How a Commonly Inherited Genetic Alteration Is Driving Breast Cancer Metastasis and Predicting Survival

A germline variant in the PCSK9 gene, present in 70% of White women, propels breast cancer metastasis by targeting tumoral low-density lipoprotein receptor related protein 1 (LRP1) receptors. This finding suggests that inherited genetics, rather than mutations in a malignant tumor, drive metastasis, opening the possibility of therapeutics to suppress this genetic predisposition for cancer metastasis.