As reported in the university's press release, the results of the research project will enable predicting whether chemotherapy will be effective before it is even administered to the patient.

'Prolactin-Induced Protein (PIP) has been of interest to scientists since its presence was detected, for example, in the fluid from mastopathic cysts and in breast cancer cells. As part of the project, financed by Medical Research Agency, Wroclaw Medical University researchers will assess changes in the profile of PIP-dependent gene expression, depending on the molecular subtype of breast cancer, in terms of response to chemotherapy', we read in the release.

The researchers will use sensitive method of gene expression analysis. This study is a response to one of the challenges of modern oncology, consisting in the development of diagnostic algorithms that will enable personalized treatment.

'We strive to tailor the treatment method individually to the patient. This would reduce the costs of treating cancer patients for whom therapy does not bring the expected results, and also spare patients unnecessary suffering due to undesirable health effects', says the project manager, Karolina Jabłońska, PhD from the Histology and Embryology Department at the Wroclaw Medical University, quoted in the release.

She adds that in the case of breast cancer, up to one third of patients may not respond to standard cytostatic drug treatment. 'Our research on PIP is another step towards developing a diagnostic test that in the future may allow to select of an optimal therapeutic regimen in patients with breast cancer', the researcher believes.

The project is a continuation of research on PIP expression in breast cancer (BC) cells in the context of patients' response to standard adjuvant chemotherapy. The results were published in the American Journal of Cancer Research and in Scientific Reports. The majority of the publication's authors are employees of the Histology and Embryology Department at the Wroclaw Medical University headed by Professor Piotr Dzięgiel.

The research results confirmed the hypothesis that the level of PIP expression in BC cells significantly correlate with increased sensitivity to cytostatic drugs. The higher the level of PIP in cancer cells, the better the effects of chemotherapy. And conversely: if there is little or no protein, the patients' response to chemotherapy is worse. At the same time, it was established that the PIP gene was the only gene with significantly higher expression in patients with invasive breast cancer who responded to standard chemotherapy, compared to those in whom the treatment was ineffective.

'These results suggest that low expression or lack of PIP may be a marker of drug resistance. Cases with higher PIP expression were characterized by longer survival free from recurrence or metastases. Based on these clinical data, further in vitro and in vivo studies were undertaken. The results confirmed the hypothesis that the level of PIP expression in BC cells significantly correlates with increased sensitivity to standard cytostatic drugs', Jabłońska adds.

'The results encourage their confirmation in clinical material and in various molecular subtypes of breast cancer. Representative fragments of BC tumours of selected molecular subtypes, differentiated in terms of PIP expression and response to chemotherapy, will be analysed. Significant results of transcriptome studies will be confirmed in the qPCR reaction and immunohistochemistry', we read in the release.

The project 'Assessment of changes in the expression profile of PIP (prolactin-induced protein) dependent genes depending on the molecular subtype of breast cancer in terms of response to chemotherapy' received PLN 4.5 million in funding from the Medical Research Agency. (PAP)

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