Pathology department presents research at international breast cancer symposium

Prabhat Suman, Ph.D.

By Carol McPhail

Representatives from the Department of Pathology and the USA Health Mitchell Cancer Institute presented research at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, held Dec. 9–12, 2025. The symposium is the largest breast cancer research meeting in the world, drawing thousands of attendees from more than 100 countries.

Prabhat Suman, Ph.D., a postdoctoral research fellow, presented a poster titled “Rewiring Fibroblast Function in Breast Cancer.” The study explored the role of lysine-deficient protein kinase 1 (WNK1) in mediating communication between cancer cells and fibroblasts within the breast tumor microenvironment.

Breast cancer tumors often contain fibrotic regions, known as fibrotic foci, which are associated with poorer patient outcomes. Fibrosis is driven by extracellular matrix deposition and crosslinking that occurs when cancer cells interact with fibroblasts, transforming them into cancer-associated fibroblasts — one of the key cell populations in the tumor microenvironment.

Suman explained that WNK1 expression is upregulated in cancer-associated fibroblasts and plays a critical role in tumor–fibroblast interactions and fibroblast activation. The study found that inhibiting WNK1 significantly affects the transition of fibroblasts into cancer-associated fibroblasts, as well as matrix deposition and remodeling in breast cancer.

“These insights highlight new opportunities to target the tumor microenvironment and potentially slow breast cancer progression,” Suman said.

Brusi Kola

Brusi Kola, a Ph.D. student in the Basic Medical Sciences Graduate Program, also presented a poster, titled “Obesity and Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: Untangling the Connection.” The study examined the relationship between obesity and triple-negative breast cancer to better understand how obesity influences disease progression.

Triple-negative breast cancer is an aggressive subtype characterized by the absence of estrogen and progesterone receptors and low levels of HER2 protein, limiting treatment options. It accounts for approximately 10% to 15% of all breast cancer cases.

Kola’s study analyzed medical records from patients diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer at the Mitchell Cancer Institute over a two-year period. The findings revealed a high prevalence of obesity among these patients, with obesity rates higher in premenopausal patients than in postmenopausal patients.

Additionally, tumors from obese patients were found to be more proliferative than those from patients of normal weight. In mouse models, obese mice showed faster tumor onset and accelerated tumor growth compared with lean mice.

“We are currently studying the obese tumor microenvironment to identify key factors that represent targetable vulnerabilities, with the goal of uncovering new opportunities for therapeutic intervention,” Kola said.