Hong Kong scientists discover protein suppression method that may boost fight against cancer
Experiments yield positive results in mice, but more work is needed for human treatment
Researchers from the Chinese University of Hong Kong have discovered a way to activate the body’s anti-cancer ability through suppression of a specific protein, contributing to the fight against the deadly disease.
Studies on mice found that by inhibiting Smad3, a protein that stifles cells in the body’s immune system called Natural Killer cells, cancer tumours could be greatly reduced.
This may give scientists a new approach to developing anti-cancer drugs for humans in the future.
“The treatment should benefit patients suffering from all types of cancer,” Lan Hui-Yao, the university’s professor of biomedical sciences, said.
While Smad3 is found in every cell and helps regulate the body’s immune response, it can be a “bad protein” when a patient is suffering from cancer.
In experiments, mice with lung cancer and melanoma cells were given chemicals that inhibited the Smad3 protein, and their tumours were greatly reduced 15 days later.