🌟 Exciting News for Cancer Research! 🌟
There’s hope for those battling hard-to-treat bowel and liver cancers thanks to an incredible scientific breakthrough. Researchers in Glasgow are making strides in understanding and potentially treating these aggressive cancers.
The focus? A protein called nucleophosmin (NPM1) that’s often found in high levels in these cancers. Scientists discovered that by inhibiting this protein, they might stop cancer cells from growing. Since NPM1 isn’t essential for normal tissue health, this approach could offer a safer treatment option.
According to Professor Owen Sansom, the team found that removing NPM1 disrupts cancer cells’ ability to produce proteins, which can activate tumour suppressors and halt cancer growth. This is promising news for the 4,200 people diagnosed each year with bowel cancer in the UK. Alarmingly, early-onset bowel cancer rates are climbing, especially among young women in Scotland and England.
The research is part of the SpecifiCancer project, which seeks to understand why certain genes only cause cancer in specific tissues. Their findings could lead to new therapies not just for bowel and liver cancers, but potentially other forms too.
With Scotland experiencing some of the UK’s highest rates of these cancers, this breakthrough is a beacon of hope. Current treatments focus on reducing tumour growth, and a new drug targeting NPM1 could be a game-changer, offering a novel, effective way to combat these challenging cancers.
Dr David Scott from Cancer Grand Challenges highlights the importance of this research, stating it transforms our understanding and approach to treating cancer from its roots, offering real-world impact.
Cheers to new possibilities in the fight against cancer! 🙌🎗️