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




Researchers Stress Cancer Cells for Better Treatment Options

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 10 Dec 2014
Print article
Employing metabolic stress to destroy cancer cells could create new approaches for better targeted therapies that will not hurt normal cells and have no unpleasant side effects.

Researchers from the University of Adelaide in South Australia (Adelaide) revealed that chromosomal instability, which is a major characteristic of quickly dividing cancer cells, makes them stressed and susceptible to mild metabolic disruption.

Metabolism is the normal process by which the body converts food into energy. “A common problem in treating cancers is that they don’t respond to chemotherapy, or they respond for a while, but then come back,” stated lead author Dr. Stephen Gregory, senior postdoctoral fellow with the University’s School of Molecular and Biomedical Sciences.

“One reason this happens is because a tumor is usually not made up of identical cells but rather a diverse population of cells that changes all the time, losing, and gaining chromosomes as they divide—so-called chromosomal instability. Sooner or later they change enough to be able to resist chemotherapy drugs. Our research has shown that chromosomal instability has some consequences for cells—they get stressed, and it only takes a small metabolic push to kill them.”

Traditional chemotherapy is also very toxic to all dividing cells, especially affecting cells in hair follicles, blood, and the gut lining, frequently causing hair loss, pain, and making patients unwell. “We need to find ways to target cancer cells without affecting other normal dividing cells,” said Dr. Gregory.

The researchers stimulated chromosomal instability in the fly Drosophila and discovered that the unstable cells were “on the edge” of how much stress they could endure. “This is significant because a change in metabolism is something people cope with very well normally,” said Dr. Gregory. “That means that we hope to be able to develop treatments that have no side effects on patients, but are able to kill off the unstable tumor cells that cause relapses.”

Dr. Gregory noted that this may give some support to hypotheses of alternative treatments such as going on a drastic diet. “People who have advanced cancer which isn’t responding to chemotherapy often try a range of different treatments such as a radical diet in the hope it may help,” he said. “In some situations, it may in fact work; but we hope to be able to point the way to a more targeted approach—finding the most appropriate steps for intervention in the metabolic process that will give the best results.”

The research was published October 27, 2014, in the journal Oncogene.

Related Links:

University of Adelaide in South Australia


Gold Member
Blood Gas Analyzer
GEM Premier 7000 with iQM3
Antipsychotic TDM AssaysSaladax Antipsychotic Assays
New
Automatic Biochemistry Analyzer
Audmax 180 Evolution
New
Rocking Shaker
HumaRock

Print article

Channels

Clinical Chemistry

view channel
Image: The new saliva-based test for heart failure measures two biomarkers in about 15 minutes (Photo courtesy of Trey Pittman)

POC Saliva Testing Device Predicts Heart Failure in 15 Minutes

Heart failure is a serious condition where the heart muscle is unable to pump sufficient oxygen-rich blood throughout the body. It ranks as a major cause of death globally and is particularly fatal for... Read more

Hematology

view channel
Image: The smartphone technology measures blood hemoglobin levels from a digital photo of the inner eyelid (Photo courtesy of Purdue University)

First-Of-Its-Kind Smartphone Technology Noninvasively Measures Blood Hemoglobin Levels at POC

Blood hemoglobin tests are among the most frequently conducted blood tests, as hemoglobin levels can provide vital insights into various health conditions. However, traditional tests are often underutilized... Read more

Immunology

view channel
Image: Under a microscope, DNA repair is visible as bright green spots (“foci”) in the blue-stained cell DNA. Orange highlights actively growing cancer cells (Photo courtesy of WEHI)

Simple Blood Test Could Detect Drug Resistance in Ovarian Cancer Patients

Every year, hundreds of thousands of women across the world are diagnosed with ovarian and breast cancer. PARP inhibitors (PARPi) therapy has been a major advancement in treating these cancers, particularly... Read more

Microbiology

view channel
Image: HNL Dimer can be a novel and potentially useful clinical tool in antibiotic stewardship in sepsis (Photo courtesy of Shutterstock)

Unique Blood Biomarker Shown to Effectively Monitor Sepsis Treatment

Sepsis remains a growing problem across the world, linked to high rates of mortality and morbidity. Timely and accurate diagnosis, along with effective supportive therapy, is essential in reducing sepsis-related... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2024 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.