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Adelaide University researchers have found a DNA "switch" that helps the body stop the growth of the most common form of breast cancer, providing new insights that could help with future treatments. Up to 80% of breast cancer cases are classified as estrogen receptor-positive (ER+)—meaning their growth is driven by the hormone estrogen.

Previous research has shown that another hormone receptor, the androgen receptor, can act as a tumor suppressor in ER+ breast cancer. Activating the androgen receptor has shown promise as a potential treatment strategy, but scientists are still working to understand exactly how it stops cancer cells from growing.

Researchers from Adelaide University's School of Medicine, the South Australian immunoGENomics Cancer Institute (SAiGENCI) and SAHMRI have now uncovered an important piece of that puzzle.

The team had previously identified a gene called ZBTB16 as a possible contributor to this tumor-suppressing effect, with a higher presence of the gene linked to improved survival in patients with ER+ breast cancer.

However, this new study found that changing ZBTB16 levels in breast cancer cells did not alter the ability of the androgen receptor to suppress cell growth.

Instead, the researchers identified a small regulatory region of DNA hidden within the gene that proved to be critical.

"The surprising finding was that ZBTB16 itself was not responsible for the growth-suppressing effect," said Dr. Amy Dwyer from Adelaide University's School of Medicine.

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