Genetic trickery 'cons' cancer

[Guest guest]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/health/newsid_1668000/1668243.stm

Thursday, 22 November, 2001, 00:04 GMT

Gene therapy could save many lives from cancer

 

A new type of gene therapy which fools cancer cells into committing suicide has

been developed by scientists.

The technique, which has proven effective on all types of cancer, is a potential

breakthrough in the fight against the

disease.

 

Designed by a team of scientists funded by the Cancer Research Campaign, the

gene therapy system appears to target

cancer cells while leaving healthy tissue unharmed. Team leader, Dr Nicol

Keith, said: " I feel very strongly that our

research represents a potential breakthrough, with implications for the

treatment of a variety of common cancers.

People have discussed similar kinds of gene therapy system before, but we have

now made significant progress by moving

from talking about the theory to actually killing cancer cells in a very

efficient manner. With a bit of genetic

trickery, we have managed to fool cancer cells to their doom without harming

normal cells. I am optimistic that we

could soon have targeted treatments that spare cancer patients the side-effects

that many suffer today. "

 

The technique works by fooling a cancer cell into " switching-on " , or activating,

a gene which will in fact destroy it.

In 80% of human cancers the gene telomerase is switched on to ensure the cell's

survival and to allow it to divide

beyond its allotted time span.

 

The scientists, from the Beatson Laboratories at Glasgow University, took a copy

of the " on-switch " for telomerase and

wired it to another gene, called nitroreductase. The cancer cells were then

tricked into switching on the

nitroreductase, which is a very effective cancer treatment, thinking it was

telomerase. Nitroreductase works by

converting the normally harmless drug CB1954 into a toxic product which rapidly

kills cancer cells. But non-cancerous

cells are not able to " switch-on " telomerase and therefore are unable to switch

on the genetic treatment either - saving

them from damage.

 

Dr Keith said: " Using a sleight of hand we can convince cancer cells that they

are switching on the telomerase - which

is essential to their survival - when in fact they are actually switching on a

gene that will ultimately kill them. "

Professor Nick Lemoine, head of Molecular Oncology at Imperial Cancer Research

said: " This research is positive progress

towards making gene therapy a realistic treatment in the clinic. Using the

telomerase gene is an interesting area of

research and the next step forward will be to prove we can target cancer cells

selectively in people. Certainly gene

therapy holds the promise of saving many lives from cancer in the future. "

 

The system was also shown to work with other genes apart from nitroreductase,

also making it very versatile.

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Sounds good. Fingers crossed............

 

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Good Health & Long Life,

Greg Watson, gowatson

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