利物浦大學(xué)的研究人員在本周星期二宣布說，他們已經(jīng)發(fā)現(xiàn)兩種蛋白能夠充當(dāng)?shù)囊认侔┘?xì)胞的一個分子馬達,。這兩種蛋白可能解釋為什么這類疾病的侵略性這么強,。這兩種分別叫做CapG和Gelsolin的蛋白質(zhì)能夠調(diào)節(jié)細(xì)胞的運動,。在癌變組織中，這兩種蛋白質(zhì)的濃度異常高,，并且他們可能與癌細(xì)胞在身體中的擴散有關(guān),。研究的結(jié)果發(fā)表在近期的Gut雜志上。
利物浦大學(xué)的Eithne Costello博士指出，這些蛋白可能在胰腺腫瘤的擴散和生長過程中起到一個重要的作用,。
據(jù)國際癌癥研究部門的資料顯示,，全球明年報道出的新增胰腺癌病例約有216000個，其中大部分發(fā)生在發(fā)達國家,。
要想控制,、戰(zhàn)勝這種癌癥，就需要先了解清除它是如何擴散的,。知道了擴散的機理,，我們才可能研制出有效的新藥物。這項新的研究則找出了兩個與癌癥擴散有關(guān)的分子,，并且是向這個目標(biāo)前進的一大步。
這種癌癥在60歲以上的老年人中最為普遍,，通常在癌細(xì)胞擴散到胰腺以外的晚期階段才能被檢測出來,。
研究人員發(fā)現(xiàn)證實這兩種蛋白質(zhì)分子有潛力成為新的抗癌藥物靶標(biāo)。當(dāng)他們降低癌變組織中CapG和Gelsolin的量時,，就能夠抑制癌細(xì)胞的擴散,。他們還發(fā)現(xiàn)癌細(xì)胞核中CapG的量與腫瘤的大小成正比。
Costello和她的研究組還指出,，Gelsolin水平較低或檢測不到的患者,，其預(yù)后也較好。當(dāng)然,，目前研究人員還需要作很多的工作才能了解這種癌癥背后的機制,，才能更早地診斷并研發(fā)療效更佳的藥物。
英文原文：
Proteins linked to pancreatic cancer found
Discovery may explain why disease spreads aggressively
LONDON - Scientists said on Tuesday they have discovered two proteins that act like an engine for pancreatic cancer cells and might explain why it is such an aggressive disease.
The proteins called CapG and Gelsolin regulate cell movement. Unusually high concentrations are found in cancerous tissue and could be involved in the spread of the disease to other areas of the body.
“These proteins may play a fundamental role in the aggressive spread and growth of pancreatic tumors,” said Dr Eithne Costello of the University of Liverpool in northern England.
About 216,000 new cases of pancreatic cancer are reported each year, most in developed countries, according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer in Lyon, France.
The Italian singer Luciano Pavarotti was recently diagnosed and had surgery for pancreatic cancer.
“Understanding how it spreads is a priority. We need to know how this disease spreads in order to be able to target new treatments. With these two molecules we have identified players in the ability to spread,” Costello, a molecular biologist, said in an interview.
The disease is most common in people 60 years or older. It is usually not detected until the cancer is in an advanced stage when it has spread beyond the pancreas which makes it more difficult to treat.
The scientists, whose findings are reported online by the journal Gut, studied the proteins that could potentially be new drug targets in samples of cancerous and healthy tissue in the laboratory.
When they lowered the amounts of CapG and Gelsolin in the cancerous tissue it reduced the spread of the cancerous cells. They also found that the amount of CapG found in the nucleus of cancerous cells was proportional to the size of the tumor.
Costello and her team also noticed that patients with low or undetectable levels of Gelsolin had a better prognosis. She added that in order to tackle the disease scientists must do a number of things.
“We need to understand the biology behind it. We need to catch it early and to find improved treatments.”
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