Develop medication that prevents the regression of cancer after surgery
Remove malignant tumors through surgery, is an of the techniques more common that is used in the fight against the cancer. However, There is great risk that after the operation, some cancer cells are attached to the tissue near, leading to the appearance of relapse - regression- or its spread by the body generating metastasis.
In order to combat these serious problems, that often trigger the death, Dr. Andrew Quest, Senior researcher at the Center for advanced chronic diseases (Accdis), It is developing a technology that is unique in the world: a new formulation that applied in the area of the surgery, After the removal of the tumor, It promises to prevent the proliferation and migration of malignant cells.
Investigations have focused on combat melanoma, a type of highly aggressive skin cancer which in our country has a prevalence of 2-,2% for every 100 thousand inhabitants, and with a 20% mortality rate, worrying scenario for this centre of excellence.
New medication
According to detailed Quest, "the grace of this innovation, is that the new drug,-made from natural and safe components-, Add specific inhibitors of certain molecules that are involved in the development of the recurrence and metastasis". In this way, therapeutic compounds are released into the area that may be malignant cells, avoiding the regression of cancer.
These studies have already shown successful results in animal models and cell lines and it is estimated that the strategy will also bring benefits in gastric cancer, from breast and colon. This biomedical innovation, developed in conjunction with the doctors Marcelo Kogan, Simon Guerrero and Felipe Oyarzun – all researchers of Accdis- expected to be soon patented, in an alliance with the Vice Presidency of research of the University of Chile.
Suppressing tumors
Andrew Quest advances in the combat of melanoma and other cancers, have been developed after years of research. Based on these findings, It consists of the discovery of the dual function of a protein called Caveolin, at different stages of the disease. According to determined the specialist, This molecule acts in early States as suppressor of tumors, and in scenarios advanced as a detonator of metastasis. To analyze this last, experiments were conducted on cellular models and mice affected by melanoma.
Andrew Quest, Senior researcher at the Center for advanced chronic diseases (Accdis).
As is the case with patients, they practiced these surgery removing the tumor, and in this context the role of Caveolin is analyzed, observed that the presence of this fostered the development of metastasis, especially in the lung. "And in the case of the suppressor and beneficial function of the protein, We found that this role occurred when Caveolin bound to another protein, call E-cadherin. This union inhibits the expression of a large number of genes related to cell proliferation, Migration cell and function antiapoptótica”.
“We describe it in vitro and saw that when they acted both proteins together the tumor not grow more, and the mice lived longer. But in addition, We note that this mechanism worked in different types of cancer, as colon, Mama, and gastric, What raises us interesting possibilities for treatments", He added. The results of these experiments were published in the international journal Pigment Cell and Melanoma Research, one of the most prestigious European society media referred to this type of cancer.
Clinical screenings
According to Quest, the development of cancers is, in general, a very slow process, that it may take 20 to 30 years, period in which various and subtle changes at the cellular level will is generated which, At last, associated the appearance of tumors. In this context, Research of the past years have been directed to the search for genes that act as suppressors or oncogenes, and at the same time, the discovery of strategies that allow to inhibit the latter, and on the contrary, help to promote those "guardians", you suppress tumors.
Considering this scenario, the principal investigator of Accdis is optimistic with these advances that integrate basic and clinical science. To date they have already tested some inhibitors that have worked successfully to inhibit the Caveolin when it is single. Another objective is to study new compounds that prevent the disappearance of E-cadherin, thus avoiding generate metastasis.
"If you were able to successfully advance, We plan the following scenario: the patient with cancer a biopsy is performed small, knowing that there expressed Caveolin 1, What is a marker of poor prognosis. And then, the surgery is performed to remove the tumor and treatment with the new drug containing the inhibitor is used in that moment. Like this, one could imagine that this therapy, made with nanotechnology, selectively blocking certain processes to achieve, thus preserving its capacity as suppressor of tumors", says Quest.
To fight cancer with this strategy, It is an alternative that could have great impact on health, According to estimated the researcher. This, whereas "the systemic cancer therapies are not selective, they are often inefficient, and they have side effects in patients". Once it is achieved to patenting the invention, researchers hope to move forward with the experiments and ideally, convene the interest of new Allied strategic that contribute to bring this advancement to the phase of trials clinical and subsequently, to the community.