The breast cancer resistance protein BCRP (ABCG2) concentrates drugs and carcinogenic xenotoxins into milk

• Published in: Nature medicine Vol. 11; no. 2; pp. 127 - 129
• Main Authors: Schinkel, Alfred H, Jonker, Johan W, Merino, Gracia, Musters, Sandra, van Herwaarden, Antonius E, Bolscher, Ellen, Wagenaar, Els, Mesman, Elly, Dale, Trevor C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Nature Publishing Group 01-02-2005
• Subjects: Animals; ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Sub-Family G, Member 2; ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters - genetics; ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters - metabolism; Breast cancer; Carcinogens; Carcinogens - metabolism; Cattle; Drug Resistance, Multiple; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; Drugs; Female; Health risk assessment; Health risks; Humans; Infants; Lactation; Mammary Glands, Animal - cytology; Mammary Glands, Animal - metabolism; Mice; Mice, Knockout; Milk; Milk - chemistry; Pesticides; Pharmaceutical Preparations - metabolism; Plasma; Proteins; Toxins; Netherlands
• ISSN: 1078-8956; 1546-170X
• DOI: 10.1038/nm1186

Contamination of milk with drugs, pesticides and other xenotoxins can pose a major health risk to breast-fed infants and dairy consumers. Here we show that the multidrug transporter BCRP (encoded by ABCG2) is strongly induced in the mammary gland of mice, cows and humans during lactation and that it is responsible for the active secretion of clinically and toxicologically important substrates such as the dietary carcinogen PhIP, the anticancer drug topotecan and the antiulcerative cimetidine into mouse milk.