 |
|
Researchers at IRB Barcelona discover one of the mechanisms that prevents the spread of colon cancer
October 01, 2007Tumor cell growth is limited to compartments by the action of 2 receptors that confine these spaces
The first step in the development of colon cancer is the formation of benign tumours, called adenomas, in the intestine. Over time, these tumours may progress to produce colon cancer if they undergo a series of mutations and genetic alterations. Researchers at IRB Barcelona under the direction of Eduard Batlle, ICREA researcher and head of IRB Barcelona's Oncology Programme, have discovered a new mechanism by which the benign tumour cells receive instructions to grow in confined compartments, and no to invade other areas of the tissue. The description of this new tumour suppression mechanism is reported in the scientific journal Nature Genetics.
The scientists observed that adenomatous tumour cells have special surface receptors, called EphB2 and EphB3, which detect the presence of certain ligands in the healthy tissue that surround them. These receptors and their ligands serve to organize the structure of intestinal tissue. Thanks to the activity of EphB2 and EphB3, the tumour cells are forced to "listen to" the signals that they receive from their environment. These signals make the benign tumours grow in a confined space, from which they are unable to spread. "We knew that these receptors worked as tumour suppressors, but we did not know how. Now we have been able to observe that they compartmentalize the tumour, thereby preventing its spread", explains Batlle.
Until the tumour cells learn to deactivate these receptors, they cannot invade other tissue outside the compartment. Batlle goes on to say, "as the tumour cells progress to become malignant, their genetic programme is refined and they remove the signals that block their growth, including these two receptors, which impose positional information".
This study explains one of the key mechanisms of how a benign tumour transforms into a malignant one during the onset of colon cancer. Using experiments performed with animal models and in vitro cells, the scientists determined that the loss of compartmentalization, that is to say, the loss-of-function of these two receptors, is one of the vital factors in the development of adenoma-derived colon cancer.
It is estimated that between 30 and 50% of people over 60 years of age may develop one of these benign adenomas. Cancer of the colon ranks first in the list of the most common cancers in Spain, with more than 25,000 causes diagnosed each year. Last year alone, more than half a million people worldwide died as a result of this disease.
Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona)
Until the tumour cells learn to deactivate these receptors, they cannot invade other tissue outside the compartment. Batlle goes on to say, "as the tumour cells progress to become malignant, their genetic programme is refined and they remove the signals that block their growth, including these two receptors, which impose positional information".
This study explains one of the key mechanisms of how a benign tumour transforms into a malignant one during the onset of colon cancer. Using experiments performed with animal models and in vitro cells, the scientists determined that the loss of compartmentalization, that is to say, the loss-of-function of these two receptors, is one of the vital factors in the development of adenoma-derived colon cancer.
It is estimated that between 30 and 50% of people over 60 years of age may develop one of these benign adenomas. Cancer of the colon ranks first in the list of the most common cancers in Spain, with more than 25,000 causes diagnosed each year. Last year alone, more than half a million people worldwide died as a result of this disease.
Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona)
Colon Cancer Current Events and Colon Cancer News RSSNot Just for Depression Anymore
Prozac is regularly prescribed to ease the emotional pain of patients who are being treated for cancer. But can this common anti-depressant help to fight cancer itself?
ASGE urges patients to seek a qualified endoscopist before undergoing a colonoscopy
A study released today in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that colonoscopy is associated with lower death rates from colorectal cancer, however, the procedure missed lesions more often on the right side of the colon versus the left side.
Researcher invents lethal 'lint brush' to capture and kill cancer cells in the bloodstream
In a new tactic in the fight against cancer, Cornell researcher Michael King has developed what he calls a lethal "lint brush" for the blood -- a tiny, implantable device that captures and kills cancer cells in the bloodstream before they spread through the body.
Light shines for potential early cancer diagnosis technique
A team led by a Northwestern University biomedical engineer has developed a new optical technique that holds promise for minimally invasive screening methods for the early diagnosis of cancer.
Gene packaging tells story of cancer development
To decipher how cancer develops, Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center investigators say researchers must take a closer look at the packaging.
Drop in cancer deaths tied primarily to gains in behavior and screening
Improvements in behavior and screening have contributed greatly to the 13 percent decline in cancer mortality since 1990, with better cancer treatments playing a supporting role, according to new research from David Cutler of Harvard University.
Combining targeted therapy drugs may treat previously resistant tumors
A team of cancer researchers from several Boston academic medical centers has discovered a potential treatment for a group of tumors that have resisted previous targeted therapy approaches.
