The Latest Biology News And Medical NewsBiology News 2Health News 2Biology News 3Health News 3
HOME >> MEDICINE >> NEWS
Cancer researchers describe gene that halts spread of aggressive childhood cancer

A team of cancer researchers has shown that a gene commonly lost during neuroblastoma tumor formation, one of the most aggressive cancers in babies and children, is in fact a "metastasis suppressor" gene. The researchers, from the Moores Cancer Center at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) Medical Center and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, also describe how the gene, caspase 8, works.

The findings, published in the January 5 issue of the journal Nature, provide important new insights into the biology of metastatic disease and lay the necessary groundwork for developing targeted therapies designed to halt the spread of neuroblastoma, and possibly other cancers.

"A major problem with cancer is not necessarily the primary tumor formation, but the ability of some tumor cells within that primary tumor to metastasize, or travel to distant sites, where they develop new tumors," said David Cheresh, Ph.D., senior author on the paper and Associate Director for Translational Research at the Moores UCSD Cancer Center. Cheresh is also a professor of pathology at the UCSD School of Medicine.

Caspase 8's normal role is to act as a suicide gene, killing the cell it is housed within in response to cues from the immune system. The UCSD group had previously shown, in normal human cells, that caspase 8 can be activated even without signals from the immune system, particularly when the cell is present in a foreign location. This acts as a mechanism to ensure the cells would survive only in appropriate tissues; for example, liver cells in liver tissue and skin cells in skin tissue.

"The exciting point of the new research is that we are finding that even tumor cells will try to make sense of their location, and when they cannot, they will often activate this suicide pathway," said Dwayne Stupack, Ph.D., first author on the paper and assistant professor of pathology at UCSD.

The team showed that when a neuroblastoma c
'"/>

Contact: Nancy Stringer
healthscicomm@ucsd.edu
619-543-6163
University of California - San Diego
4-Jan-2006


Page: 1 2 3

Related medicine news :

1. American Cancer Society to hold third annual Virtual Relay For Life in Second Life
2. Cancer research summaries
3. Cancer on the agenda of the Portuguese EU Council Presidency
4. Tony Hunter receives Robert. J. and Claire Pasarow Award for Cancer Research
5. OHSU Cancer Institute shows findings of immunotherapy vaccine in prostate cancer patients
6. OHSU Cancer Institute, VA researchers find way to identify which men need a second biopsy
7. OHSU Cancer Institute researcher identifies protein marker for prostate cancer survival
8. Ireland Cancer Center researcher lays out benefits of aspirin to prevent colon cancer
9. Mayo Clinic Cancer Center researcher finds mold by-product kills multiple myeloma
10. Margaret Foti receives AACR Award for Leadership and Extraordinary Achievements in Cancer Research
11. Cancer-fighting foods, supplements explored in day-long symposium, March 25

