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Roughly 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer over their lifetimes, according to the American Cancer Society—and for the year 2024, it was estimated that more than 300,000 women in the United States would be diagnosed with breast cancer, and more than 40,000 would die from the disease.

If we want to reduce these numbers, increasing our understanding of how breast cancer operates in order to improve prevention, detection, and treatment methods is paramount.

The lab of Assistant Professor Liang Liu, PhD, at The Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota, has published a paper appearing in the scientific journal Cell Death & Disease that examines how a protein called TXNIP might help fight breast cancer by slowing its growth and spread throughout the body.

The scientists focused on two different types of breast cancer cells:

MDA-MB-231: Associated with triple-negative breast cancer and naturally high TXNIP levels

HCC-1954: Associated with HER2-positive breast cancer, low TXNIP levels

They also investigated how TXNIP interacts with other proteins—especially calpastatin (CAST) and interleukin-24 (IL-24)—and how these interactions influence a cancer-promoting cellular signal called STAT3.

The study yielded some surprising findings that warrant further scientific exploration.

“It’s surprising that calpastatin (CAST), a protein TXNIP binds to, actually promotes tumor growth in both cell types tested. CAST was known for a different role (stopping cell damage), so its cancer-helping behavior here is unexpected and worth exploring further,” Liu said. “In HCC-1954 cells, extra TXNIP first shrank tumors, but after four weeks, growth sped up. This shift hints that cancer might adapt or resist over time, possibly due to CAST, making TXNIP’s effects a puzzle to solve.”

This study is significant for its contributions to understanding TXNIP’s role in breast cancer and its therapeutic potential

The study’s authors are continuing research in this area to bring these findings closer to real-world use to transform outcomes for breast cancer patients.

Beyond cancer, better understanding of TXNIP has applications across multiple health fields. For example, TXNIP helps regulate blood sugar and cell stress, making it significant in diabetes research.

The Hormel Institute’s Post-Doctoral Associate Jasvinder Singh, PhD; Post-Doctoral Associate Bindeshwar Sah; and Executive Director Robert Clarke, PhD, at The Hormel Institute are also listed as authors of the paper.