Introduction:
All of the cancer cells can form another tumor, or only selected cancer stem cells can generate new cancer? A new study found that the answer is both.
All of the cancer cells can form another tumor, or only selected cancer stem cells can generate new cancer? A new study found that the answer is both.
Researchers from the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center's observation of human ovarian cancer cells and found that in most cases the cancer is a predictable, organized way to generate progeny cells: cancer cells generate the parent child cancer, child cancer Sun generates cancer cells. Grandmother cell can lead to cancer recurrence rare cancer stem cells, Sun cells are most tumor cells.
However, in some rare exceptions, the daughter cells can generate stem cell-like cells grandmother. The researchers found this amazing study published in the "US National Academy of Sciences" (PNAS) on.
Cancer is a model of the form or randomly split, which has been a matter of intense debate.
Senior author of the paper, Dr. Ronald J. Buckanovich science associate professor within the University of Michigan Medical School, said: "Like all congenital / acquired problem, the answer is always both are usually not cancer cells we observed random split it. As in normal biology, we see the stem cells to generate daughter cells pattern, but in this hierarchical structure, we also see some rare exceptions to the contrary. "
"This is how you have to design anti-cancer therapy is very important. These stem cell-like cells are really important therapeutic targets, but also need to deal with non-stem cells."
The researchers also found that the function called BMP2 promotes cancer stem cell growth, while reducing the Sun cells (most tumor cells) growth. It's like conducting a dialogue between two types of cells: When the Sun cells too much, they will trigger the increase in the number of stem cells BMP2. These non-stem cells to help support the growth of cancer stem cells to maintain the balance within the tumor.
Buckanovich said: "BMP2 grandmother tells cancer cells to generate more, and stop generating Sun cells Sun cells, thereby reducing the number of, and thus have more to build a new invasive cancer, chemotherapy-resistant cells."
When the researchers blocked BMP2, reducing the ability of cancer cells to generate new cancer stem cells. But blocking BMP2 promotes the growth of Sun cells. Let BMP2 inhibitors only target cancer stem cells is a challenge. Current patients can not get this kind of treatment. Researchers are studying a number of ways to pass the inhibitor only to cancer stem cells.
The new study is unique in that it detects the human tissue, rather than a mouse model. The researchers used a microfluidic device Engineering, University of Michigan Euisik Yoon design. This apparatus makes it possible to achieve using traditional methods can not be separated and research ways these cells.
Buckanovich said: "We can observe in real-time cell division, true tracking and see which is the mother cell, which is a sub-cell of this device allows us to study human cells rather than mouse model we believe this is the first use from. Patients with cancer cells to define the level. "
Reference:
Identifying an ovarian cancer cell hierarchy regulated by bone morphogenetic protein 2
doi: 10.1073/pnas.1507899112
Souce: NovoPro 2015-12-02