Summary: Researchers from Lund University have discovered that cancer cells communicate with other types of cells to activate the development of tumors. Once they knew this, they got an idea to try and block tumor's growth by blocking communication with other cells. Their focus on these cells though was the development of exosomes, small virus like packages that transport genetic material and protein between cells. When the production of exosomes in a cancer cell is cut off, then tumor development is halted. Lund researchers have shown that heparan sulfate proteoglycans, proteins with one or several long sugar chains attached to them, serve as receptors for exosomes and carry them into a cell. This protein also serves a role in the spread of other viruses such as HIV and thus, the mechanism in which exosomes spread resembles the spread of viral infections. Exosomes are captured then internalized and used to activate tumor development with receiver cells. When they block the receiver cells, then it also blocks of the exosomes from entering. In effect, cancer cells have no activation causing them to not spread. So they concluded when they block the path into a cancer cell, they also block the functionality of exosomes in cancer cells.
Relevance: This article relates to our cell curriculum. The article talks about how cancer cells communicate with surrounding cells and use this as a way to develop malignant tumors. The idea that scientists got was to inhibit this connection which would stop tumors from growing by blocking a cells' communication with other cells. This article relates to proteins in the cell membrane such as receptor proteins and channel proteins and cancer cells and cancer treatment. In Chapter 9.4, it explains what cancer cells do and what they can cause but it doesn't explain how they spread. This article explains how they do spread and it also gives a foundation to develop possible cancer treatment even though it is difficult to pull it off in a clinical situation.
Author: ScienceDaily.
Retrieved October 20, 2013
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/10/131017080252.htm
How or what exactly captures the exosomes?
ReplyDeleteThe proteoglycans' sugar chains, heparan sulfate, capture exosomes at the surface of a cell
DeleteHave cancer cells always communicated with other types of cells to activate the development of tumors, or is that a new, evolved trait of cancer?
ReplyDeleteCancer cells always communicated with other types of cells to activate the development of tumors
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