A major breakthrough by scientists at Queen's University Belfast could
lead to more effective treatments for throat and cervical cancer. The discovery
could see the development of new therapies, which would target the
non-cancerous cells surrounding a tumour, as well as treating the tumour
itself.
Researchers at Queen's Centre for
Cancer Research and Cell Biology have found that the non-cancerous tissue, or
'stroma', surrounding cancers of the throat and cervix, plays an important role
in regulating the spread of cancer cells.
The discovery opens the door for
the development of new treatments which, by targeting this non-cancerous
tissue, could prevent it being invaded by neighbouring cancer cells.
The research, led by Professor
Dennis McCance, has just been published in the European Molecular Biology
Organization Journal. Professor McCance said: "Cancer spreads as the
result of two-way communication between the cancer cells in a tumour and the
non-cancerous cells in the surrounding tissue.
"We already know that cancer
cells are intrinsically programmed to invade neighbouring healthy tissue. But
the cells in the non-cancerous tissue are also programmed to send messages to
the cancer cells, actively encouraging them to invade. If these messages – sent
from the healthy tissue to the tumour - can be switched-off, then the spread of
the cancer will be inhibited.
"What we have discovered is
that a particular protein in non-cancerous tissue has the ability to either
open or close the communication pathway between the healthy tissue and the
tumour. When the Retinoblastoma protein (Rb) in non-cancerous tissue is
activated, this leads to a decrease in factors that encourage invasion by
cancer cells. And so, the cancer doesn't spread."
The Rb protein is found in both
cancer and non-cancerous tissue. Its importance in regulating the growth of
cancer cells from within tumours is already well-documented, but this is the
first time scientists have identified the role of the Rb found in healthy
tissue, in encouraging or discouraging the spread of cancer.
The research was conducted using
three-dimensional tissue samples, grown in Professor McCance's lab, to
replicate the stroma tissue found around cancers of the throat and cervix.
Speaking about the potential
implications for cancer treatment, Professor McCance continued: "Current
treatments for cancer focus on targeting the tumour itself, in order to kill
the cancer cells before they spread. This discovery opens the door for us to
develop new treatments that would target the normal tissue surrounding a
tumour, as opposed to the tumour itself. By specifically targeting pathways
controlled by the Rb protein, it would be possible to switch-off the messages
that encourage cancer cells to invade, and inhibit the spread of the tumour.
"Our research has focussed
on cancers of the throat and cervix. But it is possible that Rb or other
proteins in the healthy tissue surrounding other types of cancer, may play a
similar role in regulating the spread of tumour cells. Therefore, the
implications of this discovery could go far beyond throat and cervical cancer,
and that is something we plan to investigate further."
More information: The research paper,
entitled ‘Inactivation of Rb in stromal fibroblasts promotes epithelial cell
invasion’ can be found online at www.nature.com/emb… 012153a.html
Provided by Queen's
University Belfast
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