Scientists pinpoint a new line of defence used by cancer cells
2014-12-08
(Press-News.org) Cancer Research UK scientists have discovered a new line of defence used by cancer cells to evade cell death, according to research published in Nature Communications* today (Monday).
The team identified a critical pathway of molecular signals which throw a lifeline to cancer cells, enabling them to survive even though they contain vast DNA errors which would usually trigger cell death.
The PKCƐ signal pathway**, which is used by cancer cells but rarely by normal cells, could be important in targeting some cancer cells as they rely on this pathway to survive.
The pathway helps the cancer cells survive by allowing them to untangle and separate their DNA. Cancer cells rely on this signal pathway more than normal cells because their DNA is more jumbled and prone to becoming tangled.
Turning off the pathway can trigger cancer cells to self-destruct because the machinery used to untangle the DNA fails, meaning it is torn apart as the cell divides - ravaging and causing huge breaks in the code which lead to the cancer cells' demise.
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Lead researcher Dr Nicola Brownlow, Cancer Research UK scientist at the Cancer Research UK London Research Institute, said: "Taking out this line of defence could be a powerful way to target the disease and re-programme cancer cells to self-destruct.
"The next step in our research is to understand which cancer types have this weak spot and to look for a marker that will allow us to test patients for cancers with this fault."
Nell Barrie, Cancer Research UK's senior science information manager, said: "This research has uncovered an important weakness which we could use to tackle cancer. Newer, precise methods which target the dents in cancer's armoury provide fresh opportunities for better treatments to help more people survive the disease.
"There's still a lot of work to do before this research leads to a new cancer treatment, but it offers us a new strategy to beat the disease by helping us to understand what causes and drives cancer."
INFORMATION:
For media enquiries contact Stephanie McClellan in the Cancer Research UK press office on 020 3469 5314 or, out of hours, on 07050 264 059.
Notes to editors:
* Brownlow et al. Mitotic catenation is monitored and resolved by a PKCε-regulated pathway. Nature Communications. DOI: 10.1038/ncomm6685.
** Also known as the Protein Kinase C epsilon (PKCƐ) pathway.
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About Cancer Research UK
Cancer Research UK is the world's leading cancer charity dedicated to saving lives through research.
Cancer Research UK's pioneering work into the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer has helped save millions of lives.
Cancer Research UK receives no government funding for its life-saving research. Every step it makes towards beating cancer relies on every pound donated.
Cancer Research UK has been at the heart of the progress that has already seen survival rates in the UK double in the last forty years.
Today, 2 in 4 people survive cancer for at least 10 years. Cancer Research UK's ambition is to accelerate progress so that 3 in 4 people will survive cancer within the next 20 years.
Cancer Research UK supports research into all aspects of cancer through the work of over 4,000 scientists, doctors and nurses.
Together with its partners and supporters, Cancer Research UK's vision is to bring forward the day when all cancers are cured.
For further information about Cancer Research UK's work or to find out how to support the charity, please call 0300 123 1022 or visit http://www.cancerresearchuk.org. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
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[Press-News.org] Scientists pinpoint a new line of defence used by cancer cells
