US Scientists Successfully 'Switch Off' Cancer Cells

iONiUM sends news that Mayo Clinic cancer researchers have developed a technique to reprogram cancer cells in a lab, essentially "turning off" their excessive cell growth. That code was unraveled by the discovery that adhesion proteins — the glue that keeps cells together — interact with the microprocessor, a key player in the production of molecules called microRNAs (miRNAs). The miRNAs orchestrate whole cellular programs by simultaneously regulating expression of a group of genes (abstract). The investigators found that when normal cells come in contact with each other, a specific subset of miRNAs suppresses genes that promote cell growth. However, when adhesion is disrupted in cancer cells, these miRNAs are misregulated and cells grow out of control. The investigators showed, in laboratory experiments, that restoring the normal miRNA levels in cancer cells can reverse that aberrant cell growth.

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obligatory xkcd

[juanfgs]

yadda yadda https://xkcd.com/1217/

Re:I'll believe it when I see it....

[Talderas]

We have not found a cure for either. What we have found is more effective treatments that reduce the rate of mortality. Earlier detection of cancers allows doctors and surgeons to treat and operate on cancers before they have time to grow and spread. We can get to a point where we no longer detect cancerous cells in your body but you are by no means cured because the detection is not absolute.

Treatments for HIV has helped many people avoid having it develop into AIDS but we haven't cured HIV. The people going through treatments still have HIV and are still at risk of it developing into AIDS.