Protein kinase deregulation is crucial in breast cancer treatment resistance. Our laboratory aims to identify early markers that can predict cancer relapse, which is essential for timely intervention and treatment adjustment. We are focused on the interplay between the PI3K/AKT/mTOR/S6 pathway and the cyclin D1/CDK4/6/RB signaling. These pathways are relevant to cell cycle regulation and tumor progression, making them key targets for understanding relapse and improving therapeutic strategies.

Clinical approaches in cancer, where therapeutic strategies are based on the expression of specific target pathways, offer a way to optimize treatment. One example is the use of alpelisib, a specific inhibitor indicated by the presence of mutations in the PI3K alpha catalytic subunit gene (PIK3CA), detected in both tumor tissue and circulating free DNA (cfDNA). However, aside from the high cost of PIK3CA mutation testing, relying on alterations in a single gene may not provide a complete picture of the disease, potentially limiting the effectiveness of the intervention.

We propose the implementation of detection methods that are more accessible to routine clinical practice and extend beyond the determination of PIK3CA mutations to include other key factors within the PI3K pathway. Additionally, we will investigate proteins related to PI3K, such as cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs). These proteins are involved in tumor resistance and escape mechanisms and play essential roles in regulating the cell cycle, invasion, and cell survival processes.

With preclinical experimental models and samples from breast cancer patients, and in collaboration with medical oncologists from the Instituto Alexander Fleming from Buenos Aires and the Hospital Provincial de Neuquén, we are actively searching for new tumor biomarkers. These biomarkers aim to facilitate the clinical monitoring of breast cancer and, in the future, may hold diagnostic, prognostic, and predictive value for therapeutic response.

In this way, we aim to contribute to the expansion and accessibility of biomarkers that can be utilized in clinical settings to improve breast tumor stratification and guide treatments in a more specific and selective manner.