Researchers at Monash University have identified a molecular biomarker in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) tumours which could inform when beta blockers can play a role in ‘switching off’ tumour progression, with their work published in the journal Science Signaling. Beta blockers are a class of medication used to block the effects of stress hormones and have already been identified by Monash researchers as a potential therapeutic option for halting cancer progression in TNBC patients. In this latest study, researchers at the Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (MIPS) discovered exactly how beta blockers could play a role in stopping TNBC progression in some patients, paving the way for better informed beta blocker prescribing at the time of diagnosis. “Our colleagues at MIPS, who were also pivotal to this latest study, have previously found that beta blockers are associated with a significant reduction in mortality in people with TNBC,” Halls said. “Taking this into account, our collective research strongly suggests that HOXC12 is a potential new indicator for when triple negative breast cancer patients could respond to beta blocker targeted interventions.