(Press-News.org) A Basque research consortium has managed to halt the progress of colon cancer and its metastasis in the liver in an experimental model with mice. This advance, that may open a new path for the future treatment of such pathologies, has been achieved by creating molecules which interfere with the adhesion of tumour cells to other cells of the organism. In this way, the molecules halt both the growth of the tumour and the dissemination of the tumour to and its proliferation in other organs.
The research, published in the prestigious North American Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, is based on a previous work by researchers at the University of the Basque Country (UPV-EHU) which had described a series of molecules which reduced the metastasis of melanoma (a serious variety of skin cancer) in mice. That research opened up the possibility of generating new molecules with this activity in other types of cancer and following a similar strategy, something which has been achieved in this, later research, applied to colon cancer and its metastasis of the liver.
The Basque research consortium is made up of the CIC bioGUNE biociences research centre, the UPV/EHU, the Institute of Genetics and a Molecular and Cell Biology (IGBMC) in Strasbourg (France), and the Ikerchem spin-off Enterprise. Moreover, researchers from the Rocasolano Chemical-Physical Institute, from the CSIC (the Spanish Council for Scientific Research) and from the Novartis Institute for Biomedical Research took part.
"In this project we first designed inhibitors to cell adhesion involved in the metastasis of murine melanomas, and then undertook the chemical synthesis of these molecules, testing their biological potential and activity. What was surprising was that our calculations predicted that, by introducing relatively small changes, we would be able to generate new molecules with the capacity to inhibit cell adhesion involved in another type of cancer. This prediction was confirmed by the experiments, suggesting that these techniques of chemical design and synthesis could be extended to other related therapeutic targets", stated Dr. Fernando Cossío, UPV/EHU professor and co-founder of Ikerchem S. L., as well as President of the Executive Committee of Ikerbasque.
"Besides its relevance in the control of cancer and metastasis, this research highlights that, in the Basque Country, there are research teams at academic centres and in companies with the necessary experience and skill to tackle multidisciplinary projects of biomedical relevance, combining synthetic and computational chemistry with the structural analysis of the mechanism and the biological validation of the molecules generated", stated Dr. Francisco Blanco, Ikerbasque lecturer and researcher at CIC bioGUNE.
Impact of cancer and metastasis
Cancer is the second cause of human mortality and its incidence increases with age. Thanks to progress in the early diagnosis and control of detected tumours, enhancing the rate of survival has been achieved and, in this sense, it is believed that further progress can be made in these two aspects of the disease.
Currently 90 % of deaths from cancer are produced by the reappearance of the original tumour in another part of the body, a process known as metastasis. This process consists of a cancerous cell of the original tumour passing through the body of the patient and lodging in another organ, generating a new tumour.
The colon is not the organ with the greatest cancer mortality rate, but it gives rise to metastasis of the liver, which is. In fact the liver is the organ where metastasis of tumours originatng in other parts of the body is more frequent. This is because the liver acts as a filter for the blood and the lymph and so cancerous cells flowing in these fluids can be trapped therein.
The lethal danger arising from the migration of cancerous cells throughout the body is what drives researchers in the quest for therapies to halt metastasis.
###
Research references
Eider San Sebastián, Tahl Zimmerman, Aizpea Zubia, Yosu Vara, Elyette Martin, Finton Sirockin, Annick Dejaegere, Roland H. Stote, Xabier Lopez, David Pantoja-Uceda, María Valcárcel, Lorea Mendoza, Fernando Vidal-Vanaclocha, Fernando P. Cossío, and Francisco J. Blanco. (2013). Design, Synthesis, and Functional Evaluation of Leukocyte Function Associated Antigen-1 Antagonists in Early and Late Stages of Cancer Development. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry 56 (3), 735-747
Molecules generated that can halt metastasis of colon cancer
2013-02-19
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
CWRU study examines family struggles with anger and forgiveness when relative is dying
2013-02-19
Watching a loved one die tests some family members' relationships with God or the higher being of one's faith. And the spiritual anger and resentment grow with the level of pain and suffering their family member endures, according to researchers at Case Western Reserve University.
Psychologist Julie Exline and palliative care advanced practice nurse Maryjo Prince-Paul surveyed 147 family members with a hospice patient under home care.
