PGRMC1: A new biomarker for the estrogen receptor in breast cancer

Estrogen receptor (ER) status is a critical biomarker in breast cancer, in large part because the ER is the target of tamoxifen and similar drugs. In the previous issue of Breast Cancer Research, Neubauer and colleagues used a proteomic approach to identify proteins that are differentially regulated by ER in breast tumors. The authors showed that ER-negative tumors have elevated levels of PGRMC1 (progesterone receptor membrane component-1), a hormone receptor component and binding partner for P450 proteins. In contrast, PGRMC1 was phosphorylated in ER-positive tumors. The staining patterns of ER and PGRMC1 were mutually exclusive in breast tumor sections, and PGRMC1 staining was sharply increased in hypoxic areas of the tumor. The results suggest that PGRMC1 is a candidate biomarker for ER status and hypoxia in breast cancer.