April 15, 2010
— Purple Avenger This sounds like a pretty big deal.
...In the current study, the researchers revealed the mechanism. They found that macroketone targets an actin cytoskeletal protein known as fascin that is critical to cell movement. In order for a cancer cell to leave a primary tumor, fascin bundles actin filaments together like a thick finger. The front edge of this finger creeps forward and pulls along the rear of the cell. Cells crawl away in the same way that an inchworm moves.Macroketone latches on to individual fascin, preventing the actin fibers from adhering to each other and forming the pushing leading edge, Dr. Huang says. Because individual actin fibers are too soft when they are not bundled together, the cell cannot move...
..."More than 90 percent of cancer patients die because their cancer has spread, so we desperately need a way to stop this metastasis," Dr. Huang says. "This study offers a paradigm shift in thinking and, potentially, a new direction in treatment."...
Posted by: Purple Avenger at
04:28 PM
| Comments (111)
Post contains 185 words, total size 1 kb.
Posted by: Alex at April 15, 2010 04:31 PM (EkFe1)
O/T: It's clear the Heroes in Survivor are the dumbest tribe ever.
Posted by: rdbrewer at April 15, 2010 04:33 PM (vVV8J)
Posted by: Kratos (missing from the side of Mt Olympus) at April 15, 2010 04:33 PM (c0A3e)
Posted by: Slublog at April 15, 2010 04:33 PM (ju6ab)
Posted by: dananjcon at April 15, 2010 04:38 PM (Fkssu)
Posted by: Demo Creep at April 15, 2010 04:39 PM (82B/m)
Sharks like Edwards would still find a way to claim macroketone is causing some increased risk of something, even if it's been shown to be perfectly safe.
Posted by: Kratos (missing from the side of Mt Olympus) at April 15, 2010 04:39 PM (c0A3e)
Posted by: BeckoningChasm at April 15, 2010 04:41 PM (eNxMU)
Posted by: theguardianii at April 15, 2010 04:41 PM (ui+HU)
That's true. It was lawyers like him who took, what was that drug's name?, oh shit it just slipped my mind...off the market.
Posted by: Dynomutt After Dark at April 15, 2010 04:42 PM (4aB58)
Posted by: dananjcon at April 15, 2010 04:44 PM (Fkssu)
Posted by: Dr. Wham-0-Bam, Thanks Uncle Sam at April 15, 2010 04:47 PM (iqj7J)
Posted by: dananjcon at April 15, 2010 04:47 PM (JXe5r)
Posted by: dananjcon at April 15, 2010 04:50 PM (JXe5r)
It's amazing how quickly the cures are coming after Obama legalized embryonic stem cell research.
It's a big advantage he holds by being independent of the Papacy.
Posted by: Christoph at April 15, 2010 04:51 PM (7+pP9)
Wait until the human trials, friend. Mice and humans are about 90% the same on the genetic level, but there are some differences between the two species as you may have noticed.
Posted by: Kratos (missing from the side of Mt Olympus) at April 15, 2010 04:53 PM (c0A3e)
lol, I give you a B+ for effort on channeling Christoph. But I doubt even he would be stupid enough to try that weak-sauce.
Posted by: Kratos (missing from the side of Mt Olympus) at April 15, 2010 04:55 PM (c0A3e)
There's going to be no shortage of volunteers for this one. That's for sure. This sounds like something that should be fast tracked and have whatever backing is needed thrown behind it.
Posted by: Purple Avenger at April 15, 2010 04:55 PM (zj7Or)
Posted by: dananjcon at April 15, 2010 05:00 PM (JXe5r)
Wait until the human trials, friend. Mice and humans are about 90% the same on the genetic level, but there are some differences between the two species as you may have noticed.
Tell me about it. For starters, I've never tried shoving Barney Frank up my ass.
Posted by: A mouse at April 15, 2010 05:00 PM (rf03a)
Praying tonight for the success of this drug - God bless the researchers who did this work and God bless American CAPITALISM.
Posted by: stickety at April 15, 2010 05:02 PM (EsWC3)
Posted by: dananjcon at April 15, 2010 05:02 PM (JXe5r)
It's a big advantage he holds by being independent of the Papacy.
Posted by: Christoph at April 15, 2010 08:51 PM (7+pP9)
Does this drug dissolve in vinegar and water?
Posted by: Herr Morgenholz at April 15, 2010 05:05 PM (T/+sg)
Proton therapy. Not just promises. Limited number of clinics in the US. University of Florida has a great program, and there is one opening in Hampton, Va, soon. Not all the crappy side effects that are offered by our friend chemo.
Posted by: pitchforksandpowder at April 15, 2010 05:07 PM (W0Y5b)
Posted by: Ombudsman at April 15, 2010 05:17 PM (y4B2y)
Posted by: bergerbilder at April 15, 2010 05:19 PM (S1Ttj)
Posted by: bergerbilder at April 15, 2010 05:24 PM (S1Ttj)
I don't think this is "Christoph", right?
/btw, Bush never made embryonic stem cell research illegal- there were certain restrictions on what ES cells could be federally funded. Has there been any treatment approved using ES cells yet? Please tell me.
Posted by: Kratos (missing from the side of Mt Olympus) at April 15, 2010 05:24 PM (c0A3e)
If this works it will be a wonderful thing. Assuming it doesn't cost 50 million bucks per treatment or something. And also assuming we have any kind of medical structure left to administer it.
Alas - even this silver lining may have a dark cloud. After all, if it works, I will not get to see Barry die from a simultaneous case of jaw and rectal cancer, which is one of those little hopes that keeps me going at this point.
Posted by: Reactionary at April 15, 2010 05:25 PM (4nbyM)
It's amazing how quickly the cures are coming after Obama legalized embryonic stem cell research.
It's a big advantage he holds by being independent of the Papacy.
Posted by: Christoph at April 15, 2010 08:51 PM (7+pP9)
Sock or real?
Posted by: Jim in San Diego at April 15, 2010 05:26 PM (F09Uo)
Posted by: Kratos (missing from the side of Mt Olympus) at April 15, 2010 09:24 PM (c0A3e)
So far as I've read, the only advances from stem cells have been based in adult stem cells. The embryonic cells always turn into blastocysts or some such - basically doing more harm than good.
Posted by: Reactionary at April 15, 2010 05:26 PM (4nbyM)
Posted by: FDA at April 15, 2010 05:26 PM (fTJLU)
I can't access the Nature paper, but I guess my main concern would be side-effects. The actin cytoskeleton is in every cell. Literally, every cell - even your red blood cells and platelets which are dead-end cells that lack nuclei. A number of unrelated proteins bundle actin, fascin being one of them. That bundling process - and unbundling process - is vital in cell movement and shape change. I'd be worried about sterility and problems with your immune system.
It'll be interesting to see the original paper if I can get a hold of it. chemjeff might be able to figure out a way to get us the pdf through his academic subscription.
Posted by: Y-not at April 15, 2010 05:27 PM (Kn9r7)
"faster please"
Posted by: Lemon Kitten at April 15, 2010 09:26 PM (0fzsA)
That Contract From America looked pretty good. It's a shame the author of that article was such a defeatist. Basically he said "yeah - some good ideas, but let's not REALLY change anything..."
Posted by: Reactionary at April 15, 2010 05:30 PM (4nbyM)
Posted by: Y-not at April 15, 2010 09:27 PM (Kn9r7)
The immune system problems would indeed be a bummer. Though if I had cancer I suspect I'd be willing to risk it. As for sterility, that sounds more like a feature than a bug. Especially now that they know cancer can have a strong genetic component.
Posted by: Reactionary at April 15, 2010 05:32 PM (4nbyM)
Posted by: eman at April 15, 2010 05:33 PM (fTJLU)
Posted by: Tinian at March 13, 2010 01:48 PM (7+pP9)
Posted by: Josef K. at November 12, 2009 09:01 AM (7+pP9)
Ed Anger at March 23, 2010 07:20 AM (7+pP9)
Posted by: s☺mej☼e at April 15, 2010 05:33 PM (4y0YU)
Posted by: eman at April 15, 2010 05:33 PM (fTJLU)
Good heavens, Y-Not - AOS morons are supposed to be a bunch of mouth-breathing, bible-thumping, gun-toting, knuckle-dragging cro-magnons, and there you go and spoil it with intellect and erudition. A pox upon you!
Posted by: Ombudsman at April 15, 2010 05:34 PM (y4B2y)
They said the control animals lived healthy lives with no problems, but the animals weren't stressed majorly either. In my limited experience with animal facilities, there's always going to be at least a slight inflammatory response in animals caged within the "dirty" animal facility, but these treated animals may have been in some barrier animal facility.
Posted by: Kratos (missing from the side of Mt Olympus) at April 15, 2010 05:38 PM (c0A3e)
heh, heh
I postdoc'd in a fascin lab, but my work was on other actin binding proteins. It's frustrating to not have access to the paper. I don't know this researcher, which has me a little worried, but the journal is certainly great and the institutions involved are excellent. It's weird not being in Science any more.
I would just be a bit worried about this. Fascin was the least well-understood actin bundling protein a few years ago when I left Science and I'm not sure that they understand mechanism as well as they imply in the summary article.
But I hope they're onto something. I lost my mom to cancer in 1993 (the week Clinton took office!).
Posted by: Y-not at April 15, 2010 05:39 PM (Kn9r7)
<i> As for sterility, that sounds more like a feature than a bug. Especially now that they know cancer can have a strong genetic component.</i>
B-but, what if the patient has blond hair and blue eyes?
Posted by: bergerbilder at April 15, 2010 05:41 PM (S1Ttj)
Posted by: Y-not at April 15, 2010 05:41 PM (Kn9r7)
Posted by: Kratos (missing from the side of Mt Olympus) at April 15, 2010 05:42 PM (c0A3e)
Posted by: Y-not at April 15, 2010 05:45 PM (Kn9r7)
Posted by: eman at April 15, 2010 05:47 PM (fTJLU)
As an admitted ignoramus in the science of oncology (although, regrettably, with too much practical experience), I guess I don't appreciate why this is so difficult. We've beaten polio, etc. Is it a cell mutation vs. a virus issue?
Posted by: Ombudsman at April 15, 2010 05:47 PM (y4B2y)
B-but, what if the patient has blond hair and blue eyes?
Posted by: bergerbilder at April 15, 2010 09:41 PM (S1Ttj)
Given that we now find ourselves living in a society where the taxpayer is expected to pay for medical care (what little exists) for everybody (in theory), I'd not be quick to encourage those with serious genetic illness to pass them on to another generation. I know people with serious genetic disease, who had kids knowing that their children would almost certainly have those same problems. Sure enough, the kids are messed up. Where's the virtue in that? There are still kids in orphanages/foster homes that need parents.
Posted by: Reactionary at April 15, 2010 05:47 PM (4nbyM)
I keep forgetting that in addition to being a god, you're an academic (or scientist?). Which field?
Posted by: Y-not at April 15, 2010 05:47 PM (Kn9r7)
Neither. Just a lowly grad student. I'm essentially in biochem, although that's not what my degree is going to say.
Posted by: Kratos (missing from the side of Mt Olympus) at April 15, 2010 05:51 PM (c0A3e)
The anti-cancer agents that target microtubules (like taxol) are problematic because microtubules move DNA around during cell division. But in a lot of ways microtubules are boring structures (except in neurons where they're essential).
Actin, on the other hand, is in every cell and is very dynamic. If one actin binding protein, like fascin, can't interact with actin, then tons of other actin binding proteins can take over and completely frig up your cells.
Posted by: Y-not at April 15, 2010 05:52 PM (Kn9r7)
Wow, spooky timing. I was showering last night and found a small, pea-sized lump in my left armpit that wasn't there the day before. I'm making an appointment to get it checked out tomorrow and while I'm sure it's probably just a hardened fatty deposit or something benign, my Grandpa died of lymphoma just over three years ago so I'm having a hard time not being paranoid.
Posted by: ErikW at April 15, 2010 05:53 PM (XoWp0)
Posted by: dananjcon at April 15, 2010 05:53 PM (Iildi)
lol. My Ph.D. is in developmental biology, but my doctoral research was biophysics/structural biology and my later work had a lot of biochemistry and cell biology components.
When do you graduate?
Posted by: Y-not at April 15, 2010 05:53 PM (Kn9r7)
Posted by: bergerbilder at April 15, 2010 05:54 PM (S1Ttj)
The difficulty is making sure you're just killing the cancer cells. Don't forget, they're still you're cells, just haywire cells, so the machinery that makes them go is basically the same as the machinery in your other cells. They're just out of whack.
Posted by: Y-not at April 15, 2010 05:56 PM (Kn9r7)
Posted by: Lefty Shitbrick skimming the story at April 15, 2010 05:56 PM (H0yhf)
Posted by: dananjcon at April 15, 2010 05:58 PM (Iildi)
Posted by: Y-not at April 15, 2010 09:56 PM (Kn9r7)
My understanding of chemotherapy is basically that the body is being poisoned in the hopes that the cancer cells will die before the person does. Is that close?
Posted by: ErikW at April 15, 2010 06:00 PM (XoWp0)
Posted by: Bill R. at April 15, 2010 06:02 PM (EhlQq)
Yes, kinda. But the reason the cancer cells die faster is that they are metabolically more active, for example, they are rapidly dividing (multiplying). So that's why targeting the machinery that is involved in cell division (microtubules) works.... except that that same machinery is used by healthy cells to do good things.
I wasn't a cancer expert, so my view of this is skewed by the stuff that involved cytoskeletons (actin, microtubules)... so I'm not even sure what the majority of anti-cancer agents target, but that's the principle.
Posted by: Y-not at April 15, 2010 06:03 PM (Kn9r7)
Bill, good attitude. I lost my wife to breast cancer at age 46. You have her. Thank God daily.
Posted by: Ombudsman at April 15, 2010 06:06 PM (y4B2y)
Posted by: eman at April 15, 2010 06:07 PM (fTJLU)
That's why radiation works, right?
Posted by: Ombudsman at April 15, 2010 06:08 PM (y4B2y)
Really all this type of drug needs to do is keep the situation from getting out of control while you apply other treatments to eliminate the cancer.
Posted by: Purple Avenger at April 15, 2010 06:10 PM (oUOUm)
I'm not even sure what the majority of anti-cancer agents target, but that's the principle.
That made sense to me and any more info might have made my brain melt.
My Ph.D. stands for post hole digger, just so you know where I'm coming from!
Posted by: ErikW at April 15, 2010 06:10 PM (XoWp0)
Posted by: eman at April 15, 2010 06:11 PM (fTJLU)
Posted by: eman at April 15, 2010 06:13 PM (fTJLU)
If you'd been through it, you'd find yourself pondering just that question
Posted by: Ombudsman at April 15, 2010 06:13 PM (y4B2y)
Right, except what I'm saying is that actin moves all cells and changes all cells' shapes.
Blood clotting -> platelet response -> actin
Red blood cell development, maturation, function -> actin
Muscles -> actin actin actin
Wound healing -> cell migration -> actin
Immune response -> macrophage movement -> actin
In some ways actin motility is more essential than cell division.
Posted by: Y-not at April 15, 2010 06:17 PM (Kn9r7)
Really all this type of drug needs to do is keep the situation from getting out of control while you apply other treatments to eliminate the cancer.
Yeah. I mentioned that my Grandpa died of lymphoma and the speed at which the cancer spread was astonishing. He refused treatment because he was old and accepted that it was his time to go. From diagnosis to death was six months, nearly to the day that his doctors predicted.
What struck me was that he had golf ball sized lumps covering his body just under the skin from the waist up. The lymphoma ate him alive. I suppose if it hadn't spread, he might still be alive.
Posted by: ErikW at April 15, 2010 06:17 PM (XoWp0)
Posted by: ErikW at April 15, 2010 06:21 PM (XoWp0)
On a side note, an "obama" poster said "here's an aspirin". Actually, many cancers are an inflammatory disease and aspirin has been shown to help reduce the risk of recurrence. I wouldn't be surprised if aspirin ends up being more effective than this new treatment.
Great that the research is going on, but putting these stories out does more harm to cancer patients than good.
Posted by: Doctor Dave at April 15, 2010 06:29 PM (rglax)
Posted by: Unclefacts, AoSHQ Professional Debate Team at April 15, 2010 06:39 PM (erIg9)
Posted by: eman at April 15, 2010 06:39 PM (fTJLU)
Yea, Medical News Today is really mainstream "press". My neighbor the plumber has been subscribing for the past 10 years.
Posted by: Purple Avenger at April 15, 2010 06:46 PM (oUOUm)
I've always heard that cancer is just a name for a family of many differrent diseases. What works for one kind may not work for another, and, obviously some kinds are easier to cure than others, and some may not even be deadly even if untreated. However, if metastacis can be stopped, this is a big deal. But the most deadly kinds like pancreatic will probably still be deadly and there will be plenty of research still needed to "cure" cancer ultimately.
Posted by: bergerbilder at April 15, 2010 06:47 PM (S1Ttj)
Posted by: Gabriel Malor at April 15, 2010 06:59 PM (Mi2wf)
The downside: Cancer cell replication not yet affected.
So, if you don't discover your cancer quickly enough, this avenue of tx won't really help. This group seems to be working on metastasizing cancers as opposed to primary cancers. An interesting approach but not yet a silver bullet for cancer per se. The accelerated cell cycle continues apace.
Posted by: AnonymousDrivel at April 15, 2010 07:09 PM (swuwV)
Posted by: AnonymousDrivel at April 15, 2010 07:12 PM (swuwV)
Posted by: Death Panel at April 15, 2010 07:20 PM (jwNDJ)
Posted by: lonestar at April 15, 2010 08:15 PM (CYInL)
Haven't read the paper, although just the name "macroketone" gives this chemist pause for thought.
Way too early to get excited. Actin may be a target, but then so was angiogenesis. The operative word in that sentence is "target," as in "something to shoot at." Plus, lots of things work great in mice, but not in humans.
The cynical/ realistic/ experienced part of me says: "grant up for competitive renewal."
Posted by: Jay Guevara at April 15, 2010 08:52 PM (FgObH)
Posted by: Mike Nomad at April 15, 2010 09:08 PM (aK/ua)
There is only one reason to announce early drug development findings - to drum up investment capital from suckers. If a company has strong data, they can get the money. If they have enough money for right now, then making annoucements and publishing only attracts competitors and patent-breakers. It's the very last thing you would do.
On the other hand, if you can cure cancer in mice but your drug is too toxic to be used in people, you get in line for government funding via NIH. You beat the circuit of venture capitalists (who have gotten cautious in the past 2 years). You go back to NIH. You beg your congressman to pressure NIH. You try to get on the Today show to get citizens to beg their congressman to pressure NIH.
Posted by: dustydog at April 16, 2010 02:40 AM (j8aSQ)
Posted by: rgh at April 16, 2010 06:04 AM (MiBr0)
Mom died from breast cancer a couple years ago because it metastasized, eventually to her brain.
RIP Mom.
Posted by: 1idvet at April 16, 2010 06:43 AM (xUxh3)
It was government grant funded and was done at a university. The researchers are pretty much required to report findings and write papers as part of the grant terms in those cases.
Posted by: Purple Avenger at April 16, 2010 06:47 AM (4KYzf)
If this ever turn out to be the wonder cure, only people in their 20s and 30s will get the treatment.
Wonder Drug(s) to cure cancers interfere with the Obama plan, for deficit control. Of course.
Posted by: always right at April 16, 2010 08:01 AM (HmCnI)
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Posted by: Mr. Average Lefty at April 15, 2010 04:30 PM (KrRnU)