MicroRNAs Regulate Cancer Stem Cells
Posted on: Thursday, 13 December 2007, 21:00 CST
U.S. and Chinese researchers say they've discovered a key molecular switch belonging to a class of molecules called microRNAs that regulate cancer stem cells.
A report, published in the journal Cell, said the microRNAs push the stem cells to become more differentiated and less tumorigenic through their ability to switch off particular genes.
People know that microRNAs are important regulators of cell differentiation, but nobody has shown that they regulate the critical properties of cancer stem cells, or any kind of stem cells, Judy Lieberman -- an investigator at the Immune Disease Institute and Harvard Medical School professor of pediatrics at Children's Hospital Boston -- said Thursday in a release.
The report said the findings suggest a novel way to target these cells to treat cancer with therapeutic RNAs, which are a new class of medicine under development for many diseases.
Source: United Press International
Related Articles
- Discovery Pinpoints New Link Between Cancer Cells, Stem Cells
- Geron Initiates Clinical Trial of Telomerase Inhibitor Drug in Combination With Paclitaxel and Carboplatin in Patients With Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
- Point Therapeutics Presents Positive Results in Phase 2 Talabostat Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Study
- STELLAR 2 and 4 Pivotal Trials Demonstrate XYOTAX(TM) Produces Equivalent Survival While Significantly Reducing Serious Side Effects in the Treatment of First- or Second-Line Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
- The Role of Whole-Body Bone Scanning and Clinical Factors in Detecting Bone Metastases in Patients With Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer*
- CTI to Report Results From STELLAR 3 Pivotal Trial of XYOTAX(TM) in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Ahead of Previous Guidance
- Biological Variation of Tumor Markers and Its Application in the Detection of Disease Progression in Patients With Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
- The Impact of Smoking Status on the Behavior and Survival Outcome of Patients With Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer*: A Retrospective Analysis
- Point Therapeutics Achieves Interim Tumor Response Criteria in Phase 2 Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Study; Company Advances Talabostat to Second Stage of Study
- New Targets for Detection and Treatment of Small Cell Lung Cancer*
 |
 |
User Comments (0)
RSS Feeds