The Effects of Ceramides and Tram-1 Protein On Endocrine Therapy Resistant Estrogen Receptor-Positive Breast Cancer Cells

Endocrine therapy, the standard treatment for estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer, often fails due to drug resistance. It has been shown that this resistant phenotype is linked to lower ceramide levels and increased sensitivity to ceramide-induced cell death in the ER+ cell lines and that the protein TRAM-1 may play a crucial role in the formation of ET-resistant cells. Our research aimed to investigate the mechanisms behind ceramide sensitivity and further explore TRAM-1’s contribution to ET resistance. To do this, we conducted experiments to determine the point at which cells treated with ET drugs become ET-resistant and how the ceramide levels change during this process. We also manipulated TRAM-1 expression to see how this affected the cells' survival rates when treated with ET drugs. By clarifying the changes in ceramide levels during resistance development, and the effects of TRAM-1 on cell survival, future research may be able to use this information to create therapies that target these cells more effectively and improve the prognosis for patients with endocrine therapy resistance.