Skip to content
Techie News UK Logo
Menu
  • Home
Menu

Scientists may have found brain tumor stem cells’ Achilles’ heel

Posted on 13 June 2015

Doctors and medical professionals will know how hard it is to treat some brain tumours – even if they are surgically removed, zapped by radiation or infiltrated by chemotherapy drugs, they find a way to return. Now a new research that may have found the Achilles’ heel in brain tumour stem cells will prove to be a vital discovery as researchers claim they have been able to disrupt brain tumour stem cells.

According to researchers, the ability of many brain tumors to regenerate can be traced to cancer stem cells that evade treatment and spur the growth of new tumor cells.

Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine claim that there are some brain tumor stem cells that may have an Achilles’ heel. The scientists found that for the cancer tumour to grow, stem cells’ remarkable abilities have to be maintained. They say that they have identified a key player in that maintenance process, which when disrupted, stops the spread of cancer.

“This discovery may help us attack the root of some of the deadliest brain tumors,” said senior author Albert H. Kim, MD, PhD, assistant professor of neurological surgery. “A successful brain cancer treatment will very likely require blocking the tumor stem cells’ ability to survive and replenish themselves.”

Scientists have realized in recent years that some cancer cells in glioblastoma, a deadly form of brain cancer that each year strikes about 18,000 people in the US alone, and other tumors are more resistant to treatment than others. Those same, more defiant cells also are much better at re-establishing cancer after treatment.

“These tumor stem cells are really the kingpins of cancers — the cells that direct and drive much of the harm done by tumors,” said Kim, who treats patients at Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine.

Kim and his colleagues identified a protein, known as SOX2, that is active in brain tumor stem cells and in healthy stem cells in other parts of the body.

The researchers found that the tumor stem cells’ ability to make SOX2 could be turned up or down via another protein, CDC20. Increasing SOX2 by boosting levels of CDC20 also increased a tumor’s ability to grow once transplanted into mice. Eliminating CDC20, meanwhile, left tumor stem cells unable to make SOX2, reducing the tumor stem cells’ ability to form tumors.

“The rate of growth in some tumors lacking CDC20 dropped by 95 percent compared with tumors with more typical levels of CDC20,” Kim said.

When the scientists analyzed human tumor samples, they found that a subset of patients with glioblastomas that had the highest CDC20 levels also had the shortest periods of survival after diagnosis.

Kim’s lab is exploring methods to block CDC20 in brain tumors, including RNA interference, an approach in which the production of specific proteins is blocked. That general approach is in clinical trials as a therapy for other cancers, viral infections and other illnesses.

The findings are published online in Cell Reports.

Ravi
Ravi

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Norton Secure VPN Ad

Advertisement

Recent Posts

  • Most Watched Netflix Movies in the UK
  • 4 Best British Technology and Science YouTube Channels
  • Most Watched Netflix Movies in Ireland
  • 5 Weird Things That Surprise Tourist About Technology in Ireland
  • British And Irish Science Influencers on TikTok
Norton Secure VPN Ad

Advertisement

Categories

  • Apple
  • Apps
  • Books
  • Business
  • Cars
  • Cloud
  • Compliance
  • Entertainment
  • Featured
  • Future Tech
  • Gadgets
  • Gaming
  • General Tech
  • Global Tech News
  • Health
  • History
  • Industry Voice
  • Influencers
  • Management
  • Mobile
  • Open Source
  • Podcasts
  • Public Sector
  • Roundup
  • Science
  • Security
  • Software
  • Tablets
  • Techie Deals
  • Technology
  • UK & Ireland Tech News
  • Web
  • World
  • WTF
©2025 Techie News (UK and Ireland) | techienews.co.uk   Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | ***DMCA Policy***    🇬🇧 🇮🇪
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT