Genomics Mixer: How Viruses Influence Metastatic Breast Cancer
At the upcoming Genomics Rooftop Mixer on October 28, one of the most compelling research projects featured will focus on a question that strikes at the heart of breast cancer mortality: why do so many patients die from metastasis?
Breast cancer affects 1 in 8 women during their lifetime. While advances in screening and treatment have improved survival rates, the grim reality remains—this year alone, approximately 42,000 women in the United States will die of breast cancer. More than 80% of those deaths occur because the cancer spreads, or metastasizes, to other parts of the body. Unfortunately, science has yet to uncover strategies that reliably prevent or treat this process.
Dr. David Boyd
Dr. David Boyd and his laboratory are working to change that. Their research zeroes in on one of the most common destinations for metastasis: the lungs. The team’s investigations build on surprising findings from their earlier work on viral infections. When the lung suffers severe damage from illnesses such as influenza, that damage may never fully heal. The Boyd lab is asking a critical question: Does this “post-viral lung environment” provide fertile ground for metastatic cancer cells to grow?
This question has taken on new urgency in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Millions worldwide experienced serious respiratory infections, raising concern that the lingering effects of lung damage could intersect with cancer risk in ways not yet understood.
Early experiments in mice offer sobering clues. The Boyd lab has observed that animals with prior viral lung injury develop larger and more numerous metastases compared to healthy controls. The team is now working to uncover the precise biological mechanisms that make damaged lungs more hospitable to cancer spread—and, most importantly, to identify ways of reversing or blocking this process.
The potential impact of this research is enormous. If scientists can learn how to shut down the signals that encourage metastasis in damaged lungs, it could pave the way for new therapeutic strategies—offering hope not only for breast cancer patients, but also for those battling other cancers prone to lung metastasis.
Visitors to the Rooftop Mixer will have the opportunity to hear directly from the researchers about their latest progress and the promise this work holds. By blending cancer biology, virology, and genomics, the Boyd lab is pushing toward a future where metastatic breast cancer may no longer be the leading cause of death from this disease.
