Searching For Common Mechanisms in Cancer

(From ScienceDaily). Cancers are biochemically very varied; this means the defeat of one specific type of cancer is often of little direct use against others. But discovering common mechanisms across many types of cancer greatly simplifies the problem. Here, a new study "identifies a specific enzyme that can cause the death of cancer cells. Researchers studied the behavior of an enzyme called sphingosine phosphate lyase (SPL), which can regulate cell growth and death by lowering the levels of a natural, growth-promoting lipid called sphingosine-1-phosphate, or S1P. ... The enzyme SPL senses when a cell has sustained damage or is undergoing mutations. Once the enzyme is aware of these changes it responds by killing the cell. We hope to find new ways to leverage the body's own natural responses to these mutated or damaged cells to target cancer cells. ... Although we're beginning our studies in colon cancer, we believe our research findings will have a direct impact on investigations for other cancers."

Link: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/11/061120182022.htm

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