Dr. Mittendorf on Cyclin E as a Target in Breast Cancer

Elizabeth Mittendorf, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor in the Department of Surgical Oncology at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses the potential to target cyclin E in breast cancer.

Cyclin E is an important cell cycle regulator, Mittendorf says, and it has been discovered that it can be cleaved into low molecular weight (LMW) isoforms. These LMW isoforms are tumor-specific and cause cells to be less susceptible to inhibition and proliferate through the cell cycle more rapidly.

From a disease standpoint, LMW cyclin E is associated with a poor prognosis, meaning that it could be a target, though this is still be pursued. Mittendorf says that she views cyclin E slightly differently and says that it could be a target for immunotherapy because of its overexpression and abnormal expression in breast cancer.

This preclinical observation has been published and Mittendorf says that a decision needs to be made as to whether or not to pursue cyclin E as a therapeutic strategy.