Signalling pathway found to reduce brain cancer proliferation
7 Jan 2015 by Evoluted New Media
A common signalling pathway has been found to prevent the formation of specific brain cancers.
A common signalling pathway has been found to prevent the formation of specific brain cancers.
Gliomas occur in the brain or spine, with the majority of the tumours presenting as malignant. It is believed gliomas are caused by the excessive proliferation or reduced differentiation of brain stem cells.
Researchers from the University of Basel studied the Notch pathway, as it was believed to be a factor in the growth of gliomas. However, they actually discovered the pathway was responsible for the suppression of some types of glioma.
The Notch pathway regulates cell-fate determination during development in multicellular organisms.
Claudio Giachino, first author of the study, said: "In contrast to our expectations, we found that the opposite is the case: when activated, this pathway actually suppresses the formation of some types of glioma.”
Inactivation of the same pathway was also responsible for accelerated growth of some tumours.
Professor Verdon Taylor from the University of Basel said the results demonstrated major differences between seemingly similar types of brain tumour and indicated gliomas need to be carefully examined before selecting specific therapeutic interventions.
Researchers believe the Notch pathway could be a target for cancer treatment but also as a diagnostic tool for disease progression and patient survival.
Professor Taylor told Laboratory News, “Interestingly, the types of glioma where Notch signalling has a suppressive, anti-tumour function are, in general, those that respond less well to classical therapies including chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Whether this poor response to therapy is due to activation of Notch in these tumours remains to be shown and is an active part of our ongoing work.
“It is possible Notch signalling may be a good biomarker for glioma prognosis in the clinic and new drugs targeting the[ Notch] pathway could lead to novel therapies for glioma patients. We also plan to test the effects of manipulating Notch signalling on the response of gliomas to classic therapies including chemotherapy and radiotherapy,” he added.
The research was published in Cancer Cell.
