Cancer: Can Cancerous Cells Be Programmed Back To Normal Ones?
What makes cancer cells different from normal ones is that they divide at an accelerated rate.
Now, a team of researchers at the Mayo Clinic has discovered how to restore normality to the cells so that they stop replicating out of control. The findings are published in the journal Nature: Cell Biology.
"By administering the affected miRNAs in cancer cells to restore their normal levels, we should be able to re-establish the brakes and restore normal cell function," lead researchers Dr. Panos Anastasiadis, said in a news release. "Initial experiments in some aggressive types of cancer are indeed very promising."
During the study, researchers had to learn how to stop cancerous cells from dividing. While most cells in our bodies are slowly replaced through the process of cell division, cancer cells are more complicated as they are continuously dividing. For instance, where a normal cell typically stops dividing, a cancerous one does not, which can result in a tumor(s).
Researchers found that the final step of the process could be regulated by certain biological processors known as microRNAs that instruct the cell to create a protein known as PLEKHA7, which helps to stop cell division, according to Quartz.
"There's a long way to go before we know whether these findings, in cells grown in a laboratory, will help treat people with cancer. But it's a significant step forward in understanding how certain cells in our body know when to grow, and when to stop," Henry Scowcroft, Cancer Research UK's senior science information manager, added. "Understanding these key concepts is crucial to help continue the encouraging progress against cancer we've seen in recent years."
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