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Rich66 · 05-22-2009, 03:56 PM

OU Cancer Institute scientists’ discovery could help treat cancer

May 22, 2009
TULSA – A new discovery could provide a major step closer to a cure for cancer.
University of Oklahoma Cancer Institute scientists discovered how stem cell proteins work in the growth of cancer.
Cancer researchers have known for some time certain proteins in cells cause tumors to grow, but they never completely understood why, according to the OU Cancer Institute.
Research from two scientists at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center found a new cancer protein and discovered how the protein works to turn off a natural tumor suppressor and turn on a cancer-causing gene.
Courtney Houchen, cancer biologist at the OU Cancer Institute, said it is the first evidence of a stem cell protein regulating a tumor suppressor.
“This is a great advancement for the field,” he said. “We have filed a patent for the work.”
This research is on the forefront of identifying and targeting cancer stem cells, said Robert Mannel, director of the OU Cancer Institute.
“Cancer stem cell research holds tremendous potential in the fight against cancer – it points to new avenues for cancer drug development,” he said.
When the protein, which is found in cancer, was increased, it caused the tumor suppressor to go down and the tumor grew in research models. When the protein was reduced, the level of tumor suppressor went up and the tumor stopped growing.
Scientists also found that when they stopped the protein, the expression of a cancer-causing gene also went down.
By targeting the new protein, researchers can develop new therapies that will specifically target cancer stem cells and stop cancer from growing and reoccurring.
“What we are saying is that if you target this it will work,” said Houchen. “I am confident that if you develop a drug through this protein or through two other markers we have found, you’re going to treat a lot of cancers.”
The work revolves around the scientists’ belief that the answer to cancer lies in cancer stem cells, which are not targeted by current therapies.
Five years ago, the OU researchers were among a handful of scientists in the nation studying cancer stem cells. But in the last two years cancer stem cells have become a rapidly emerging field, according to the institute.
The latest research from the OU Cancer Institute will appear in the upcoming issue of the journal Gastroenterology.
OU Cancer Institute members are conducting more than 100 cancer research projects supported by more than $20 million.
“From here we would like to understand more about how the protein works and we would like to develop the drugs to target the cells in the cancer,” said Houchen. “We hope we can generate more funding to accelerate the research.”

Stem cell research could 'weed' out cancer

A breakthrough by British scientists could help attack the root cause of cancer in the same way that weeding helps your garden.
By Richard Alleyne, Science Correspondent
Published: 7:30AM GMT 26 Jan 2010

The research could speed up attempts to wipe out cancer by targeting tumour stem cells that drive the disease.
A team from Oxford University has developed a new method of isolating cancer stem cells that can then be grown and studied in the laboratory.
The technique could pave the way to developing drugs that attack cancer at its root.
Dr Trevor Yeung, from the Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine at Oxford University, said: "Cancer stem cells drive the growth of a tumour. If we could target treatments against these cells specifically, we should be able to eradicate cancer completely."
Until now research on cancer stem cells has been slow, since the cells are difficult to identify and isolate from tumours.
In the past scientists have tried to find cancer stem cells in tissue samples taken from patients.
The new research involves better ways of using molecular markers to identify cancer stem cells, and maintaining the cells in simple laboratory cultures.
Instead of using biopsy samples, the scientists worked with established bowel cancer cell lines.
They found that the proportion of cancer stem cells within different bowel cancers varies widely, with aggressive tumours containing higher numbers.
The research is reported today in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Dr Yeung said: "Radiotherapy and chemotherapy work against all rapidly dividing cells. But there is increasing evidence that cancer stem cells are more resistant than other cells to this treatment. Cancer stem cells that have not been eradicated can lead to later recurrence of cancer.
"It's like trying to weed the garden. It's no good just chopping off the leaves, we need to target the roots to stop the weeds coming back.
"People have assumed that cancer stem cells made up a small proportion of the cells in a tumour, but it is becoming increasingly clear that this is not correct. The most aggressive tumours can have a majority of cells that are cancer stem cells."

