隔断癌细胞与外界的“交流”
文章来源:未知 文章作者:enread 发布时间:2011-06-03 05:41 字体: [ ]  进入论坛
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While it is already known that breast cancer cells create the conditions for their own survival by communicating their needs to the healthy cells that surround them, Australian researchers have identified a new way of turning off that cellular1 cross talk. They have shown that a molecule2 known as 'hedgehog(刺猬) ' sits at the centre of the switchboard in breast cancer, transmitting biochemical signals between the cancer cells and healthy cells.

When this conversation is blocked – or hedgehog is 'silenced' – tumours4 shrink and stop their spread.

While the finding applies to all breast cancers, it is particularly relevant for women with basal(基础的) breast cancer, for which there is no current targeted therapy.

The good news is that drugs for silencing hedgehog are already undergoing Phase 2 clinical trials in other cancer types.

Clinical Associate Professor Sandra O'Toole and Dr Alex Swarbrick, from Sydney's Garvan Institute of Medical Research, analysed breast tumour3 samples from a cohort of 279 women with advanced breast cancer, revealing that the higher the level of hedgehog, the more aggressive the cancer.

Having discovered high levels of hedgehog in some breast cancer patients, they went on to over-produce the protein in mouse models of basal breast cancer. Mice developed tumours that grew and spread through the body rapidly. When hedgehog was blocked, the tumour growth and spread were significantly slowed.

These findings are published in the prestigious5 international journal Cancer Research, now online.

"We are hopeful that our findings will drive the progress of clinical trials for anti-hedgehog drugs in breast cancer," said Dr Alex Swarbrick.

"Finding an effective drug target for basal breast cancer is a very high priority. It is often referred to as 'triple negative disease', because it doesn't produce any of the oestrogen(雌激素) , progesterone or HER2 receptors, targets of the drugs tamoxifen and Herceptin, which are very effective in other breast cancers."

A/Prof O'Toole, also a pathologist at Sydney's Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, undertook the study as part of her PhD. "These findings may provide some hope to the many women who succumb6 to(屈服于) breast cancer each year, especially the basal sub-type, although obviously it is early days," she said.

"More work in animal models is needed to understand exactly how best to block this pathway."

"Our study demonstrates that starving breast cancer cells of hedgehog significantly slows their growth and spread."



点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 cellular aU1yo     
adj.移动的;细胞的,由细胞组成的
参考例句:
  • She has a cellular telephone in her car.她的汽车里有一部无线通讯电话机。
  • Many people use cellular materials as sensitive elements in hygrometers.很多人用蜂窝状的材料作为测量温度的传感元件。
2 molecule Y6Tzn     
n.分子,克分子
参考例句:
  • A molecule of water is made up of two atoms of hygrogen and one atom of oxygen.一个水分子是由P妈?f婘??妈?成的。
  • This gives us the structural formula of the molecule.这种方式给出了分子的结构式。
3 tumour tumour     
n.(tumor)(肿)瘤,肿块
参考例句:
  • The surgeons operated on her for a tumour.外科医生为她施行了肿瘤切除手术。
  • The tumour constricts the nerves.肿瘤压迫神经。
4 tumours 6654305f758b5b5576a74cb007e8d079     
肿瘤( tumour的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • Blood vessels develop abnormally in cancer tumours. 在癌肿瘤中血管出现不正常。
  • This apparatus scans patients' brains for tumours. 这台仪器扫描检查病人的脑瘤。
5 prestigious nQ2xn     
adj.有威望的,有声望的,受尊敬的
参考例句:
  • The young man graduated from a prestigious university.这个年轻人毕业于一所名牌大学。
  • You may even join a prestigious magazine as a contributing editor.甚至可能会加入一个知名杂志做编辑。
6 succumb CHLzp     
v.屈服,屈从;死
参考例句:
  • They will never succumb to the enemies.他们决不向敌人屈服。
  • Will business leaders succumb to these ideas?商业领袖们会被这些观点折服吗?
TAG标签: cells cancer breast
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