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- Cancer cells can alter their epigenetic composition to become drug-resistant.
- pixabay
In order to develop, cancer cells are able to modify their epigenetic constitution in order to become resistant to drugs and other forms of treatment, a team of Singapore scientists discovered.
In a study published by Nature Communications on November 22, the Singapore Genome Institute (GIS) team of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A * STAR) has also said to have found a new approach to cancer treatment by targeting the evolution of cancer. cells.
This approach prevents or delays the progression of cancer to a treatment-resistant / metastatic disease, the institute announced in a press release.
In their study, scientists discovered that cancer cells constantly evolve under the pressure of selection exerted by standard drugs.
The survival strategies adopted by tumors consist of "playing to death" by transforming genes into sleep and activating genes that are resistant or associated with metastasis.
"A better understanding of these mechanisms offers the opportunity to target these processes that will help prevent or delay the spread of cancer," said GIS.
Traditionally, cancer treatment has focused primarily on the complete elimination of cancer cells with high doses of chemotherapy. But it is difficult when cancer cells begin to adapt to survive.
Using primary cell and patient-derived primary cell (PDPC) models to identify different patterns of cancer cell resistance or metastasis, scientists have observed that in some patients, cancer cells continue to multiply even when They were treated in large doses.
The theory is that these cells changed their stem cell factors after treatment to make them resistant to drugs.
"Cancer cells behave like chameleons, altering the expression of their genes and their cellular behavior to overcome drug treatment. A complete understanding of the evolution of the tumor and our ability to predict the next evolutionary movement of cancer may be a way to manage resistance to treatment in the clinic, "said Dr. Ankur Sharma, lead author of the study and researcher associated with GIS.
Read also: How researchers who won the Nobel Prize in Medicine have transformed our cancer treatment
Dr. Ramanuj DasGupta, lead author of the study and head of the GIS group, added, "As a killer game, cancer cells have a long history in finding alternatives to treatment. By targeting the evolution of the tumor itself, we aim to prevent or at least delay its progression, while avoiding the detrimental effects of excessive treatment. "
The report also identified the BRD4 gene as a key molecule of resistance. Resistant cells were then treated with JQ1, a drug known to block the activity of BRD4, which has the effect of reversing or delaying drug resistance in tumor cells.
- A * STAR Genome Institute in Singapore
Professor William Hwang, medical director of the National Cancer Center of Singapore (NCCS), said the findings could help doctors identify cancer patients with the highest risk of drug-resistant recurrence. Better treatment options can then be offered when a patient is relapsed.
Professor Hwang added that the NCCS sought to translate the results into clinical practice in the near future.
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