More than four of every 10 respondents reported at least some level of anger with God, a major source of which was watching a loved ...
New discoveries linking gut bacteria with cholesterol metabolism give hope for the future
2013-02-19
Researchers at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden, show that cholesterol metabolism is regulated by bacteria in the small intestine. These findings may be important for the development of new drugs for cardiovascular disease.
It is well established that cholesterol is the major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Cholesterol – which is mainly synthesized in the body but also obtained from dietary sources – is converted to bile acids in the liver, which are then secreted into the intestine and either removed from the body or recycled back to ...
When selecting a child's doctor, families prefer grapevine over online ratings
2013-02-19
ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Numerous websites are available to rate just about any service or product: restaurant food, hotel service and even a pediatrician's care. However, a new poll from the University of Michigan shows that only 25 percent of parents say they consider doctor rating websites very important in their search for a child's physician.
But the latest University of Michigan Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health did show that younger parents, those under 30, were more likely to say that online doctor ratings are very important. And mothers were ...
National screening benchmarks for finding polyps during a colonoscopy might be too low
2013-02-19
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Current national guidelines provide benchmarks regarding the number of END ...
Researchers coat spinal polymer implants with bioactive film to improve bonding with bone
2013-02-19
Researchers from North Carolina State University have for the first time successfully coated polymer implants with a bioactive film. The discovery should improve the success rate of such implants – which are often used in spinal surgeries.
The polymer used in these implants, called PEEK, does not bond well with bone or other tissues in the body. This can result in the implant rubbing against surrounding tissues, which can lead to medical complications and the need for additional surgeries.
"We wanted to apply a bioactive coating that would allow the polymer implants ...
Sitting time associated with increased risk of chronic diseases
2013-02-19
MANHATTAN, Kan. -- The more you sit, the higher your risk of chronic diseases.
Kansas State University researcher Richard Rosenkranz, assistant professor of human nutrition, examined the associations of sitting time and chronic diseases in middle-aged Australian males in a study that is published in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity. Collaborators include University of Western Sydney researchers Emma George and Gregory Kolt.
The study's sample included 63,048 males ages 45-65 from the Australian state of New South Wales. Study participants ...
'Simplified' brain lets the iCub robot learn language
2013-02-19
VIDEO:
In a video demonstration, a researcher asks the iCub robot to point to a guitar (shown in the form of blue object) then asking it to move a violin to...
Click here for more information.
This technological prowess was made possible by the development of a "simplified artificial brain" that reproduces certain types of so-called "recurrent" connections observed in the human brain.
The artificial brain system enables the robot to learn, and subsequently understand, new sentences ...
History of stroke and coronary heart disease -- a fatal combination
2013-02-19
Heart and cerebro-vascular disorders represent the two leading causes of death throughout the world. They are sometimes combined in a single patient and their combination represents both a considerable risk to the patient and a therapeutic challenge.
Today's anti-thromobotic, blood-thinning medication provides effective treatment for coronary heart disease. Several randomised tests to assess new anti-thrombotic treatments in coronary patients have identified the fact that a history of stroke or TIA constitutes a marker for increased risk of intracranial bleeding that ...
Atherosclerosis -- Monocyte migrations
2013-02-19
Atherosclerosis is one of the commonest causes of death in modern societies. The condition is characterized by the build-up of fatty deposits called atherosclerotic plaques on the inner surfaces of arteries, which restrict, and may eventually cut off, blood flow. The deposits can also be dislodged from their site of origin and may then block major vessels in the heart or the brain, leading to life-threatening myocardial infarction or stroke.
Monocytes, an important class of white blood cells, are known to contribute significantly to the development of atherosclerosis. ...
Eye movements reveal reading impairments in schizophrenia
2013-02-19
A study of eye movements in schizophrenia patients provides new evidence of impaired reading fluency in individuals with the mental illness.
The findings, by researchers at McGill University in Montreal, could open avenues to earlier detection and intervention for people with the illness.
While schizophrenia patients are known to have abnormalities in language and in eye movements, until recently reading ability was believed to be unaffected. That is because most previous studies examined reading in schizophrenia using single-word reading
tests, the McGill researchers ...