Cancer Cells to Commit Suicide

Researchers at Howard Hughes Medical Institute have developed a way that could potentially make cancer cells commit suicide. All cells, cancerous and healthy, have a enzyme referred to as Smac (second mitochondria-derived activator of apoptosis) which is directly involved in the apoptosis of the cell under certain conditions. Smac is described as a triggering device which signals apoptosis machinery to destroy the cell from the inside out. Cancer cells obviously have a way around this process and Dr. Wang in the article has shown that they actually produce another signal molecule TNFa’. TNFa’ has been shown to actually inhibit the “apoptosis machinery” and give the cancerous cells a growth advantage over other cells which is what allows them to spread and grow so quickly.

Dr. Wang and his researchers developed a small molecule mimetic of the Smac molecule which can easily enter the cell. The difference between this newly developed Smac mimetic is that it is triggered by the TNFa’ that the cancer cells produce for survival. As a result, the very chemical the cancer cells produce to promote their survival and growth is the same chemical that causes the Smac mimetic molecules to become activated and cause the cancer cells to undergo apoptosis. Since healthy cells do not produce the TNFa’ molecule is mass amounts like cancerous cells it protects them from any unwanted side effects.

Trials have been conducted on mice that were injected with tumor cells and later the Smac mimetic molecule. The trials proved positive as the majority of the mice experienced regression of the tumor cells and in some cases actually complete disappearance. Human trials have yet to be conducted but the possibilities look promising.

This new approach to cancer treatment could be the closest thing to a cure that has yet to be developed. Since the Smac mimetic molecules are fairly harmless to healthy human cells it would give patients a fairly undamaging way to alleviate their cancer.

The full article can be found at http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071112133819.htm