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Testing novel SRF inhibitors in breast and prostate cancer

Triple-negative breast cancer(TNBC) is an aggressive form of breast cancer that lacks estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, and excess HER2 protein. They are unresponsive to hormonal treatment, which makes It more difficult to treat, resulting in a higher death rate. However, up to 50% TNBC produces a protein called androgen receptor(AR) and targeting AR in TNBC starts to show promising results. We previously identified Serum Response Factor(SRF), which is an important transcription factor(a protein that participates in cell cycle regulation, cell growth and cell death) in prostate cancer. We showed that SRF is associated to the AR-resistant prostate cancer, a type of prostate cancer that does not respond to treatment targeting AR. We also found out that when SRF is inhibited, the AR-targeting drug in breast and prostate cancer cells is more effective. In this study, I will compare the effect of two types of SRF inhibitors on a sample of TNBC cells. The findings will give us a better understanding of the mechanism behind the AR resistance. This information is very useful in identifying an effective treatment for aggressive forms of breast and prostate cancer, which can be applied clinically to improve the survival rate among these patients.