Research descriptions
Background
Breast cancer is not one disease; rather, it consists of many subtypes, each with its own characteristics and clinical difficulties. One subgroup that is particularly problematic to treat are those who have been diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), that is, cancers lacking the receptors for estrogen, progesterone and HER2. Without the presence of those receptors, patients have no clinical benefit from traditional therapies such as tamoxifen, anastrozole and trastuzumab that target the receptors. Thus, such patients have only radiation and chemotherapy as treatment options.
Being diagnosed with TNBC does not always result in early recurrence or death, although these patients are at a higher risk for such outcomes. And yet some patients survive without further complications. The dilemma is to identify those patients.
TIMP-4: prognostic and predictive biomarker: Dr. Wallon’s lab has identified a novel prognostic marker for breast cancer: the tissue inhibitor metalloproteinase-4 (TIMP-4). This marker is especially relevant for the TNBC subgroup, because TIMP-4-positive patients have shorter progression-free and overall survival.
Her lab is studying how TIMP-4 in the tumor microenvironment causes aggressive growth and metastatic spread of breast cancer cells. Her team studies TIMP-4-induced changes in surgical specimens obtained from consented patients through collaborations with oncology surgeons at Lankenau Medical Center. Those changes are further evaluated in laboratory and preclinical models of cancer development, progression and metastasis.
Predicting incidences of nausea; Another project that Dr. Wallon is working on involves predicting the incidence of nausea in patients scheduled to undergo chemotherapy or surgery. Nausea is the most dreaded and traumatic part of chemotherapy, according to patient surveys.
Prior to the method developed by Dr. Wallon’s lab, there was no objective test to identify patients at high risk for developing nausea. Working with physicians and clinical laboratory staff at the Lankenau Medical Center, Dr. Wallon is advancing the use of this test to stratify patients in need of more effective preventive treatments to obtain the goal of eliminating nausea.
Future directions
Dr. Wallon’s research is focused on understanding the role of TIMP-4 in breast cancer development, progression and metastasis with the aim to identify better treatments for TIMP-4- positive breast cancers. Her lab is also actively perusing the adaptation of the predictive nausea test into a clinically suitable protocol.
About her lab
Dr. Wallon’s lab has established a biorepository consisting of de-identified samples from breast cancer patients. These patient samples have been taken at time of surgery, and before, during and after chemotherapy treatments. For more information, please contact Dr. Wallon.
