Scissor protein responsible for spread of cancer
19 Apr 2016 by Evoluted New Media
Aggressive cancer cells have been found to express higher amounts of a certain protein by scientists at the University of Bergen.
Aggressive cancer cells have been found to express higher amounts of a certain protein by scientists at the University of Bergen.
PITPNC1 controls a process where cancer cells secrete molecules which cut through proteins outside cell walls like scissors. This allows the cancerous cells to then enter the tissue and begin dividing and multiplying at a new site.
Dr Nils Halberg, a researcher at the University of Bergen said: “We discovered that the aggressive cancer cells that are spreading in colon, breast, and skin cancer contained a much higher portion of the protein PITPNC1, than the non-aggressive cancer cells.”
Using this knowledge, scientists can predict which cancer cells are becoming more aggressive and are likely to metastasise.
Dr Halberg said: “If we get to the point where we can offer a custom-made therapy that targets the function of this protein, we might be able to stop it spreading.”
The study was published in Cancer Cell.