A Simple Blood Test for Colon Cancer
People are often reluctant to undergo a routine but painful colonoscopy ― but the consequences can be fatal. According to the American Cancer Society, colon cancer is the third most common cancer found in American men and women and kills about 50,000 Americans every year.
Adalimumab may reduce health-care costs for Crohn's disease patients
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a term that refers to both ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD). IBD occurs most frequently in people in their late teens and twenties. There have been cases in children as young as two years old and in older adults in their seventies and eighties; men and women have an equal chance of getting the disease.
Washington University scientists first to sequence genome of cancer patient
For the first time, scientists have decoded the complete DNA of a cancer patient and traced her disease - acute myelogenous leukemia - to its genetic roots.
More Colon Cancer Current Events and Colon Cancer News Articles
 | Tell Me What to Eat to Help Prevent Colon Cancer by Elaine Magee Elaine Magee gives you all the information you can never seem to understand when the doctor rattles it off, and she answers all the questions you ever wanted to ask a dietitian about preventing colon cancer. You will find a host of specific recommendations-what to eat, what to avoid, and how to incorporate these changes into your lifestyle. Tell Me What to Eat to Help Prevent Colon Cancer begins... |
 | Be a Survivor: Colorectal Cancer Treatment Guide by Vladimir Lange Dr. Lange’s comprehensive overview of cancer and treatment options offers detailed information using simple, concise language and a wide variety of color photos and drawings. Colorectal cancer patients need to know more about their disease, yet there is an overload of information. Be a Survivor gives the patient the specific, reliable and necessary information to make good decisions about their... |
 | Understanding Colon Cancer by A. Richard, M.D., F.A.C.P. Adrouny Stanford Univ., CA. Pocket-sized consumer text provides concise information about the disease. Reviews high-risk conditions, genetics, warning signs, screening, diagnosis, stages of the disease, virtual colonoscopy and treatment. Softcover, hardcover available. DNLM: Colonic Neoplasms--prevention &... |
 | The Colon Cancer Survivors' Guide, Second Edition: Living Stronger, Longer by Curtis Pesmen Based on an award-winning series of Esquire magazine articles on his battle with colon cancer, Pesmen shows how a person stops becomng a patient and starts becoming a survivor. Incluses a chorus of survivors' voices, and casts light on the physical, emotional and psychological needs of those striving to move forward confidently with their lives. New, revised second edition updates treatments and... |
 | American Cancer Society's Complete Guide to Colorectal Caner by American Cancer Society Don't die of embarrassment--get informed about colorectal cancer. Although colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer found in men and women, you may be unaware of your risk and don't know what you can do to prevent this serious disease. You may be too embarrassed to ask your doctor about changes in your bowel habits or get screened for colorectal cancer. American Cancer Society's... |
 | Living With Colon Cancer: Beating the Odds by Eliza Wood Livingston Despite the efforts of Katie Couric to draw attention to the importance of colonoscopy screening for the detection of colon cancer, this cancer still does not receive the publicity devoted to breast, lung, and prostate cancer. Yet colorectal cancer is the third most common malignancy in the world and is the second leading cause of death from cancer next to lung cancer. As a result, colon cancer... |
 | Colon Cancer Answers by Dr. Bruce A. Feinberg One of the greatest failures of public health practices and policy in America is the mismanagement of colon cancer. Despite the fact that colon cancer is 90 percent preventable through safe, accessible, cost-effective screening tests, this terrible disease remains the second leading cause of cancer death. Each year, more than 150,000 Americans will die -- an unnecessary and costly human... |
 | Positive Options for Colorectal Cancer: Self-Help and Treatment by Carol Ann Larson Colorectal cancer develops slowly over a period of several years, undetected, usually as polyps. It is a preventable and treatable disease if caught in time, yet most know little about how to read its symptoms. Written for the layperson, this book covers all the uncomfortable questions and answers about the disease, from prevention and warning signs, to screening and diagnosis techniques, to... |
 | What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About(TM) Colorectal Cancer: New Tests, New Treatments, New Hope (What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About...) by Mark Bennett Pochapin Colorectal cancer (cancer of the colon and/or rectum) is the second leading cancer killer in the United States - over 50,000 men and women die from it each year. This is a particularly alarming statistic since it is also one of the most preventable and most treatable forms of cancer. In fact, it is estimated that over one-third of colorectal cancer deaths could easily be avoided. But most people,... |
 | Diary of a Metastic Colon Cancer Patient by James R. Collins |
| © 2009 BrightSurf.com |