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March 27, 2019 – 10:59 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net – Prostate cancer cells change the behavior of other cells around them, including normal cells, by "spitting" a protein According to Science Daily, new research has uncovered their core.
The tiny pieces of protein are absorbed by other cells, causing changes that promote tumor growth and help researchers help cancer protect against the immune system.
The process was captured for the first time on video (https://youtu.be/Ye4t9IJpRdo) by researchers from the University of Bradford and the University of Surrey. The research is published today [26 March] in scientific reports.
Professor Richard Morgan, a professor at Bradford University, said, "For tumors to survive, grow and spread, they need to control the behavior of cancer cells and the normal cells around them. have found a way to eliminate them.Blocking this process could be a potential target for future cancer treatment. "
Research has focused on a protein called EN2 that plays a role in the early development of the brain, but has also been found at high levels in many types of cancer cells.
The team has highlighted the protein with the help of a green fluorescent label. The researchers then studied its activity in cancer cells of the human prostate, normal prostate cells and in cancer cells of bladder cancer, melanoma and leukemia. They discovered that cancer and normal cells were absorbing the protein from other cells.
They also photographed prostate cancer cells in rapid succession, taking pictures every five minutes for 24 hours. The resulting video shows that the cells eject small parts of themselves containing the green fluorescent protein, which are then absorbed by otherwise dormant cancer cells, which reactivates, changes their shape or fuses.
Professor Morgan explains: "We think this is important because cell fusion in cancer is relatively unusual and is badociated with a very aggressive disease.It can lead to unpredictable new hybrid cells that are often more likely to spread to different sites and to survive chemotherapy and radiotherapy. "
Molecular badysis of normal prostate cells showed that taking EN2 allowed them to express a gene called MX2 that generates an antiviral response.
"We believe that cancer is trying to minimize the risk of infection of cells around it with a virus, to avoid any surveillance by the immune system," said Professor Morgan.
"This could hinder the effectiveness of immunotherapy treatments, which try to use viruses to kill cancer by stimulating the immune system to attack it."
The researchers were also surprised to find the EN2 protein in the cell membrane as well as in the nucleus, which is very unusual for this type of protein. This gives the opportunity to block its action and the team was able to identify the part of the protein accessible on the surface of the cell as a potential target of treatment.
Hardev Pandha, a professor of medical oncology at the University of Surrey, said: "This work follows earlier studies conducted in Surrey, in which the detection of EN2 in the US," he said. urine, after the secretion of prostate cancer cells, was a robust diagnostic biomarker for prostate cancer, and the more we learn about prostate cancer, the more we will be able to identify and treat this devastating disease. "
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