PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

University of East Anglia scientists make advance in cancer research

2014-01-03
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Lisa Horton
l.horton@uea.ac.uk
44-016-035-92764
University of East Anglia
University of East Anglia scientists make advance in cancer research A protein that has been at the centre of cancer drug design for the last 20 years should not be given up on according to new research from the University of East Anglia (UEA).

The most advanced version of αvβ3-integrin antagonists failed clinical trials to treat aggressive forms of brain cancer.

But research published today in the American Heart Association's journal Circulation Research shows that targeting the protein in question could still be vital in stopping the growth of tumours. Not least because the drugs targeting it cause minimal side effects compared to other drugs – which can cause bleeding in the gut and high blood pressure.

Tumours must recruit their own blood supply to grow beyond a very small size. The research team studied the cells that line blood vessels (endothelial cells) in mice, and in particular the role of a widely expressed protein called beta3-integrin.

Dr Stephen Robinson, from UEA's school of Biological Sciences, said: "This protein has been the focus of drug design over the last two decades because its expression is vastly increased in endothelial cells during blood vessel recruitment.

"The most advanced of these drugs, however, has recently failed a phase III clinical trial to treat an aggressive form of brain cancer. In line with other clinical work, patients respond to treatment for a short while but then their cancers escape the treatment.

"This research helps to explain why these very promising drugs aren't meeting with the success that was anticipated and it suggests a way forward - how to make them work better.

"We have shown how tumours continue to grow despite treatment which should block blood vessel recruitment. They modulate how they are recruiting their blood vessels by using a different pathway from the one that is being targeted. We have identified some molecular changes in endothelial cells that occur with long-term inhibition of beta3-integrin that might help the cells escape the beta3-integrin blockade.

"Our research also shows that timing is critical when targeting the protein beta3-integrin.

"Importantly, these findings have re-established the expression of beta3-integrin as a valid clinical target when treating cancer. Efforts must now be re-focused to either develop new drugs to target beta3-integrin, or figure out how to more effectively use the drugs that already exist."

### 'Acute Depletion of Endothelial beta3-Integrin Transiently Inhibits Tumour Growth and Angiogenesis in Mice' is published in the journal Circulation Research. The research was part-funded by cancer charity Big C.


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Important mutation discovered in dairy cattle

2014-01-03
Important mutation discovered in dairy cattle Scientists have discovered a mutation with a built-in dilemma for dairy cattle breeders. The deleted gene sequence has a positive effect on milk yield but causes embryonic death in dairy cattle. Scientists have found ...

Another step towards understanding the quantum behavior of cold atoms

2014-01-03
Another step towards understanding the quantum behavior of cold atoms A UPV/EHU-University of the Basque Country researcher has explored the quantum effects produced when bosons and fermions are mixed at a very low temperature This news release is available in Spanish. ...

The entropy of nations

2014-01-03
The entropy of nations Global energy inequality lessens, but for how long? The 18th century writer Adam Smith provided a workable metaphor for the way society utilizes resources. In his book "The Wealth of Nations," he argued that even as individuals strive, through ...

A novel look at how stories may change the brain

2014-01-03
A novel look at how stories may change the brain Neuroscience research finds reading can boost brain function Many people can recall reading at least one cherished story that they say changed their life. Now researchers at Emory University have detected what may ...

Supercomputers join search for 'cheapium'

2014-01-03
Supercomputers join search for 'cheapium' Duke engineers using brute force computing to find new materials DURHAM, N.C. -- In the search for cheaper materials that mimic their purer, more expensive counterparts, researchers are abandoning hunches and intuition for theoretical ...

Sex matters for microbes

2014-01-03
Sex matters for microbes Caught in the act! Researchers from the University of Bristol have observed mating for the first time in the microbes responsible for African sleeping sickness. This tropical disease is caused by trypanosomes, single-celled ...

Parkinson's patients utilization of deep brain stimulation treatment reduced in demographic groups

2014-01-03
Parkinson's patients utilization of deep brain stimulation treatment reduced in demographic groups PHILADELPHIA -- Among Parkinson's disease (PD) patients, female, black, and Asian patients are substantially less likely to receive proven ...

Researchers find simple, cheap way to increase solar cell efficiency

2014-01-03
Researchers find simple, cheap way to increase solar cell efficiency Researchers from North Carolina State University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences have found an easy way to modify the molecular structure of a polymer commonly used in solar cells. ...

Cleveland Clinic researchers create online colorectal cancer risk calculator

2014-01-03
Cleveland Clinic researchers create online colorectal cancer risk calculator Tool provides quick, accurate estimate of patient's risk; improves upon existing guidelines; adds gender, race and family history as calculable risk factors January 3, 2014, Cleveland: Researchers at ...

Reconstructing the New World monkey family tree

2014-01-03
Reconstructing the New World monkey family tree After landing in Americas, primates spread as far as Caribbean, Patagonia DURHAM, N.C. -- When monkeys landed in South America 37 or more million years ago, the long-isolated continent already teemed with a menagerie of 30-foot ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Less intensive works best for agricultural soil

Arctic rivers project receives “national champion” designation from frontiers foundation

Computational biology paves the way for new ALS tests

Study offers new hope for babies born with opioid withdrawal syndrome

UT, Volkswagen Group of America celebrate research partnership

New Medicare program could dramatically improve affordability for cancer drugs – if patients enroll

Are ‘zombie’ skin cells harmful or helpful? The answer may be in their shapes

University of Cincinnati Cancer Center presents research at AACR 2025

Head and neck, breast, lung and survivorship studies headline Dana-Farber research at AACR Annual Meeting 2025

AACR: Researchers share promising results from MD Anderson clinical trials

New research explains why our waistlines expand in middle age

Advancements in muon detection: Taishan Antineutrino Observatory's innovative top veto tracker

Chips off the old block

Microvascular decompression combined with nerve combing for atypical trigeminal neuralgia

Cutting the complexity from digital carpentry

Lung immune cell type “quietly” controls inflammation in COVID-19

Fiscal impact of expanded Medicare coverage for GLP-1 receptor agonists to treat obesity

State and sociodemographic trends in US cigarette smoking with future projections

Young adults drive historic decline in smoking

NFCR congratulates Dr. Robert C. Bast, Jr. on receiving the AACR-Daniel D. Von Hoff Award for Outstanding Contributions to Education and Training in Cancer Research

Chimpanzee stem cells offer new insights into early embryonic development

This injected protein-like polymer helps tissues heal after a heart attack

FlexTech inaugural issue launches, pioneering interdisciplinary innovation in flexible technology

In Down syndrome mice, 40Hz light and sound improve cognition, neurogenesis, connectivity

Methyl eugenol: potential to inhibit oxidative stress, address related diseases, and its toxicological effects

A vascularized multilayer chip reveals shear stress-induced angiogenesis in diverse fluid conditions

AI helps unravel a cause of Alzheimer's disease and identify a therapeutic candidate

Coalition of Autism Scientists critiques US Department of Health and Human Services Autism Research Initiative

Structure dictates effectiveness, safety in nanomedicine

Mission accomplished for the “T2T” Hong Kong Bauhinia Genome Project

[Press-News.org] University of East Anglia scientists make advance in cancer research