Information On Ovarian Cancer
Published on May 26 2010, in the categories: Ovarian cancer
A new study from „ Science Daily” shows that cells which normally help the constitution of the fallopian tubes can cause ovarian cancer.
The researchers form Georgia Institute of Technology, together with researchers from the Ovarian Cancer Institute found out that PAX8 protein is found not only in the cells involved in the development of fallopian tubes but also in the cells that lead to ovarian cancer, although it cannot be found in an unaffected ovarian tissue. The discovery opens new ways of diagnostic methods and therapeutic interventions, but opens also new ways to ovarian cancer research.
The study appeared on March in 'Gynecologic Oncology. " 'The discoveries made, give us new perspectives on the molecular and genetic understanding of different cancers and emphasizes, making us realize once again that cancer is a deviation of normal human development, due to genetic and epigenetic changes, "said Nathan Bowen , researcher at the Georgia Coalition of Anti-Cancer and Ovarian Cancer Institute (ICO). Bowen and his colleagues from ICO used cancerous and non-cancerous tissues, taken directly from the operating room for the purpose of investigating the molecular profile of ovarian cancer tissue, in order to determine the causes of cancer, to achieve a reliable diagnostic test after performing the blood test and to understand the reason why these cells are resistant to chemotherapy.
In 2003, a group of researchers from Stanford University involved in breast cancer study found that the pairs of genes 8 are only part of cancerous ovarian tissue, and not in the breast one. Considering the research results from Stanford, ICO began to investigate the possibility that these genes could be important markers in the discovery and research of the ovarian cancer cases.
Researchers began looking for evidence of PAX8 existence (protein composed of eight pairs of genes), a step to establish if the gene can be a biological marker for the ovarian cancer. PAX8 protein was found not only in the ovarian cancer cells but also in the secretor ones and in the fallopian tubes forming process. In addition, it was found and determined that the protein is not in the normal epithelium surface of the ovary.
Bowen assumes that cancer apparition is influenced be the PAX8 protein, which leads to an increase of adult stem cells number from the ovarian surface, leading eventually to the occurrence of ovarian cancer. During embryonic whenever this gene is activated, it leads to the development of the fetal uterine tromp but while it is active in the ovarian healthy mature cells, that migrate inside the ovary, it will form ovarian cysts. Normally, cysts growth is controlled by feedback mechanisms of cells, which stops their growth, but in cancer, when these feedback mechanisms are mutated, the cysts grow and get out of control, to metastasize.
'The new discovery is a path that could lead to establishment of new treatments based on molecular profile ", said Bowen.”Biology is, in fact, a system that processes information and produces final products and decisions. The decisions are taken by the cells, such as the pair of genes 8. Bowen will try to find out why the pairs of genes 8 are active and were they are heading to: to a gene that makes decisions or to a final gene. 'This is the hardest task in the cancer investigation" said Bowen.
'Now that we cut through human genomics, we must find out which of the thousands of cancer genes are activated simultaneously.' This research was possible due to the donations behalf of the 'Anti-Cancer Coalition' from Georgia and of the Laboratory of the Ovarian Cancer Research Institute.
The researchers form Georgia Institute of Technology, together with researchers from the Ovarian Cancer Institute found out that PAX8 protein is found not only in the cells involved in the development of fallopian tubes but also in the cells that lead to ovarian cancer, although it cannot be found in an unaffected ovarian tissue. The discovery opens new ways of diagnostic methods and therapeutic interventions, but opens also new ways to ovarian cancer research.
The study appeared on March in 'Gynecologic Oncology. " 'The discoveries made, give us new perspectives on the molecular and genetic understanding of different cancers and emphasizes, making us realize once again that cancer is a deviation of normal human development, due to genetic and epigenetic changes, "said Nathan Bowen , researcher at the Georgia Coalition of Anti-Cancer and Ovarian Cancer Institute (ICO). Bowen and his colleagues from ICO used cancerous and non-cancerous tissues, taken directly from the operating room for the purpose of investigating the molecular profile of ovarian cancer tissue, in order to determine the causes of cancer, to achieve a reliable diagnostic test after performing the blood test and to understand the reason why these cells are resistant to chemotherapy.
In 2003, a group of researchers from Stanford University involved in breast cancer study found that the pairs of genes 8 are only part of cancerous ovarian tissue, and not in the breast one. Considering the research results from Stanford, ICO began to investigate the possibility that these genes could be important markers in the discovery and research of the ovarian cancer cases.
Researchers began looking for evidence of PAX8 existence (protein composed of eight pairs of genes), a step to establish if the gene can be a biological marker for the ovarian cancer. PAX8 protein was found not only in the ovarian cancer cells but also in the secretor ones and in the fallopian tubes forming process. In addition, it was found and determined that the protein is not in the normal epithelium surface of the ovary.
Bowen assumes that cancer apparition is influenced be the PAX8 protein, which leads to an increase of adult stem cells number from the ovarian surface, leading eventually to the occurrence of ovarian cancer. During embryonic whenever this gene is activated, it leads to the development of the fetal uterine tromp but while it is active in the ovarian healthy mature cells, that migrate inside the ovary, it will form ovarian cysts. Normally, cysts growth is controlled by feedback mechanisms of cells, which stops their growth, but in cancer, when these feedback mechanisms are mutated, the cysts grow and get out of control, to metastasize.
'The new discovery is a path that could lead to establishment of new treatments based on molecular profile ", said Bowen.”Biology is, in fact, a system that processes information and produces final products and decisions. The decisions are taken by the cells, such as the pair of genes 8. Bowen will try to find out why the pairs of genes 8 are active and were they are heading to: to a gene that makes decisions or to a final gene. 'This is the hardest task in the cancer investigation" said Bowen.
'Now that we cut through human genomics, we must find out which of the thousands of cancer genes are activated simultaneously.' This research was possible due to the donations behalf of the 'Anti-Cancer Coalition' from Georgia and of the Laboratory of the Ovarian Cancer Research Institute.
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