Canadian
researchers have made a discovery that might lead to new non-toxic, targeted
therapies for metastatic breast and ovarian cancers.
The researchers
at the University of British Columbia found a protein called podocalyxin
-- which had previously shown to be a predictor of metastatic breast cancer
-- changes the shape and adhesive quality of tumor cells, affecting their
ability to grow and metastasize.
The discovery
demonstrates the protein not only predicts the spread of breast cancer
cells, it likely helps cause it.
"We believe
we've found a new important culprit in metastatic breast cancer, which
opens up an entirely new avenue of cancer research," said Calvin Roskelley,
an associate professor of cellular and physiological science and co-senior
principal investigator. "The culprit is hiding in plain sight on the surface
of tumor cells, so we are now developing 'smart' molecules to block its
function.
"The ultimate
goal," he added, "is to generate new targeted, non-toxic treatments very
different from the standard 'slash and burn' chemotherapy."
The findings
were recently published online by the Public Library of Science.
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