Dr. Ningling Kang and team from The Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota have published new research in the journal, "Gastroenterology," impacting liver cancer development. The research focuses on the role that specialized cells and enzymes play in tumor growth in the liver. The article was written in collaboration with other researchers, including Drs.
From article, (we found a critical molecule that creates an environment for cancer spreading in the liver,” said Kang, head of the tumor microenvironment and metastasis laboratory of The Hormel Institute. “Understanding how cancer and the liver interact allows us to test therapies to stop the spread and growth of cancer in the liver.”
The article focuses on the role of an enzyme, p300, which regulates gene transcription. Cancer cells recruit these specialized cells to help create an environment that promotes tumor growth.
When cancer cells recruit the specialized cells, called hepatic stellate cells, to build stiff tissue and tumor masses in the liver, the stiffness causes p300 to accumulate and tumor growth is promoted. When the p300 gene of the specialized cells was disrupted, tumor growth was suppressed.
The liver is a common site for growth of cancer cells, including breast or colorectal cancer cells. When cancer cells grow in secondary areas, such as colorectal cancer growing in the liver, it is called metastasis. Current treatment options for liver cancer, both primary and metastasis, are very limited and contribute to mortality of these cancer patients.
Kang’s research discovery is important because it identifies a new therapeutic target for suppressing cancer growth in the liver.
Kang and team will next begin testing possible drug combination therapies to disrupt or inhibit p300 in the quest to suppress colorectal cancer growth in the liver.)
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