Active Motif's Podcast

In this episode of the Epigenetics Podcast, we talked with Luca Magnani from Institute of Cancer Research and UNIMI in Milan about his work on epigenetic mechanisms of drug resistance and cancer cell dormancy in breast cancer. We start the interview by putting our focus on his significant contributions to the understanding of estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer. In a foundational study from 2013, Professor Magnani and his colleagues illuminated the role of genome-wide reprogramming of the chromatin landscape in conferring resistance to endocrine therapy. This research marked a departure from a purely genetic mutation paradigm, proposing instead that epigenetic modifications play a pivotal role in the development of drug resistance. A fascinating part of our conversation centers on the role of pioneer transcription factors, particularly PBX1, in regulating the estrogen receptor's transcriptional response. Professor Magnani explains how PBX1, typically associated with hematopoietic development, influences