the relevance of the control of the ‘ death ’ cell and the role of a gene in the battle against cancer.
It is published in the journal Clinical Cancer Research.
-The discovery represents a new breakthrough in knowledge of tumoral transformation and may have applications at the level of diagnosis and treatment.
Barcelona, July 2009.- The research group in pathological anatomy of the Institut de Recerca of l ’ Hospital Universitari Vall d ’ D’hebron of Barcelona has studied the role of the RSK4 as a possible tumor suppressor gene. The result of testing, in vitro, ratify the properties of the RSK4 gene to curb the growth of some types of cancer. Dr. Santiago Ramón y Cajal, responsible for this research, explains that the RSK4 get this surprising result inducing cells to limit their proliferation in renal tumors and colon ” details and findings of the research are published in the journal Clinical Cancer Research.
The cell as a suppressor of tumors mechanism senescence
Senescence is defined as the process by which a cell ceases to multiply and divide to move to a vegetative state or inactivity, which loses its proliferative ability. Therefore, the cells normal ” have a limited life and turn off ” when entering senescence. However, in the case of the tumor cells this process does not occur by what their proliferation does not cease. This immortality ” characterized the cancer cells are determined by an uncontrolled growth of tumors. Given that exceed the senescence is one of the basic initial requirements so that there is a malignant cell transformation, analyse the mechanisms which modulate the senescence can help develop more effective therapies against cancer.
RSK4 gen: an enemy of cancer
Previous studies on the cellular procedures involved in the early stages of the transformation of many solid tumors have identified several genes whose loss of functionality has been associated with cellular immortality or an induction delayed senescence. One of these genes is the RSK4 which, as noted above, is less active in a high percentage of renal tumors and colon. Researchers at the Institut de Recerca of l ’ Hospital Universitari Vall d ’ Hebron increased, through in-vitro tests, (activity) expression of RSK4 gene in colon carcinoma cell lines and noted that the presence of the RSK4 induced cellular senescence, thus slowing the growth of tumors. To the overexpress this gene test as very aggressive tumours stopped ”, assures us of the DRA. Gemma Armengol.
The next step
In the words of Dr. Santiago Ramón y Cajal, from the results obtained in the research, the aim is to study how it regulates the RSK4 and find a way of sobreactivarlo on tumor cells to induce them to senescence and stop proliferation ”. On the other hand, we need to get move in vitro results to real patients. With regard to possible applications of the discovery, Laura López, author of the doctoral thesis of which is a part of this study, explains that may be a marker forecast and serve at the level of diagnosis, to determine how to evolve a tumor ”.
