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:

Fat may play an important role in brain metabolism

New study finds no lasting impact of pandemic pet ownership on human well-being

New insights on genetic damage of some chemotherapies could guide future treatments with less harmful side effects

Gut microbes could protect us from toxic ‘forever chemicals’

Novel modelling links sea ice loss to Antarctic ice shelf calving events

Scientists can tell how fast you're aging from a single brain scan

U.S. uterine cancer incidence and mortality rates expected to significantly increase by 2050

Public take the lead in discovery of new exploding star

What are they vaping? Study reveals alarming surge in adolescent vaping of THC, CBD, and synthetic cannabinoids

ECMWF - delivering forecasts over 10 times faster and cutting energy usage by 1000

Brazilian neuroscientist reveals how viral infections transform the brain through microscopic detective work

Turning social fragmentation into action through discovering relatedness

Cheese may really be giving you nightmares, scientists find

Study reveals most common medical emergencies in schools

Breathable yet protective: Next-gen medical textiles with micro/nano networks

Frequency-engineered MXene supercapacitors enable efficient pulse charging in TENG–SC hybrid systems

Developed an AI-based classification system for facial pigmented lesions

Achieving 20% efficiency in halogen-free organic solar cells via isomeric additive-mediated sequential processing

New book Terraglossia reclaims language, Country and culture

The most effective diabetes drugs don't reach enough patients yet

Breast cancer risk in younger women may be influenced by hormone therapy

Strategies for staying smoke-free after rehab

Commentary questions the potential benefit of levothyroxine treatment of mild hypothyroidism during pregnancy

Study projects over 14 million preventable deaths by 2030 if USAID defunding continues

New study reveals 33% gap in transplant access for UK’s poorest children

Dysregulated epigenetic memory in early embryos offers new clues to the inheritance of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)

IVF and IUI pregnancy rates remain stable across Europe, despite an increasing uptake of single embryo transfer

It takes a village: Chimpanzee babies do better when their moms have social connections

From lab to market: how renewable polymers could transform medicine

Striking increase in obesity observed among youth between 2011 and 2023

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