Melanie Rutkowski, PhD
Melanie Rutkowski, PhD, an associate professor in the Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology, talks with The Scientist about how bacteria in the microbiome might assist breast cancer researchers in gaining deeper insights into tumor growth.
In 15–20% of breast cancer cases, a protein called ErbB2 is produced in large amounts. This protein makes the cancer more aggressive and increases the chances of it coming back or causing death. The drug trastuzumab is designed to target this protein, but up to 35% of patients don’t respond to it right away, and 70% develop resistance within a year. Scientists don’t fully understand why this happens.
One area that might help explain how tumors grow and resist treatment is the bacteria found in the body’s microbiome and those living inside tumors. “It’s an emerging field,” said Dr. Rutkowski.
Read full article at the Scientist.
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