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Speaker: Dr. Cheryl Jorcyk, Boise State University

Host: Leonora Bittleston

Title: Breast cancer metastasis: the role of inflammatory proteins

Abstract: In 2025, it is estimated that 316,950 women and 2,800 men in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer. Mortality in breast cancer is due in large part to distant metastasis to organs such as the bone, lung, liver, and brain. For breast cancer that is localized, the five-year survival rate is 99%, but once it metastasizes, the survival rate decreases significantly to 32%. Our lab’s current research has focused on a specific proinflammatory protein, called a cytokine, that is produced by breast cancer and other associated cells. This cytokine of interest, oncostatin M (OSM), once bound to its receptor, initiates an intracellular cascade that ultimately leads to the production of proteins that assist in breast cancer invasion and metastasis. Our laboratory has identified that OSM plays a crucial role in initiating metastasis by secreting pro-metastatic molecules and increasing circulating tumor cell numbers and metastases to bone and lung in mouse models of human breast cancer. For the first time, our research group has developed a stepwise approach towards designing and testing novel small molecule inhibitors (SMIs) against OSM. To determine viable candidates, in silico computational screening of compound libraries towards OSM revealed potential compounds that interact with the receptor binding region and inhibit biological function. In conclusion, our lab has demonstrated that an inflammatory cytokine drives breast cancer metastasis and have generated the first ever SMI aimed to inhibit OSM-mediated cancer progression.