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| Abortion Pill May Prevent Breast Cancer | A group of scientists from UC Irvine reported that the chemical mix in the “abortion pill” has been discovered to avert the development of mammary tumors caused by the mutant gene accountable for the majority of breast and ovarian cancers.
The compound, known as mifepristone, prevented breast tumors by stopping the production of progesterone. Progesterone is a hormone implicated in the female reproductive process which is found in the tissues of the breast. The finding may open up more edible options for women who have a genetic tendency to developing breast and ovarian cancers. At present, the characteristic prevention method relies on the surgical taking away of breasts or ovaries for the majority of these women.
Scientists found that progesterone plays a role in the development of breast cancer by emboldening the propagation of mammary cells that bear a breast cancer gene. They also reported that mifepristone can obstruct that reaction. Scientists are excited about this discovery and hope it realizes new options for women with a high risk for developing breast cancer.
In the study, scientists paid their attention to how mifepristone affects the functionality of mutated genes known as BRCA-1 genes. This group of mutated genes is generally studied by cancer researchers for the reason that a mutated version of this gene considerably leads to the development of breast and ovarian cancers. By the age of 70, more than 50% of women with the mutated BRCA-1 gene develop these cancers.
The scientists studied mice that possessed the mutated BRCA-1 gene. Mice cured with mifepristone, an anti-progesterone compound, did not develop mammary tumors after 12 months. All of the uncured mice developed tumors by eight months of age.
Progesterone, produced by the ovaries, is necessary to the term of a pregnancy. Mifepristone, also called RU486, is created to abort pregnancy in the first trimester by stopping the secretion of progesterone and ending the viability of the fetus. In smaller doses, it is also an emergency contraceptive.
UCI researchers discovered that progesterone provokes the development of cancer when the mutated BRCA-1 is exists for the reason that it enlarges the rate of cell division. Mifepristone, they found, obstacles a binding process that is essential for progesterone to cause the cells to separate.
Preceding studies have connected high levels of progesterone with an increased risk of breast cancer. This was proven to be particularly right for menopausal women who received hormone-replacement therapy that included progesterone and estrogen to relieve things like hot flashes and night sweats. The preceding findings, with the combination of this new data, cause scientists to suppose that anti-progesterone could put women at risk with more avoidance options in the future.
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