Therapeutic Potential of Tumor Suppressors in Treating Breast Cancer

Purpose: Tumor suppressor genes participate in a variety of critical and highly conserved cell functions, including regulation of the cell cycle and apoptosis, differentiation, surveillance of genomic integrity and repair of DNA errors, signal transduction, and cell adhesion. Genome instability appears to be one of the earliest recognizable phenotypes which appear in carcinogenesis. Studies have shown that the inactivation or deletion of certain tumor suppressor genes contribute to tumor development. Targeted strategies aim to recognize altered proteins and their associated pathways which revealed tremendous therapeutic potential for the cancer treatment. Restoring normal expression of the missing tumor suppressor gene in cancer cells is one of the emerging targeted therapeutic strategies to inhibit tumor development. The genetic determinants for most breast cancer cases remain elusive. Methods: Targeted strategies aim to recognize altered proteins and their associated pathways which revealed tremendous therapeutic potential for the cancer treatment. Restoring normal expression of the missing tumor suppressor gene in cancer cells is one of the emerging targeted therapeutic strategies to inhibit tumor development. Results: The genetic determinants for most breast cancer cases remain elusive. However, a mutation in tumor suppressor genes has been determined to be one mechanism of breast carcinogenesis. Conclusions: This review focuses the therapeutic potential of tumor suppressor genes in breast cancer inhibition.