{
  "id": 4660514,
  "title": "A 'one-two punch' against aggressive breast cancer could offer an alternative to chemotherapy",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/31/a-one-two-punch-against-aggressive-breast-cancer-could-offer-an",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-08-31T15:00:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Medical Xpress",
    "slug": "medical-xpress",
    "url": "https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-aggressive-breast-cancer-alternative-chemotherapy.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive and deadly form of the disease that lacks three common targets used to treat other breast cancers. Although TNBC can initially respond well to chemotherapy, it often develops resistance, making treatment difficult. Now, researchers at MUSC Hollings Cancer Center have discovered a potential new strategy to combat chemoresistant TNBC.\n\nThe team identified a protein called lysyl oxidase (LOX) as a key player in tumor survival. LOX helps cancer cells maintain energy production, healthy mitochondria, and stress resistance. When the researchers blocked LOX, the cancer cells struggled to produce energy, cope with stress and ultimately resist treatment.\n\nThe researchers then combined LOX inhibition with another drug that triggers ferroptosis, a form of cell death caused by toxic damage inside the cell. By blocking LOX and triggering ferroptosis, they significantly blocked tumor growth in multiple preclinical models of TNBC. The combination did so without causing major side effects, unlike chemotherapy.\n\nThis approach is a \"one-two punch\" strategy. First, blocking LOX weakens the cancer cells, and then triggering ferroptosis provides the second punch by exploiting the weakened cells. The study's co-leader, Ozgur Sahin, Ph.D., explained that this strategy takes advantage of the fact that cancer cells rely on multiple survival systems, and by disrupting those systems, the cells become more vulnerable to treatment.\n\nWhile the findings are still preclinical, the researchers believe that using an existing drug to block LOX could potentially make this new treatment strategy ready for clinical trials.",
  "summary": "Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) has a frustrating ability to adapt. Although this aggressive form of breast cancer can initially respond well to chemotherapy, cancer cells often find ways to survive, allowing the disease to return and become resistant to treatment.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "GEN Biotechnology",
        "title": "‘One-Two Punch’ Targets Resistance Mechanism in Aggressive Triple-Negative Breast Cancer",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/31/one-two-punch-targets-resistance-mechanism-in-aggressive-triple",
        "published": "2026-08-31T17:57:45.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}