Irish scientists have found new ways of treating cancer
Last reviewed: 16.10.2021
All iLive content is medically reviewed or fact checked to ensure as much factual accuracy as possible.
We have strict sourcing guidelines and only link to reputable media sites, academic research institutions and, whenever possible, medically peer reviewed studies. Note that the numbers in parentheses ([1], [2], etc.) are clickable links to these studies.
If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, out-of-date, or otherwise questionable, please select it and press Ctrl + Enter.
Irish scientists from the Royal University of Belfast have found a new way to treat cancer of the larynx and cervix. Specialists of the Royal Center for Research on Cancer and Cell Biology managed to find out that healthy tissues surrounding cancerous tumors play a very important role in the fight against the disease.
"Cancer spreads as a result of a two-way link between cancer cells in the tumor and healthy cells in the surrounding tissues," explained Professor Dennis McCans, who led the group of scientists. "We already know that cancer cells are internally programmed to invade neighboring healthy tissues, they also send messages that actively encourage cancer cells to invade, if these messages sent to infected tissues can be blocked, then the spread of cancer will slow down. "
"What we found is a protein in a non-cancerous tissue that can either open or close the connection between a healthy tissue and a tumor." When the protein of retinoblastoma (Rb) is activated, the spread of cancer cells slows down, "the scientist said. Irish researchers for the first time managed to prove that the protein Rb is contained not only in cancer, but also in healthy cells, and it directly affects the rate of the disease. This dependence was revealed with the help of special equipment, which makes it possible to see the development of the reaction in the three-dimensional measurement.
Speaking about the possible consequences of this discovery for the treatment of cancer, Professor McCuns noted: "Modern methods of treating the disease focus on the tumor itself to kill cancer cells before they spread." Our discovery will allow the development of completely new cancer treatments, as the effect will be produced on healthy cells, which can be mobilized for confrontation and active obstruction of the development of the disease. "
"Studies have been performed on cancer cells of the larynx and cervix, but it is possible that the Rb protein is present in all healthy tissues surrounding cancerous tumors and plays a similar role in the spread of the disease, which we plan to study in the course of our future work," scientist.
The study was funded by the UK's largest charitable organization Wellcome Trust, the Experimental Cancer Center and the US National Institute of Health. The full report was published in the journal of the European Organization of Molecular Biology.
[1]