Speaking today at the UK National Stem Cell Network Annual Science Meeting in Edinburgh, Professor Silvia Marino shows how the mechanisms normally involved in balancing different functions of stem cells may also contribute to cancer. Her team from Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry is currently delving into these mechanisms to understand how stem cells are normally regulated and what role they may play in malignant brain tumours.
This work has been funded by Cancer Research UK, Oncosuisse, Barts and the London Charity, Ali's Dream and Charlie's Challenge.
Professor Marino said: "Stem cells are present in the adult brain where they normally play a role in repair and regeneration. We want to know whether brain cancer can originate from problems in the regulation of these cells. Moreover, it is becoming increasingly clear that tumours maintain themselves with mechanisms similar to the ones used by stem cells. We want to understand whether differences can be identified between normal stem cells and cancer stem cells. If this is the case, new drugs can be developed to specifically kill the cells maintaining and propagating the tumour without harming normal stem cells."
In the body it is vital that a balance is struck between maintaining numbers of stem cells with making new stem cell derived tissues. This is important in embryonic development and also in preserving healthy adult tissues. If the balance is wrong then disease can arise. Cancer can result from stem cells dividing too much, leading to an excess of new cells. But if stem cells do not divide to replenish the stocks for renewal and repair then the result can be ageing and possibly degenerative diseases.
Professor Marino's group works to identify the mechanisms involved in maintaining this balance and assess whether similar mechanisms can possibly contribute to the formation and maintenance of malignant brain tumours. For example, research to date shows that a gene called Bmi1 is important for maintaining stocks of stem cells and without it the stocks of stem cells are depleted. And importantly this gene is overactive in various cancers including brain tumours.
Source: Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
Related stories:
Stem cell research puts interstate rivalry on hold
Victoria and New South Wales have put aside their competitive interstate rivalry to collaborate on a stem cell research project, as announced by Innovation Minister Gavin Jennings and NSW Minister for Science and Medical Research, Verity Firth, today.
NC State first university in nation to offer canine bone marrow transplants
Dogs suffering from lymphoma will be able to receive the same type of medical treatment as their human counterparts, as North Carolina State University becomes the first university in the nation to offer canine bone marrow transplants in a clinical setting.
DNA editing tool flips its target
Imagine having to copy an entire book by hand without missing a comma. Our cells face a similar task every time they divide. They must duplicate both their DNA and a subtle pattern of punctuation-like modifications on the DNA known as methylation.
Landmark study opens door to new cancer, aging treatments
Researchers at The Wistar Institute have deciphered the structure of the active region of telomerase, an enzyme that plays a major role in the development of nearly all human cancers. The landmark achievement opens the door to the creation of new, broadly effective cancer drugs, as well as anti-aging therapies.
Researchers devise means to create blood by identifying earliest stem cells
Johns Hopkins researchers have discovered the earliest form of human blood stem cells and deciphered the mechanism by which these embryonic stem cells replicate and grow. They also found a surprising biological marker that pinpoints these stem cells, which serve as the progenitors for red blood cells and lymphocytes.
Stem cells stand up for themselves
Adult stem cells are not pampered pushovers. O'Reilly et al. report that certain stem cells take charge of their surroundings, molding their environment to control their division and differentiation.
Japanese create stem cells from wisdom teeth
Japanese scientists said Friday they had derived stem cells from wisdom teeth, opening another way to study deadly diseases without the ethical controversy of using embryos.
Carnegie Mellon MRI technology that non-invasively locates, quantifies specific cells in the body
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) isn't just for capturing detailed images of the body's anatomy. Thanks to novel imaging reagents and technology developed by Carnegie Mellon University scientist Eric Ahrens, MRI can be used to visualize — with "exquisite" specificity — cell populations of interest in the living body. The ability to non-invasively locate and track cells, such as immune cells, will greatly aid the study and treatment of cancer, inflammation, and autoimmune diseases, as well as provide a tool for advancing clinical translation of the emerging field of cellular regenerative medicine, by tracking stem cells for example.