BEIJING, April 10 (Xinhua) -- Chinese researchers have revealed the mechanism of how chronic stress promotes breast cancer development, shedding light on future clinical treatment for cancer.
Cancer patients are often accompanied by negative emotions such as anxiety, despair, and fear, which are risk factors facilitating tumor growth and promoting cancer progression. However, the specific mechanisms of how chronic stress affect cancer development remain unknown.
Researchers from the Dalian Medical University found that chronic stress might increase epinephrine levels, which enhances lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA) and promotes breast cancer stem-like cells.
Using a drug screen that targeted LDHA, they found that vitamin C reversed the chronic stress-induced cancer stem-like phenotype.
The research was published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
