In a major advance for cancer research, scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory have identified a long non-coding RNA molecule, LINC01235, as a key driver of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC)—an aggressive, treatment-resistant form of breast cancer that often strikes women under 40 and disproportionately affects Black women.
By analyzing data from over 11,000 cancer patients, researchers discovered that LINC01235 supercharges tumour cells by activating the NFIB gene, which in turn suppresses p21, a protein that normally slows cell growth. The result: unchecked, fast-spreading cancer.
Using CRISPR gene-editing, the team disabled LINC01235, which slowed tumour growth and reduced the cancer’s ability to spread. In lab-grown tumour organoids, levels of LINC01235 were significantly higher in cancerous cells than in healthy ones.
“This could be the tip of the iceberg,” said senior scientist Dr. David Spector, as the team now works to develop targeted therapies based on these findings.
The study, published in Molecular Cancer Research, offers new hope for personalized treatments against TNBC, which accounts for 15% of breast cancer cases but a disproportionately high number of deaths due to limited treatment options.
