Scientists at
Cornell have recently found a new target for chemotherapy drugs that
could tip the scale in favor of patients diagnosed with a specific
type of brain cancer, glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). Brain cancer, in
general, claims more lives of men (between ages 20 and
39) and children than any other cancer besides leukemia. GBM in particular is characterized by
rapidly growing tumors that resist chemotherapy and radiation,
metastasize easily, and recur commonly even after the tumor is
removed. The prognosis for patients with GBM is poor, between often between 12 and 17
months.
This new target in the fight against GBM is tissue
transglutaminase (tTG), which is responsible for fostering the growth
and survival of multiple types of tumors. Researchers found that tTG
was present in patients with GBM, and the magnitude of tTG present
was negatively correlated with how good the patient’s prognosis
was. In other words, a greater presence of tTG was seen in patients
with worse prognoses. Within the body, cells have epidermal growth
factor receptors on their surfaces that, when a cell has to stop
growing, are retracted back into the cytoplasm. tTG inhibits the
retraction of these receptors, leading to excessive cell growth. It
is quite a promising target, as animals can develop normally in the
absence of tTG because similar proteins adjust to take on its
responsibilities without similar cancer-contributing features.
Therefore, it is possible that potential tTG-blockers will have
insignificant side-effects. Now that the target has been acquired,
researchers’ next step is to find a way to inhibit tTG. While the
research to find a drug capable of doing so may be a long, arduous
road, the significance of finding the initial target cannot be
understated and is an enormous step in helping those afflicted by
GBM.
Reference:
Hodes, C. (2013, November 19). Promising target found for better brain cancer drugs. Cornell Chronicle. Retrieved December 8, 2013, from http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/2013/11/promising-target-found-better-brain-cancer-drugs
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