Scientists discover ‘game-changer’ advancement in breast cancer treatment

Researchers have successfully developed a technique to keep breast tissue alive outside the human body for a week or more, marking a significant stride in breast cancer research.

The research, sponsored by the Prevent Breast Cancer charity and published in the Journal of Mammary Gland Biology and Neoplasia, discovered that a unique gel solution could maintain the viability of breast tissue. This advancement will aid scientists in determining the most effective drug therapies for patients.

Breast Cancer Treatment and Prevention

Dr. Hannah Harrison, a research associate at the University of Manchester, stated that this innovation would enable scientists to evaluate the most suitable drugs on living tissue for breast cancer treatment and prevention.

“There are various risk-reducing options for women at high risk of developing breast cancer – for example, those with a significant family history or who have mutations in the BRCA [breast cancer] genes,” she stated in an interview with The Guardian.
“However, not all drugs work for all women. This new approach means that we can start to determine which drugs will work for which women by measuring their impact on living tissue,” she added. 

Harrison’s team managed to keep breast tissue viable outside the body for extended periods. She stated, “By experimenting with various hydrogel formulas, we found a solution that can preserve human breast tissue for at least a week, often even longer.”

“This is a real gamechanger for breast cancer research in many ways. We can better test drugs for both the prevention and treatment of cancer, and can examine how factors like breast density – which we know is a risk factor for breast cancer – react to particular hormones or chemicals to see if this has an impact on cancer development,” she further added.

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