LONDON (Agence de Presse Medicale for Reuters Health) - British researchers said on Friday that blocking the action of the IGF1R gene can make prostate cancer cells more sensitive to radiotherapy and certain kinds of chemotherapy.
To achieve blockade, the team, at the Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine in Oxford, used RNA interference which has the unique ability to switch off a single one of a cell’s 35,000 genes.
The findings, published in Cancer Gene Therapy, show that switching off IGF1R in a selection of prostate cancer cells resistant to different treatments makes the cells twice as sensitive to radiotherapy.
Also, researcher Dr Val Macaulay said, “blocking the IGF1R gene enhanced the effect of chemotherapy on hormone independent prostate cancer cells, so this technique could be effective against prostate cancers that are resistant to hormone-based therapy.”
The technique made the cells significantly more sensitive to drugs that kill cells by damaging their DNA--mitoxantrone, etoposide and nitrogen mustard--but did not enhance the effect of those that kill without causing DNA damage--paclitaxel and 5-fluorouracil.
Dr Macaulay added in a statement that the results suggest that IGF1R plays a role in the cell’s response to DNA damage, and will indicate which type of agents are likely to be enhanced by treatments targeting the gene.
“As an oncologist,” he added, “I am excited at the possibility of conducting trials of IGF1R-inhibiting drugs with my own patients.”
Source: Cancer Gene Ther 2004:11. [ Google search on this article ]
MeSH Headings:Biological Therapy: Genetic Engineering: Genetic Techniques: Genital Neoplasms, Male: Investigative Techniques: Neoplasms: Neoplasms by Site: Prostatic Neoplasms: Therapeutics: Urogenital Neoplasms: Gene Therapy: Gene Targeting: Analytical, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Techniques and Equipment: DiseasesCopyright © 2002 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. Reuters and the Reuters sphere logo are registered trademarks and trademarks of the Reuters group of companies around the world.
