We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress hp
Sign In
Advertise with Us
LGC Clinical Diagnostics

Download Mobile App




Ion Transport Protein Linked to Brain Cancer Cell Migration and Invasion

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 22 May 2012
Print article
By elaborating the molecular interactions of the ion transport protein NKCC1(Na+-K+-Cl-cotransporter 1) cancer researchers have garnered new insights into the forces that drive glioblastoma multiforme cell migration and invasion.

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is an aggressive brain tumor, fatal within one year from diagnosis in most patients despite intensive treatment with surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. The migratory and microscopically invasive nature of GBM as well as its resistance to chemotherapy renders conventional therapies inadequate in its treatment.

NKCC proteins are membrane transport proteins that transport sodium (Na), potassium (K), and chloride (Cl) ions across the cell membrane. They maintain electroneutrality by moving two positively charged solutes (sodium and potassium) alongside two parts of a negatively charged solute (chloride). NKCC1 is known to regulate cell volume and intracellular chloride concentration and to play an important role in brain tumor-cell invasion.

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, MD, USA) investigated (1) whether the expression of NKCC1 in human tumors correlated with tumor grade; (2) whether NKCC1 affected cell contractility and migration; (3) whether NKCC1 could have an effect on the interaction between the cells and the cells' adhesion substratum; and (4) whether a signaling mechanism involved in the regulation of NKCC1 by promigratory factors existed in GB cells.

Results published in the May 1, 2012, online edition of the journal PLoS Biology revealed that in addition to its conventional function as an ion transporter, NKCC1 also interacted with the cytoskeleton and affected brain tumor-cell migration by acting as an anchor that transduced contractile forces from the plasma membrane to the extracellular matrix en route to cell migration. Regulation of NKCC1 by a family of unconventional enzymes, the WNK kinases, was an important factor that affected the activity of NKCC1 and determined the invasive ability of brain tumor cells. NKCC1 expression correlated with in vivo glioma aggressiveness, and the transporter activity modulated migration speed and invasiveness of cells derived from various human GBs.

“The biggest challenge in brain cancer is the migration of cancer cells. We cannot control it,” said senior author Dr. Alfredo Quinones-Hinojosa, associate professor of neurosurgery and oncology at Johns Hopkins University. “If we could catch these cells before they take off into other parts of the brain, we could make malignant tumors more manageable, and improve life expectancy and quality of life. This discovery gives us hope and brings us closer to a cure.”

Related Links:
Johns Hopkins University



Gold Member
Fully Automated Cell Density/Viability Analyzer
BioProfile FAST CDV
Verification Panels for Assay Development & QC
Seroconversion Panels
New
Dermatophytosis Rapid Diagnostic Kit
StrongStep Dermatophytosis Diagnostic Kit
New
Centrifuge
Hematocrit Centrifuge 7511M4

Print article

Channels

Molecular Diagnostics

view channel
Image: Researcher Kanta Horie places a sample in a mass spectrometer that measures protein levels in blood plasma and other fluids (Photo courtesy of WashU Medicine)

Highly Accurate Blood Test Diagnoses Alzheimer’s and Measures Dementia Progression

Several blood tests are currently available to assist doctors in diagnosing Alzheimer's disease in individuals experiencing cognitive symptoms. However, these tests do not provide insights into the clinical... Read more

Immunology

view channel
Image: The findings were based on patients from the ADAURA clinical trial of the targeted therapy osimertinib for patients with NSCLC with EGFR-activated mutations (Photo courtesy of YSM Multimedia Team)

Post-Treatment Blood Test Could Inform Future Cancer Therapy Decisions

In the ongoing advancement of personalized medicine, a new study has provided evidence supporting the use of a tool that detects cancer-derived molecules in the blood of lung cancer patients years after... Read more

Microbiology

view channel
Image: Schematic representation illustrating the key findings of the study (Photo courtesy of UNIST)

Breakthrough Diagnostic Technology Identifies Bacterial Infections with Almost 100% Accuracy within Three Hours

Rapid and precise identification of pathogenic microbes in patient samples is essential for the effective treatment of acute infectious diseases, such as sepsis. The fluorescence in situ hybridization... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2025 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.