Aging breast tissue may create conditions for invasive breast cancer

The American Cancer Society estimates that by 2021, 284,200 women will be newly diagnosed with breast cancer, and 43,600 women will die from the disease-the second leading cause of cancer deaths in women
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Women’s risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer increases with age, but when scientists have long studied the cellular changes that occur in the human body over time, a new study led by researchers at the University of Notre Dame examines the extracellular How the matrix (ECM) is-the underlying network of molecules and proteins that provide structure for tissue growth, which can trigger aggressive cancer-related genes
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"This is the first time we have been able to provide direct evidence that aging ECM itself is changing the phenotype of normal epithelial cells," said Pinar Zorlutuna, a professor at the Sheehan Family School of Engineering at the University of Notre Dame, who was published in Advanced Science .

Zorlutuna and her team studied ECM tissue in healthy, young and old mouse models, implanting normal breast epithelial cells (cells that form a thin layer of tissue around the breast) and cancer cells into the matrix
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The research team found that the biochemical composition, structure and hardness of the aging ECM have changed
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"Normal epithelial cells in the aging matrix begin to express more aggressive genes related to breast cancer," Zorlutuna said
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Normal epithelial cells growing on senescent ECMs showed elevated expression of LOX, preventing the formation of healthy cell structures
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These results help scientists better understand cell migration and invasion in aging tissues, and provide new methods for the prognosis, diagnosis and prevention of breast cancer
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