# L'Aquila team links Notch2 and CD177 to dormancy of breast cancer cells in bone marrow

- Published: 2026-11-14 17:51 UTC
- Section: Life & Health › Medicine
- Tags: breast cancer dormancy, CD177 marker, Notch2 signaling, bone marrow niche, endosteal niche, CXCR4 TIE2 genes, cancer recurrence, University of L'Aquila, unfolded protein response
- URL: https://realtech.media/news/rt-4a0a6ac2c3c7429446924fab_l_aquila_team/

**A team at the University of L'Aquila described, in cell experiments and in mice, how breast cancer cells persist in bone marrow; high CD177 was linked to better patient survival.**

![L'Aquila team links Notch2 and CD177 to dormancy of breast cancer cells in bone marrow](https://realtech.media/media/2026/11/e8d30c661abadea3.jpg)
*innovanews.ru*

A research group led by Professor Anna Teti at the University of L'Aquila (Italy), who also works at Italy's National Research Council, has described molecular pathways that regulate the dormant state of breast cancer cells in bone marrow. The work was done jointly with Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich and the University of Southern Denmark, and the results were published in Bone Research, innovanews.ru reports [1].

Breast cancer can recur decades after treatment of the primary tumor. A small fraction of cells moves to the bone marrow, stays inactive for a long time, then "wakes up" and forms secondary tumors in bone and other organs [1]. It was already known that bone marrow niches serve as a refuge, but how the cells survive there remained unclear.

## Notch2 and stem cell genes

The authors studied the signaling proteins Notch1 and Notch2. Both are present in the cancer cells, but according to the team Notch2 plays the main role in dormancy. Cells with high Notch2 divided markedly more slowly when interacting with specialized osteoblasts in the endosteal niche, next to the bone surface. Cells with high Notch1 did not show this behavior [1].

RNA sequencing showed reduced activity of growth and division genes and activation of genes associated with hematopoietic stem cells, in particular CXCR4, CD34 and TIE2. In mice, cells with high CXCR4 or TIE2 formed fewer and smaller tumors in bone [1]. According to Teti, breast cancer cells can use the same protective system that normally supports healthy stem cells.

## CD177 and survival

Cells with high Notch2 also activated the unfolded protein response, a pathway that helps cells survive harsh conditions. They had elevated PERK, ATF4, CHOP and CD177, a new marker associated with dormant breast cancer cells [1]. Cells with high CD177 simultaneously showed high expression of Notch2 and CXCR4, divided more slowly, and patients with such cells had better survival [1].

The authors propose Notch2, CXCR4, CD177 and stress response pathways as key regulators of dormancy. The results come from laboratory experiments and mouse models; the material describes no clinical trials of treatments based on them.

## Sources

1. [innovanews.ru](https://innovanews.ru/info/news/health/novyy-marker-cd177-svyazan-s-luchshey-vyzhivaemostyu-pri-rake-molochnoy-zhelezy)

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Source: RealTech, realtech.media — https://realtech.media/news/rt-4a0a6ac2c3c7429446924fab_l_aquila_team/