Killing Aggresssive Cancer Cells
Scientists have started to research a way to kill "cancer stem cells". These cells have been found to be the cause of cancer cells spreading, and the cancer reappearing after treatment has happened. These cancer stem cells give rise to the most agressive cancer cells and resist all known treatments.
If the research develops, this could become an "anti-cancer therapy". But before they were able to begin research, they had to overcome two problems that the cancer stem cells have. The first of the two is that cancer stem cells act differently in a petri dish than they do in a human body. Secondly, there are not that many cancer stem cells available to do research on. In order to move past these two problems, researchers devolped a way to make a large number of cells with cancer stem cell properties through a process called "epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition".
After these problems was overcome, researchers in Boston took many cancer stem cells and injected them with thousands of chemicals. There were about 30 of these chemicals that they thought might work. The most promising was salinomycin, whihc reduced the number of cancer stem cells by almost 100 times.
Even though this chemical works in mice, it is not for sure that it will work in humans; many more years of research is needed before this process will be accepted, but scientists are very hopeful that it will be a breakthrough in cancer treatment.
I think this article is very interesting and motivational, because it brings a new possibility to kill even the strongest and most harmful cancer cells. The research that is being done definitely is moving cancer treatment forward and is good news for all cancer patients, both present and future, since cancer stem cells can affect even treated patients. The ability to stop the cancer from ever coming back is very reassuring and is a great place to be investigating.
Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090813142135.htm
Jessica Sabbagh
VTPP 434-502
If the research develops, this could become an "anti-cancer therapy". But before they were able to begin research, they had to overcome two problems that the cancer stem cells have. The first of the two is that cancer stem cells act differently in a petri dish than they do in a human body. Secondly, there are not that many cancer stem cells available to do research on. In order to move past these two problems, researchers devolped a way to make a large number of cells with cancer stem cell properties through a process called "epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition".
After these problems was overcome, researchers in Boston took many cancer stem cells and injected them with thousands of chemicals. There were about 30 of these chemicals that they thought might work. The most promising was salinomycin, whihc reduced the number of cancer stem cells by almost 100 times.
Even though this chemical works in mice, it is not for sure that it will work in humans; many more years of research is needed before this process will be accepted, but scientists are very hopeful that it will be a breakthrough in cancer treatment.
I think this article is very interesting and motivational, because it brings a new possibility to kill even the strongest and most harmful cancer cells. The research that is being done definitely is moving cancer treatment forward and is good news for all cancer patients, both present and future, since cancer stem cells can affect even treated patients. The ability to stop the cancer from ever coming back is very reassuring and is a great place to be investigating.
Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090813142135.htm
Jessica Sabbagh
VTPP 434-502
posted by Jessica Sabbagh at 8:26 PM
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