In a major scientific breakthrough, the cancer biology laboratory of the Government of India's Institute of life Sciences (IlS) here has found out a way to challenge breast cancer suffered by smoking or nicotine-consuming females.
led by the laboratory's senior scientist Dr Dr Sandip K Mishra, a team of IlS researchers has experimentally proven that nicotine has a significant role in the cause and progression of breast cancer. This cancer-promoting nicotine, the team claims, can be controlled by targeting the therapeutic that has potential to suppress the aggravated genes.
"In our investigation, using nude mice model, we found that nicotine can regulate one of the cancer promoting genes (oncogene) named Enhancer of Zeste Homolog 2 (EZH2). We blocked the EZH2 function by using a drug named DZNepA and showed reduced breast tumour growth in the mice model," Dr Mishra said.
The findings provide preliminary evidence suggesting potential of high level of EZH2 expression as a prognostic marker in smoking-associated breast cancer, he said.
Dr Mishra's study has been widely acclaimed across the world and published in many credible medical journals.
"The highlighted part of the study is that the findings have been validated in cancer samples of nicotine consuming population of women suffering from breast cancer against those patients who do not have any history of nicotine consumption," said Dr Mishra.
The scientist, quoting a recent report, said as many as 25.8 persons per one lakh women in India suffer from breast cancer. The mortality rate is 12.7 per one lakh women.
"Among the long list of environmental factors that can be prevented to avoid breast cancer are use oral contraceptives, having no children, no breastfeeding, obesity, physical inactivity, high fat diets, chewing habits of nicotine containing products such as gutkha and khaini and smoking cigarette; smoking is the factor which is being increasingly prevalent in females in India," the scientist suggested.