αB-crystallin Expression in Breast Cancer is Associated with Brain Metastasis.

Detecting presence of the protein αB-crystallin could help predict whether certain breast cancers are likely to spread to the brain. In triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), tumors commonly express αB-crystallin, a molecular chaperone that has been shown to promote metastasis in animal models. This prompted Maggie Cheang from the Institute of Cancer Research in the United Kingdom and colleagues in North America to speculate that the protein might have prognostic value. The team studied multiple groups of TNBC patients and found that expression of the αB-crystallin gene CRYAB in primary tumors was linked to an increased risk of disease progression in which the brain was the first site of metastasis. In addition, αB-crystallin positive protein expression were linked to poorer survival and early spread to the brain. The approach could help identify women at high risk of brain metastasis.