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Protein TIM3 Identified as Key Driver of Breast Cancer Micrometastasis

Investigators plan to launch the first human trials of TIM3 inhibitors to prevent relapse in high-risk patients.

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Overview

  • TIM3 acts as an immune checkpoint on tumor cells, enabling micrometastatic breast cancer cells to evade immune elimination and seed distant organs.
  • Preclinical mouse studies demonstrated that blocking TIM3 prevented about 80% of breast cancer metastases in animal models.
  • Retrospective analysis of over 250 patients showed TIM3-positive tumors had five-year survival rates of 20% compared with 90% in TIM3-negative locally advanced cases.
  • Current clinical trials of TIM3 inhibitors target advanced cancers but do not address early metastatic prevention.
  • Researchers are drafting prevention trial protocols in collaboration with Grupo GEICAM to test TIM3 blockade as adjuvant therapy for TIM3-positive, triple-negative breast cancer patients.