University of East Anglia makes cancer breakthrough

Scientists at the University of East Anglia have made an important breakthrough in the way anti-cancer drugs are tested

2010-10-15

(Press-News.org) Scientists at the University of East Anglia have made an important breakthrough in the way anti-cancer drugs are tested.

A tumour cannot grow to a large size or spread until it has developed its own blood supply and leading research has looked for a way of halting capillary formation to stop tumours taking hold.

But new findings published today in the Journal of Cell Science have shown that scientists testing such treatments may not have been studying exactly what they thought they were.

The research proves that cells are able to switch their genetic profile – turning off genes expressed by blood vessel cells and turning on genes specific to lymphatic cells.

This "switch" was previously thought to be impossible and means that scientists may have been researching lymphatic cells, rather than blood vessel cells. It is hoped the discovery will propel the race to find revolutionary new treatments.

Lead author Dr Lin Cooley, said: "It has always been thought that cells could not change from blood to lymphatic vascular cells.

"Other researchers have been doing experiments thinking they were looking at blood vessel cells, when in fact they were looking at lymphatic vascular cells. This breakthrough is important because they have not been studying what they think they have been studying.

"It is a big discovery and will be very important in testing potential anti-cancer drugs."

Researchers used human vein cells in experiments where they form capillaries - the smallest of the body's blood vessels - when cultured in various environments similar to the body.

The human vascular system is made up of two separate circulatory networks – the blood and lymphatic vasculature. Blood vessels and lymphatic vessels are structurally similar, but have very different roles, and are made up of two distinct cell types.

Dr Cooley said: "We have discovered that when vein cells form tube structures, they appear to "switch" their genetic profile, turning off genes expressed by blood vessel cells, and turning on genes specific to lymphatic vessels.

"This change can be reversed, and is dependent on the particular environment they are cultured in.

"We have also shown that their identity changes in response to the cell's environment rather than only being specified by signals during early embryonic development".

INFORMATION:

The research has been conducted by the Biomedical Research Centre – part of the university's School of Biological Sciences, in collaboration with the VBCRC Invasion and Metastasis Group in Australia and the University of Melbourne. It was funded by cancer charity Big C.

[Attachments] See images for this press release:

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

OCTANE study influences revision of WHO guidelines for treating some HIV-infected women

2010-10-15

Findings from a study, which appear in the Oct. 14, 2010 New England Journal of Medicine, helped influence the World Health Organization (WHO) to change its guidelines this year for the treatment of HIV-infected women who receive a single dose of the antiretroviral drug nevirapine to prevent HIV transmission to their babies. The study demonstrated that the single dose of nevirapine used to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV can hamper the drug's effectiveness if it is also used later as part of a regimen to treat these same individuals. The Phase III study, called ...

Biomarker shows potential for early diagnosis of lung cancer

2010-10-15

CHAPEL HILL, NC – A collaboration between physicians and scientists at UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center and the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center has demonstrated that a biomarker called TCF21 may be used to develop a potential screening test for early-stage lung cancer. Despite the fact that lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide, early-stage lung cancer is difficult to diagnose. A number of proposed screening tests, including screening CT scans and serum markers, have not shown any benefit in enhancing patient survival. TCF21 ...

Not all doctors follow cancer screening guidelines

2010-10-15

Only one-fifth of primary care physicians in the US follow practice guidelines for colorectal cancer screening for all the tests they recommend, according to Dr. Robin Yabroff from the National Cancer Institute and her colleagues. About 40 percent followed guidelines for some of the tests they recommended and the remaining 40 percent did not follow guidelines for any of the screening tests they recommended. Furthermore, their analysis1 of physician screening recommendations for colorectal cancer shows that many clinicians either overuse or underuse screening. Their findings ...

Orchid tricks hoverflies

2010-10-15

Even Darwin was a self-admitted orchid lover. Dictionaries describe orchids as exotic ornamentals. Indeed, these plants – more than 30000 different species are thought to exist – are exotic due their extraordinary and diverse flower morphology. However, they are also exotic from a point of view other than beauty: as crafty imposters in order to achieve reproduction and to make sure that their ovaries are pollinated. Orchids depend on the assistance of pollinators, and like many other flowering plants, attract insects. Epipactis veratrifolia, an orchid native in South ...

The kids are all right: Few negative associations with moms' return to work after having children

2010-10-15

WASHINGTON – Children whose mothers return to work before their offspring turn 3 are no more likely to have academic or behavioral problems than kids whose mothers stay at home, according to a review of 50 years of research. "Overall, I think this shows women who go back to work soon after they have their children should not be too concerned about the effects their employment has on their children's long-term well-being," said psychologist Rachel Lucas-Thompson, PhD, lead author of the study conducted with Drs. JoAnn Prause and Wendy Goldberg at the University of California, ...

Study: Belief in rumors about proposed NYC mosque linked to opposition to all mosques

2010-10-15

COLUMBUS, Ohio – People who believe false rumors about the proposed Islamic cultural center and mosque near Ground Zero in New York City not only are more likely to oppose that project – they are more likely to oppose building of a mosque in their own neighborhood. Researchers surveyed 750 Americans and asked them if they believed any of four rumors associated with the New York City mosque, all of which have been refuted. One of the rumors, for example, falsely says that that the proposed center is scheduled to open on September 11, 2011 in celebration of the 10-year ...

Large gaps found in public understanding of climate change

2010-10-15

New Haven, Conn.—Sixty-three percent of Americans believe that global warming is happening, but many do not understand why, according to a national study conducted by researchers at Yale University. The report titled "Americans' Knowledge of Climate Change" found that only 57 percent know what the greenhouse effect is, only 45 percent of Americans understand that carbon dioxide traps heat from the Earth's surface, and just 50 percent understand that global warming is caused mostly by human activities. Large majorities incorrectly think that the hole in the ozone layer ...

JILA unveils improved 'molecular fingerprinting' for trace gas detection

2010-10-15

Scientists at JILA and collaborators have demonstrated an improved laser-based "molecular fingerprinting" technique that picks out traces of key hydrogen-containing and other molecules from a billion other particles in a gas in just 30 seconds or less—performance suitable for breathalyzers for diagnosing disease, measuring trace gases in the atmosphere, detecting security threats and other applications. JILA is jointly operated by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and University of Colorado at Boulder (CU). Described in Optics Express,* the research ...

CR Magazine sheds light on the burden of cancer on the streets

2010-10-15

PHILADELPHIA — An article published in the Ffall 2010 issue of CR, the AACR's magazine for cancer survivors and their families and caregivers, details the immense challenges faced by those who suffer with cancer and lack the necessary resources for proper treatment and care — the homeless. CR magazine contributing writer Cynthia Ryan, Ph.D., who is an associate professor of English at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, took to the streets over the last year to offer a glimpse into the lives of homeless cancer patients struggling to obtain treatment while being ...

Cyberwars: Already underway with no Geneva Conventions to guide them

2010-10-15

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Cyber attacks of various sorts have been around for decades. The most recent, and very dangerous, escalation in the past few years has been marked by countries launching attacks against other nations, such as Stuxnet, the nuclear plant-disrupting worm the Iranians have blamed on Israel and the U.S., while others are pointing the finger at Russia. University at Buffalo military ethicist Randall R. Dipert, PhD, one of the founders of the National Center for Ontological Research at UB, says we have good reason to worry, because cyber attacks are almost ...

Dr. Paul Donlin-Asp of the University of Edinburgh to dissect the molecular functions and regulation of local SYNGAP1 protein synthesis with support from CURE SYNGAP1 (fka SynGAP Research Fund)

University of East Anglia makes cancer breakthrough

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES: