New research suggests that every form of cancer is linked to one single protein, leading to hopes that new treatments could be created to stop the killer disease.
Researchers from a range of institutions within the Sinai Health System have published their findings in which they say all cancers fall into two categories depending upon whether they express a transcriptional regular Yes-associated protein (YAP). This means that there are only two types of cancer, "YAPon" which express the protein and "YAPoff" which don't.
Amazingly, the researchers also found that exposing a YAPoff protein to cancer can stop it from growing.
The researchers however note that individual tumours can flip between the two types, thereby evading our bodies natural immune system, and making tackling them with medical treatments much more difficult.
The report states:
"The binary cancer groups exhibit distinct YAP-dependent adhesive behavior and pharmaceutical vulnerabilities, underscoring clinical relevance. Mechanistically, distinct YAP/TEAD enhancers in YAPoff or YAPon cancers deploy anti-cancer integrin or pro-cancer proliferative programs, respectively. YAP is thus pivotal across cancer, but in opposite ways, with therapeutic implications."
In a press release report, author Joel Pearson said:
"The simple binary rule we uncovered may expose strategies to treat many cancer types that fall into either the YAPoff or YAPon superclasses. Moreover, since cancers jump states to evade therapy, having ways to treat either the YAPoff and YAPon state could become a general approach to stop this cancer from switching types to resist drug treatments."
It is now hoped that this new knowledge and insight can lead to scientists building new treatments that can tackle cancer before it kills the patient. Many researchers already believe that many cancers may not be a life-limiting within the next 20 years. This is in large part due to our increasing knowledge and target treatments such as immunotherapy.
[h/t: Futurism]
COMMENTS