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Hopes raised for block on cancer
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by LotusFlower | August 31, 2008 at 10:20 pm
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Could this be the breakthrough that will cut to the heart of cancer treatment and see real hope of a cure for many cancers? The research will need backing from not only bug drug companies but international governments too if its to ever get to market at a cost that will enable most to access it.
Scientists say they have taken a big step towards blocking a chemical vital to the growth of many cancers.
They have unpicked the structure of telomerase, an enzyme which, when active, helps keep cells in an "immortal" state.
The chemical is at work in more than nine out of ten types of tumour.
Researchers from Philadelphia's Wistar Institute, writing in the journal Nature, say their efforts could lead to drugs which switch it off.
Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (2)
at 01:46 on September 1st, 2008
LotusFlower, I like this story. It's good stuff.
(bear in mind, I'm not a geneticist, in this answer).
As I understand it, telomeres are linked to programmed cell-death. Would there not be a risk of killing normal cells, or at least accelerating the ageing of the cells surrounding the cancer site? This sounds like a fantastic advance in the treatment of cancer, but the delivery system for any drug derived from this would have to be increadibly accurate.
at 10:38 on September 1st, 2008
I think that telomerase is mainly inactive in normal cells other than embryonic stem cells but very active in tumour cells so they envisage very few side effects. I think that this research is still at the very early stages and like so many hopeful stories on this subject before probably best not to count our chickens - but wouldn't it be a great breakthrough!?