Researchers discover new molecular mechanism promoting cancer

A new molecular mechanism promoting cancer has been discovered by Pierluigi Scalia, MD, Ph.D., in collaboration with colleagues at the Sbarro Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, Biology Division of the University of Ottawa. Temple University, Department of Medical Biotechnology of the University of Siena (Italy) and the Italian non-profit research organization ISOPROG, in collaboration with the Center of Biocomputational Sciences, which is part of the College of Science and Technology of Philadelphia.

The new discovery is described in a study published July 3, 2019 in the newspaper oncogene, entitled "Identification of a Novel Phosphodegron EphB4 Regulated by the IGFII / IR Autocrine^A Axis in malignant mesothelioma."

This study identifies a novel potentially targetable oncogenic mechanism, as it shows how a previously studied self-stimulating tumor signal regulates the function of a molecule called EphB4, directly implicated in malignant cellular behavior, such as the formation of blood vessels. cancerous, normal tissue invasion site metastases. "

Pierluigi Scalia, M.D., Ph.D., Sbarro Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine

Scalia continues: "It is interesting to note that the key components of this newly identified molecular switch appear in all the malignant cancer cell lines studied, suggesting that the relevance of this mechanism could extend to many types of solid cancer, beyond mesothelioma. "

According to Professor Antonio Giordano, MD, Ph.D., co-author of the study and director of the Sbarro Institute, "this type of discovery is essential for fatal cancers such as malignant mesothelioma, for that the search for new molecular targets is strongly invoked in the medical field because of the growing demand for new treatments for more effective and personalized interventions. "