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【科普】英研究发现抑制基因可控制癌细胞转移
英国东英吉利大学研究人员在新一期《致癌基因》（Oncogene）杂志上报告说，通常在某部位组织出现癌变后，人体内会有一种天然物质来控制癌细胞不让其扩散，但名为WWP2的基因会减弱这种天然物质的功效，帮助癌细胞扩散。研究人员在试管试验中发现，如果用药物抑制这一基因的作用，癌细胞可被有效控制在原发部位。
领导研究的安德鲁·钱特里说，在癌症后期，癌细胞会大量转移扩散到身体其他部位，这种扩散是最难控制的。如果能将癌细胞控制在原发部位，将可使手术介入等治疗更加有效。
他说，接下来的工作是在本次研究基础上开发出可用于临床治疗的药物，这种药物也许能在10年内问世。这将是新一代抗癌药物。 Scientists at the University of East Anglia have discovered a rogue gene which – if blocked by the right drugs – could stop cancer in its tracks.
Published today by the journal Oncogene, the discovery is a breakthrough in our understanding of how cancer spreads. It is hoped the research will lead to new drugs that halt the critical late stage of the disease when cancer cells spread to other parts of the body.
The culprit gene – known as WWP2 - is an enzymic bonding agent found inside cancer cells. It attacks and breaks down a natural inhibitor in the body which normally prevents cancer cells spreading. The UEA team found that by blocking WWP2, levels of the natural inhibitor are boosted and the cancer cells remain dormant. If a drug was developed that deactivated WWP2, conventional therapies and surgery could be used on primary tumours, with no risk of the disease taking hold eleswhere.
Lead author Andrew Chantry, of UEA’s School of Biological Sciences, said the discovery could lead to the development of a new generation of drugs within the next decade that could be used to stop the aggressive spread of most forms of the disease, including breast, brain, colon and skin cancer.
“The late-stages of cancer involve a process known as metastasis - a critical phase in the progression of the disease that cannot currently be treated or prevented,” said Dr Chantry.
“The challenge now is to identify a potent drug that will get inside cancer cells and destroy the activity of the rogue gene. This is a difficult but not impossible task, made easier by the deeper understanding of the biological processes revealed in this study.”
The research was funded by UK-based charity the Association of International Cancer Research (AICR), with additional support from the Big C Charity and the British Skin Foundation.
Dr Mark Matfield, scientific co-ordinator of AICR, said: “This is a very exciting new discovery and a perfect example of the way that basic research into cancer can open up ways to develop new ways to treat cancer.”
The initial discovery was made while researchers were studying a group of natural cancer cell inhibitors called ‘Smads’.
Dr Surinder Soond, who spearheaded the experimental work in the laboratory, said: “This is a very novel and exciting approach to treating cancer and the spread of tumours which holds great potential.”
‘Selective targeting of activating and inhibitory Smads by distinct WWP2 ubiquitin ligase isoforms differentially modulates TGFβ signalling and EMT’ by S Soond (University of East Anglia) and A Chantry (University of East Anglia) is published by Oncogene on January 24 2011. 生命科学研究快报文件类型:DOC/Microsoft Word- 文字版生命科学研究快报 (2003年第31期) (仅供内部参考) 目录 【科技发展动态:科技管理】 ... 英国发现促使癌细胞扩散的关键分子 美国科学家发现“助癌为虐”基因 最新研究表明:人...www.library.sh.cn/...03/31.doc-2010-11-05-生命科学研究快报" 《对基因理论的再认识》专集 - 医学&生命科学专业知识交流 - ...发表时间：2005-9-23回帖数：16在此处刊登广告第130篇 “中心法则”的局限性 作者: 中国医药信息学会北京分会后现... 要知道生命,就应研究它的基因,知道基因就可能会知道生命.我们现在发现并不然.小的粒...bbs.tongji.net/thread-29650... - 2011-01-11-快照-基因理论的再认识》专集 - 医学&生命科学专业知识交流 - ..." 医药动态文件类型:DOC/Microsoft Word- 文字版51523 英研究抗艾滋病耐药性新途径:英国科学家日前发现,通过抑制一种能修复人类细胞... “工作”的、哪个基因是“关闭”的.有趣的是,由同一转移速率的癌细胞扩散所形成的继...125.223.205.241/...y2005-2.doc-2010-12-15-医药动态"[标签:content2]
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作者:admin@医学,生命科学 2011-01-26 23:39
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