05-22-2009, 03:56 PM	#4
Rich66 Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: South East Wisconsin Posts: 3,431	OU Cancer Institute scientists’ discovery could help treat cancer May 22, 2009 TULSA – A new discovery could provide a major step closer to a cure for cancer. University of Oklahoma Cancer Institute scientists discovered how stem cell proteins work in the growth of cancer. Cancer researchers have known for some time certain proteins in cells cause tumors to grow, but they never completely understood why, according to the OU Cancer Institute. Research from two scientists at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center found a new cancer protein and discovered how the protein works to turn off a natural tumor suppressor and turn on a cancer-causing gene. Courtney Houchen, cancer biologist at the OU Cancer Institute, said it is the first evidence of a stem cell protein regulating a tumor suppressor. “This is a great advancement for the field,” he said. “We have filed a patent for the work.” This research is on the forefront of identifying and targeting cancer stem cells, said Robert Mannel, director of the OU Cancer Institute. “Cancer stem cell research holds tremendous potential in the fight against cancer – it points to new avenues for cancer drug development,” he said. When the protein, which is found in cancer, was increased, it caused the tumor suppressor to go down and the tumor grew in research models. When the protein was reduced, the level of tumor suppressor went up and the tumor stopped growing. Scientists also found that when they stopped the protein, the expression of a cancer-causing gene also went down. By targeting the new protein, researchers can develop new therapies that will specifically target cancer stem cells and stop cancer from growing and reoccurring. “What we are saying is that if you target this it will work,” said Houchen. “I am confident that if you develop a drug through this protein or through two other markers we have found, you’re going to treat a lot of cancers.” The work revolves around the scientists’ belief that the answer to cancer lies in cancer stem cells, which are not targeted by current therapies. Five years ago, the OU researchers were among a handful of scientists in the nation studying cancer stem cells. But in the last two years cancer stem cells have become a rapidly emerging field, according to the institute. The latest research from the OU Cancer Institute will appear in the upcoming issue of the journal Gastroenterology. OU Cancer Institute members are conducting more than 100 cancer research projects supported by more than $20 million. “From here we would like to understand more about how the protein works and we would like to develop the drugs to target the cells in the cancer,” said Houchen. “We hope we can generate more funding to accelerate the research.” Stem cell research could 'weed' out cancer A breakthrough by British scientists could help attack the root cause of cancer in the same way that weeding helps your garden. By Richard Alleyne, Science Correspondent Published: 7:30AM GMT 26 Jan 2010 The research could speed up attempts to wipe out cancer by targeting tumour stem cells that drive the disease. A team from Oxford University has developed a new method of isolating cancer stem cells that can then be grown and studied in the laboratory. The technique could pave the way to developing drugs that attack cancer at its root. Dr Trevor Yeung, from the Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine at Oxford University, said: "Cancer stem cells drive the growth of a tumour. If we could target treatments against these cells specifically, we should be able to eradicate cancer completely." Until now research on cancer stem cells has been slow, since the cells are difficult to identify and isolate from tumours. In the past scientists have tried to find cancer stem cells in tissue samples taken from patients. The new research involves better ways of using molecular markers to identify cancer stem cells, and maintaining the cells in simple laboratory cultures. Instead of using biopsy samples, the scientists worked with established bowel cancer cell lines. They found that the proportion of cancer stem cells within different bowel cancers varies widely, with aggressive tumours containing higher numbers. The research is reported today in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Dr Yeung said: "Radiotherapy and chemotherapy work against all rapidly dividing cells. But there is increasing evidence that cancer stem cells are more resistant than other cells to this treatment. Cancer stem cells that have not been eradicated can lead to later recurrence of cancer. "It's like trying to weed the garden. It's no good just chopping off the leaves, we need to target the roots to stop the weeds coming back. "People have assumed that cancer stem cells made up a small proportion of the cells in a tumour, but it is becoming increasingly clear that this is not correct. The most aggressive tumours can have a majority of cells that are cancer stem cells."