Possible breakthrough identified in the treatment of aggressive drug-resistant cancers

Researchers at the University of California have discovered a treatment which stops the growth of aggressive drug-resistant cancers.

The treatment works by targeting and stopping a communication line which sends cancer cell division into overdrive. The treatment has also slowed the growth of colon, lung, pancreatic and skin cancer cells.

The trials have so far successfully disrupted the growth process in animals and are now planned to be extended to human clinical trials.

All body tissues are able to become cancerous as genetic mutations can cause cells to grow out of control. Tissues are continuously repairing themselves and creating more cells through cellular division. As the communications related to cell division are passed on, they are vulnerable to interruption, creating a possibly genetic mutation which causes cells to multiply out of control.

By targeting the line of communication, the scientists involved in the research were able to mute the external signals by blocking a molecule by the name of SHP2.

Lead author of the study Dr Trevor Bivona, said “The implications of being able to block SHP2 are broad and may extend to more types of cancer than seen in the present study.

“Almost every major oncogene I can think of co-opts this pathway in one way or another, and many of these cancers currently have no effective targeted therapies or eventually develop resistance to available targeted therapies.

It is exciting to anticipate such important work moving quickly from the laboratory to the clinic.”

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Posted by Tony May, Partner/head of Clinical Negligence Department, Chadwick Lawrence LLP (tonymay@chadlaw.co.uk ), medical negligence lawyers and clinical negligence solicitors in Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield and Halifax, West Yorkshire.

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