from four other academic institutions outline a targeted therapeutic strategy to treat triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC)—a potential first for the particularly aggressive form of breast cancer. As demonstrated in the group's paper published today in Nature Nanotechnology, the proposed strategy centers on nanotechnology-based precision-targeting of a gene known as POLR2A.

About 10% to 20% of breast cancers are considered triple-negative, which means that, unlike most breast cancers, they are not fueled by the hormones estrogen or progesterone, nor by the HER2 protein.

While treatments for most other forms of breast cancer work by targeting one of these three avenues, TNBC does not respond to modern hormonal therapies or medicines that target HER2 protein receptors. As such, most TNBC patients are limited to chemotherapy as their only systemic treatment option.

"Due to the lack of a targeted-therapy option, TNBC patients often face a poorer prognosis compared with patients of other types of breast cancer," said BIOE professor Xiaoming (Shawn) He, corresponding author of the paper. "While we have seen dramatic advancements in breast cancer treatment in recent decades, TNBC patients are typically treated with conventional chemotherapy that is often associated with adverse side effects, drug resistance, and even cancer relapse or recurrence. Therefore, it is of urgent need to develop targeted treatments for TNBC."