New Gel Solution Revolutionizes Breast Cancer Treatment

Scientists have achieved a significant advancement in breast cancer research by discovering a method to preserve breast tissue outside the body for at least a week. This breakthrough, funded by the Prevent Breast Cancer charity, involves a special gel solution that maintains the tissue's structure and cellular integrity, allowing researchers to identify the most effective drug treatments for patients.

The preserved breast tissue retains its ability to respond to various drugs similarly to how it would inside the body. The research, published in the Journal of Mammary Gland Biology and Neoplasia, promises to aid the development of new drugs for treating and preventing breast cancer without relying on animal testing.

Dr. Hannah Harrison, a research fellow at the University of Manchester, emphasized the significance of this discovery for personalized medicine. She explained that it would enable scientists to test the efficacy of drugs on living tissue, helping to tailor treatments to individual patients' genetic profiles. "This approach allows us to determine which drugs will work for which women, enabling them to take the most effective drug for their specific genetic makeup," she said.

Harrison and her team succeeded in keeping breast tissue viable for extended periods by experimenting with different hydrogel formulations. "We found a solution that preserves human breast tissue for at least a week, often longer," Harrison noted. "This is transformative for breast cancer research, allowing us to test drugs more accurately and study the effects of factors like breast density on cancer development."

The team used a gel solution called VitroGel to preserve the tissue. They highlighted that the lack of good pre-clinical models has previously hindered drug development. Traditional models fail to fully replicate the complexities of human tissue, which include elements like the extracellular matrix, stroma, and immune cells that influence therapy responses.

Lester Barr, a consultant breast surgeon and founder of Prevent Breast Cancer, pointed out the importance of this development in the context of rising breast cancer incidences despite decreasing mortality rates. "This breakthrough allows researchers to test new drugs with greater accuracy, potentially reducing the number of drugs that fail in clinical trials and improving outcomes for women affected by breast cancer," Barr said.

According to Cancer Research UK, nearly 56,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer annually in the UK. Globally, breast cancer accounts for 11.6% of new cancer cases, making it the second most common cancer after lung cancer. However, survival rates have improved significantly, with early diagnosis now resulting in a 66% lower risk of death compared to 20 years ago. Cancer Research UK also reports that 76% of breast cancer patients survive for 10 years or more.

This breakthrough represents a significant step forward in breast cancer research, providing a robust platform for developing new, effective drugs tailored to individual patient needs.