Post Your Comments:
(Date:11/24/2009)...Newswire/--GovernorEdwardG.Rendelltodayannouncedth...cinatedduringtheweekendatpublichealthclinicsheldby..., "Withthefederalgovernmentunabletoprovideaccura...fH1N1vaccine,distributionhasbeenchallenging,"saidG...cinedistributionprocessinPennsylvania.Holdingpubli...
(Date:11/24/2009)...ire/--Nextmonth,UnitedHealthcarewilloffertwofreeMe...icanseniorsunderstandthebasicsofMedicare.Following...74;Goldclass,aLatin-infusedfitnessprogramthatblend... ,, UnitedHealthcarewilloffertheseseminarsinSpa...rningabouttheirhealthcareoptions. Thereareapproxi...
(Date:11/24/2009)...irstCall/--HealthSouthCorporation(NYSE: HLS )today...lLynch2009CreditConferenceinNewYorkonDec.2-3,2009....dFaywillbespeakingonThursday,Dec.3,2009,at3:40p.m....bleat http://investor.healthsouth.com byclickingon...althSouthisthenation,slargestproviderofinpatientre...
(Date:11/24/2009)...ospects, but cancer risk remains , , TUE...rs yet more proof that smoking is a major risk fac...Researchers followed 12,152 American and European ...okers for three years. During that time, current s...r, 2.26 times more likely to die of heart disease ...
(Date:11/24/2009)...udy conducted by Children,s Hospital & Research Ce...therapeutic agents found naturally in soy that can...d most deadly form of cancer. Sphingadienes (SDs) ...arch shows may be the key to fighting colon cancer...r scientist and director of the Cancer Center at C...
Breaking Medicine News(10 mins):Health News:Governor Rendell Announces 100,000 At-Risk Pennsylvanians Vaccinated at H1N1 Public Health Clinics; Addresses Future Vaccine Distribution Plans 2Health News:UnitedHealthcare To Offer Seniors Hispanic-Centered Medicare Education Seminars Combined With a Latin-Themed Fitness Program 2Health News:Smokers Double Their Risk for Heart Disease 2Health News:Children's Hospital Oakland scientists discover soy component may be key to fighting colon cancer 2
(Date:11/24/2009).../-- InfiniteMind ,aSaltLakeCitybasedsoftwarecompan...ameyeQ,thesoftwareprogramistobeusedinconjunctionwi...introducedattheCOVDconferencethisOctoberinColorado...ievesthe eyeQ programaddssignificantvaluetohisprac...hispatientstoembedpracticesfromtheofficesettingtot...
(Date:11/24/2009)...Asia/--HuifengBio-Pharmaceutical,Technology,Inc.(O...,ofplantextractsandpharmaceuticalrawmaterialsforus...nXi,an,China,todayreportedthatinits,thirdquarter,t...venuesforthequarterendedSept.30,2009were$4,465,770...amequarterin2008.Netincome,amountedto1,002,005,or$...
(Date:11/24/2009)...stCall/--NeurocrineBiosciences,Inc.(Nasdaq: NBIX )...cutiveOfficerofNeurocrineBiosciences,willbepresent...inNewYork. ,, ThelivepresentationtakesplaceTues...m.PacificTime(PT).Thepresentationwillbesimultaneou...http://www.neurocrine.com . ,, Ifyouareunableto...
Breaking Medicine Technology:Infinite Mind Announces the Launch of a New Online Vision Therapy Program eyeQ 2Huifeng Bio-Pharmaceutical Technology Reports 26% Quarterly Revenue Increase 2Huifeng Bio-Pharmaceutical Technology Reports 26% Quarterly Revenue Increase 3This is a Test From PR Newswire Immediate Direct File 61877 1Alzheimer 26apos 3Bs Foundation of America Applauds Inclusion of Cognitive Impairment Detection in Healthcare Reform 61873 1Alzheimer 26apos 3Bs Foundation of America Applauds Inclusion of Cognitive Impairment Detection in Healthcare Reform 61873 2Alzheimer 26apos 3Bs Foundation of America Applauds Inclusion of Cognitive Impairment Detection in Healthcare Reform 61873 3Actuaries to Senate 3A Strengthen Individual Mandate 61868 1Actuaries to Senate 3A Strengthen Individual Mandate 61868 2
Other News:
...S recommendations for lowering cholesterol levels ...th no overall reduction in deaths, warn experts in...sterol Education Program has said that people at h...ggressively. ......By aggressively, it means that ...
...doses of some traditional non-steroidal anti-infla... cardiovascular risks as the new generation of ant...ke Vioxx ), finds a study in this week's BMJ. .......mbined analysis (known as a "meta-analysis") of al...
...ant women with female genital mutilation (FGM) hav...n after birth than those without, according to a p...rchers also found that women with FGM had more bir...edures that involve partial or total removal of th...
...S - June 1, 2006 - Adults need to be better educat... or programming, but the physical danger of fallin...cal Center study. ...UT Southwestern pediatricians...ases involving children injured by television sets...
health news:Female genital mutilation harmful for mothers and babies 2health news:Public needs to heighten awareness of dangers of elevated TVs that are larger, heavier 2health news:Public needs to heighten awareness of dangers of elevated TVs that are larger, heavier 3
...ompanies spend upward of $25 billion per year on p...o doctors, but new research shows such marketing d...prescribing behavior.... ...Direct-to-physician a... $5.3 billion spent on a practice called "detailin...
...ernment ponders the ethical implications of therap...e future. The Golden State has caught the attentio...akes its first steps toward becoming, thanks to Pr...l research, with government support to the tune of...
...degrading enzyme (IDE) is a protein known to play ...destructive plaques and tangles in the brains of A...own about the cellular and molecular regulation of... and human tissue, the research team 1) identified...
...e overweight or obese in young adulthood and middl...older age, compared to their nonoverweight peers, ...MA.......According to background information, obes...d pressure, diabetes, and certain cancers, and has...
health news:Pharmaceutical marketing tactics hold little sway with prescribing physicians 2health news:Pharmaceutical marketing tactics hold little sway with prescribing physicians 3health news:Stem cell research: The new medicine of the future 2health news:Stem cell research: The new medicine of the future 3health news:Health care charges higher for older adults who were overweight or obese when younger 2