Blocking 'Rogue' Gene Could Stop Cancer's Spread

It's not a cure for cancer, but researchers at the University of East Anglia (UEA) say their discovery may help stop cancer from being the killer that it is.

The scientists have found what they call a rogue gene which - if blocked by the right drugs - could stop cancer in its tracks. If cancer does not spread to other parts of the body, patients have a much better chance of recovery.

Published today by the journal Oncogene, the researchers say the discovery is a breakthrough in our understanding of how cancer spreads. They hope the research will lead to new drugs that halt the critical late stage of the disease when cancer cells spread to other parts of the body.

Culprit

The culprit gene -- known as WWP2 -- is an enzymic bonding agent found inside cancer cells. It attacks and breaks down a natural inhibitor in the body that normally prevents cancer cells spreading.

The UEA team found that by blocking WWP2, levels of the natural inhibitor are boosted and the cancer cells remain dormant. If a drug were developed that deactivated WWP2, conventional therapies and surgery could be used on primary tumours, with no risk of the disease taking hold elsewhere, the researchers said.

Lead author Andrew Chantry, of UEA's School of Biological Sciences, said the discovery could lead to the development of a new generation of drugs within the next decade that could be used to stop the aggressive spread of most forms of the disease, including breast, brain, colon and skin cancer.

"The late-stages of cancer involve a process known as metastasis - a critical phase in the progression of the disease that cannot currently be treated or prevented," said Chantry. "The challenge now is to identify a potent drug that will get inside cancer cells and destroy the activity of the rogue gene."

It might sound like a simple step, but Chantry says it isn't. However, he says it is made easier  "by the deeper understanding of the biological processes revealed in this study."

The research was funded by UK-based charity the Association of International Cancer Research (AICR), with additional support from the Big C Charity and the British Skin Foundation.