Khaberni - Scientists are searching for new ways to treat bowel and liver cancers, which are considered some of the most challenging types of cancer to treat.
The scientists studied the genes of the bowels and liver to understand why cancers only cause tumors in specific tissues, focusing on genetic defects that allow cancer to take control of a signaling system that determines when and where cells should stop growing. This system, known as the WNT pathway, is exploited by cancer cells to form tumors.
The study showed that a protein called “nucleophosmin” (NPM1), involved in regulating cell growth, was found at elevated levels in bowel cancer and some liver cancers due to genetic errors in the WNT pathway.
The scientists suggested that inhibiting the NPM1 protein could open the door to developing new treatments for specific types of cancer.
Professor Owen Sansom, the lead researcher from the University of Glasgow and director of the Cancer Research Institute in Scotland, said: "Since the NPM1 protein is not essential for the health of normal adult tissues, inhibiting it might be a safe way to treat some hard-to-treat cancers, such as certain bowel and liver cancers."
He added: "If the NPM1 protein is removed, cancer cells have difficulty producing proteins correctly, which allows the activation of tumor suppressors and prevents cancer growth."
The team hopes that these results will help in developing treatments for other types of cancer in the future.
The study was published in the journal Nature Genetics.
