生物谷報(bào)道：利物浦大學(xué)研究人員發(fā)現(xiàn)兩種分子在血液中相互作用,，控制癌癥細(xì)胞擴(kuò)散,。某些疾病如乳腺癌,、肺癌及結(jié)腸直腸癌等,，受累細(xì)胞生長(zhǎng)失去控制,，最終導(dǎo)致這些部位發(fā)生癌癥,。如能早期發(fā)現(xiàn),，可以有效進(jìn)行手術(shù)切除,。但是如果癌細(xì)胞擴(kuò)散入血液,，則手術(shù)效果不佳,。癌癥細(xì)胞進(jìn)入血液后,，在一種稱為MUC1的蛋白質(zhì)的防護(hù)屏蔽作用下,，最終被人體免疫系統(tǒng)破壞,。細(xì)胞表面的MUC1可以防止癌細(xì)胞粘附在血管壁,。
研究人員現(xiàn)在明確了這一屏障是如何崩潰并使癌癥擴(kuò)散。他們發(fā)現(xiàn)了一種小蛋白質(zhì)即半乳糖凝集素3可以攻擊MUC1并破壞其保護(hù)性屏蔽,，使癌細(xì)胞暴露面積增大,，這些暴露部位使癌細(xì)胞粘附于血管壁,，隨后穿透血管壁并形成轉(zhuǎn)移灶。
癌細(xì)胞附著于血管壁是癌癥擴(kuò)散的關(guān)鍵步驟之一,。人們?cè)缇椭?，癌癥患者血液中半乳糖凝集素3水平較正常人明顯升高,，但一直未曾明確這一變化與癌癥擴(kuò)散是否有關(guān),。研究人員稱,，半乳糖凝集素3作用非常重要，這將有助于未來(lái)癌癥治療新藥的開發(fā),。
原文出處：
Scientists Discover How Body Fights to Control Spread of Cancer
01/08/07 -- Scientists at the University of Liverpool have found how two molecules fight in the blood to control the spread of cancer cells.
Researchers discovered that a large protein, which forms a protective shield around cancer cells and prevents them from causing secondary tumours, is attacked by a small protein that exists in the blood.
In diseases such as breast, lung and colorectal cancer, infected cells lose growth control and eventually form tumours at these sites. If caught early these tumours can be effectively removed surgically. However, when the cancer cells have invaded the blood, the effectiveness of surgery is reduced.
Cancerous cells that have entered the blood, however, are still prevented from causing further disease by the protective shield of a protein called MUC1 in which the cancerous cells are eventually destroyed by our immune system. Scientists have now discovered how this protective shield is broken down, allowing cancer to spread throughout the body.
Dr Lu-Gang Yu, from the University's School of Clinical Sciences, explains: "MUC1 on the cell surface prevents the cancer cells from attaching to the blood vessel wall which causes secondary tumours. We have discovered that a small protein called galectin-3, attacks MUC1 and breaks up its protective shield, forcing large areas of the cancer cell to become exposed. The exposed areas of the cell allow the cancer to attach to the blood vessel wall. The cancer cells then eventually penetrate the blood wall to form tumours at secondary sites.
"The attachment of cancer cells to the blood vessel wall is one of the key steps in the spread of cancer. It has been known for a few years that galectin-3 concentration is significantly higher in the blood of cancer patients than in healthy people but until now scientists did not know whether this increase played any role in the spread of cancer. Our study indicates that galectin-3 may play a critical role and may have significant implications for future developments of drugs for the treatment of the disease."
Source: University of Liverpool
相關(guān)基因：
MUC1
Official Symbol: MUC1 and Name: mucin 1, cell surface associated [Homo sapiens]
Other Aliases: CD227, EMA, H23AG, MAM6, PEM, PEMT, PUM
Other Designations: DF3 antigen; H23 antigen; MUC-1/SEC; MUC-1/X; MUC-1/Y; MUC-1/Z; MUC1/ZD; breast carcinoma-associated antigen DF3; episialin; epithelial membrane antigen; epithelial mucin tandem repeat sequence; mucin 1; mucin 1, transmembrane; peanut-reactive urinary mucin; polymorphic epithelial mucin; tumor associated epithelial mucin; tumor mucin antigen
Chromosome: 1; Location: 1q21
MIM: 158340
GeneID: 4582
