Prosaposin against metastases
Scientists from the Children's Clinical Hospital in Boston (USA) managed to find a protein that blocks the development of metastases. The discovery may find application in therapy: now most cancer deaths are due to metastases.
Doctors found that the protein prosaposin prevents the growth of the tumor itself, limiting the nutrition of its blood vessels. Prosaposin promotes the production of substances that inhibit the development of tumors. And this has already been confirmed in experiments on mice.
Researchers, dealing with prostate and breast cancer, identified cells that practically did not metastasize, although they spread along with the blood flow throughout the body. These cells were compared with the cells of the studied tumors.
It turned out that the tumors grew more slowly and did not metastasize if they consisted of cells producing a lot of prosaposin. Such a cancer was still dangerous for the patient's life, but it was better treated: it was easier to detect and remove one tumor than to eliminate many foci of a deadly disease.
After the scientists discovered the cause of the slowdown in the growth of tumors containing prosaposin, the effect was studied in mice, and in two different ways. In the first case, the mice received two injections – prosaposin and cancer cell cultures. In the second experiment, the synthesis of prosaposin was suppressed in tumors – and this led to a sharp increase in the number of metastases. In mice that received prosaposin, cancer developed more slowly, there were 80% fewer new tumor foci in the lungs. Lymph nodes, which are usually one of the targets of metastases in cancer, also did not increase; as a result, rodents lived at least a third longer compared to their non-prosaposin-treated counterparts.
According to Randolph Watnick, his discovery will not eliminate the causes of cancer and will not prevent the appearance of tumors, but the development of metastases may be blocked. The discovery has already been patented: the Boston Children's Hospital, as one of the largest research centers in the United States, is now preparing to develop and test a drug based on prosaposin.
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru / based on materials GZT.RU24.06.2009