Will disabling Rasip1 protein synthesis help to suffocate the tumor?
Rasip1 protein may be the key to suppressing the formation of blood vessels that feed tumorsAlexander Shuster, sci-lib.com based on ScienceDaily materials:
Protein Might Be Key to Cutting Cancer Cells' Blood SupplyResearchers from the Southwest Center for Medical Research at the University of Texas have discovered a protein that guides the development of blood vessels and has every chance to form the basis for creating a technique to combat the spread of cancer cells throughout the body.
In the course of research on laboratory mice, scientists have shown that the Rasip1 protein (Ras interacting protein) is very specific and is key in a number of cellular processes. According to Dr. Ondine Cleaver (associate professor of the Department of Molecular Biology at the University of Texas, lead author of the research), without Rasip1 activity, blood vessels are not able to form.
"What we found is a first necessity factor for the formation of internal channels and the course of tubulogenesis, in other words, a first necessity factor for turning something like a thread into something like a watering hose," says Dr. Clover.
The development of tumor tissue depends on the formation of blood channels, which should provide the cells of the tumor tissue with nutrients necessary under the condition of rapid tumor growth. Cancerous tumors also use the blood vessel system as a means of spreading malignant cells throughout the body. Chemical compounds that suppress the activity of Rasip1 can probably resist the development of cancer diseases in two directions: through disruption of the nutrition of tumor tissue cells and disruption of the transport system of degenerated cells, says Undine Clover.
During intrauterine development, organs in the form of tubes appear in the fetus. We are talking about the intestines and the vessels of the cardiovascular system. According to the authors of the research, the mechanisms by which the progenitor cells of blood vessels are transformed into tubes that can carry blood are just beginning to be investigated.
The authors of the studies found a large number of regulatory molecules that are of great importance for various tissues, processes of formation and operation of blood vessels. These regulatory molecules are in an active state in the environment of body tissues. Rasip1 is a specific regulator of the activity of switch molecules called GTPases. The above-mentioned protein appears in an active state only in the cells of the endothelium, which forms the inner integuments of blood vessels. At the same time, Rasip1 activity is not observed in the cells of smooth muscle tissue, which is part of the wall of blood vessels.
In addition, the authors of the studies found that for the normal formation of blood vessels, in addition to the Rasip1 protein, another protein is required, with which Rasip1 binds.
According to Ondine Clover, the bulk of approaches aimed at suppressing the formation of blood vessels are based on the effect on growth factors outside the right cell, while Rasip1 is a growth factor that is inside the right cells.
"Despite the fact that we have conducted studies on laboratory mice, we believe that future studies of Rasip1 and the processes that are under its control will provide ample opportunities to create tools and models to improve clinical therapy methods aimed at suppressing the formation of a system of blood vessels that feed tumor tissue," says Undine Clover.
A more detailed description of the results of the studies can be found in the journal Developmental cell: Xu et al., Blood Vessel Tubulogenesis Requires Rasip1 Regulation of GTPase Signaling.
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