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New Cancer Treatment Targets Bowel and Liver Tumors
19 Jan
Summary
- Researchers identified protein NPM1 as a target for specific cancers.
- Blocking NPM1 may offer a safe treatment for hard-to-treat cancers.
- Scotland sees high rates of bowel and liver cancer annually.
New research offers a promising avenue for treating bowel and liver cancers by targeting a specific protein. Scientists at the Cancer Research UK Scotland Institute have pinpointed nucleophosmin (NPM1) as a key player in the uncontrolled growth of these tumors. This protein, found in elevated levels due to genetic errors in the WNT pathway, could be blocked to inhibit cancer progression.
This breakthrough, part of the SpecifiCancer project, focuses on why certain cancer-causing genes affect specific tissues. By blocking NPM1, which is not vital for normal adult tissue, researchers believe a safe treatment can be developed for aggressive bowel and liver cancers. This approach aims to disrupt cancer cells' ability to create proteins, activating tumor suppressors and halting growth.
Given that Scotland has high rates of bowel and liver cancer, with thousands diagnosed and succumbing to these diseases annually, this discovery holds significant importance. The research also notes a global rise in early-onset bowel cancer. Future efforts will focus on developing drugs that block NPM1 production, potentially providing a much-needed effective therapy.
