06.05.2008 at 08:00
- Category:
Cancer and Oncology
GENEVA, Switzerland -- Researchers in Switzerland said they may have found a way to stop the uncontrolled growth of squamous cell carcinomas.
The Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research has identified the method by which tumor cells in the upper layers of skin signal to each other to maintain their population by renewing cancer stem cells, Swissinfo.com reported Friday.
Researcher Joerg Huelsken and colleagues identified the protein beta-catenin as the crucial part of the signaling pathway between cancer stem cells. Huelsken told Swissinfo that if the protein is blocked, the stem cells eventually shrink.
The finding, published in the journal Nature, may allow doctors to target the source of the cancer without affecting healthy cells, Swissinfo said.
Huelsken said the laboratory is working to develop skin cancer treatments using specific chemical inhibitors to block the protein. The scientists, however, said it is too early to tell if blocking proteins will be an effective treatment for other forms of skin cancer.
Copyright 2008 by United Press International
