Cancer cells can be turned into healthy
Last reviewed: 12.04.2020
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For the first time in the history of medicine, scientists were able to launch the pathological process of formation of cancer cells in the opposite direction and again make them normal. Scientists suggest that the new discovery will help to develop completely new methods of treating cancer patients and eliminate the need to use chemotherapy with a mass of side effects or surgical intervention, which also can not give a 100% guarantee.
The discovery was carried out at the Mayo Clinic, which is located in Florida. In their work, specialists used cancer cells of the breast, bladder, lung. During the long trial and error, they finally managed to "reprogram" the malignant cells and make them return to normal, in addition, the scientists were able to restore the function that controls the growth of cells and prevents the development of a cancerous tumor.
Experts compared this process in the body with how the brakes the car, which rides at a tremendous speed.
In the human body, cells are constantly divided and new, as necessary, replace the old ones, which have already "outlived" themselves. But with the development of cancerous tumors, this process becomes uncontrolled, the cells begin to divide nonstop, which leads to a cancerous process.
In the course of their studies, a team of specialists found that the process of holding healthy cells together is regulated by microRNAs (this microprocesses commands the cells to stop dividing when already enough new cells are produced and no replacement is needed so far). MicroRNA triggers the production of PLEKHA7 protein, which destroys cell bonds, it is this protein in the body that is a kind of "brake" in the process of cell division, but in the cancer process the microRNA function stops.
This fact led the researchers to understand how the cancer process can be launched in the opposite direction - the removal of microRNA from the cells prevented the production of PLEKHA7 protein, but an interesting discovery was that the pathological process can be reversed if the microRNA molecules are introduced directly into the cells via point injections.
This method experts have already experienced on quite aggressive forms of cancer, which are found among people.
Head of the research group Professor Panos Anastassiadis noted that at the beginning of the work in cancer cells that were taken for research, the protein PLEKHA7 was absent or was in very low quantities. When the normal level of the protein or microRNA was restored, the "right" processes were started in the cells and all the malignant cells again degenerated into normal ones.
At this stage, scientists are trying to develop new more efficient methods of delivery to the right points and cells.
As Professor Anastasiadis said, the first experiments showed not sufficient effectiveness, but it is possible that the new method will be used to treat different types of cancer, exceptions can only be made with blood and brain cancer.
But now scientists are waiting for a lot of work, before the method is allowed to test on volunteers from among people.
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