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Scientists identify new marker for breast cancer prognosis
Last reviewed: 02.07.2025
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A protein called RPGRIP1L (retinitis pigmentosa GTPase-regulatory interacting protein 1-like) has a variety of functions that are important for development and health throughout life. Mutations in the RPGRIP1L gene are associated with a variety of diseases.
A new study published in The FASEB Journal suggests that RPGRIP1L gene expression levels may serve as a new prognostic marker for patients with invasive breast cancer.
When examining breast tissue samples from different women, the researchers found that RPGRIP1L expression was elevated in invasive breast cancer samples compared to normal breast tissue. In addition, among patients with invasive breast cancer, those with high RPGRIP1L gene expression had shorter survival times compared to those with low expression levels. Moreover, elevated RPGRIP1L expression was correlated with a number of unfavorable clinicopathological features, such as the presence of more aggressive forms of cancer and larger tumors.
The researchers also identified 50 genes and 15 proteins whose expression was positively correlated with RPGRIP1L expression. Most of these proteins and genes were involved in various aspects of the immune response and metabolism.
Finally, the team found that four compounds used against cancer – abrin, epigallocatechin gallate, gentamicin and tretinoin – showed the potential to reduce RPGRIP1L expression in laboratory experiments.
"The results of our study highlight the potential of RPGRIP1L as a significant prognostic biomarker for breast cancer and suggest the viability of new therapeutic strategies that can modify the course of the disease, thus potentially improving survival rates among affected patients," said co-author Jie Zeng, PhD, of the First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan Normal University in China.