Tumor cells can develop resistance to endocrine therapy, a major obstacle limiting the success of breast cancer treatment. The complicated crosstalk, both genomic and nongenomic, between estrogen receptors and growth factors, was considered to be a crucial factor contributing to endocrine resistance. A new study in mice by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine has investigated how these cells lose their estrogen receptor–positive (ER+) expression. Their findings reveal a mechanism that explains the process and potential possibilities to overcome it.
