Scientists bring cancer cells back under control

Scientists at The University of Nottingham have brought cancer cells back under normal control — by reactivating their cancer suppressor genes. Published* research reveals how Dr Cinzia Allegrucci from the School of Veterinary Science and Medicine and Dr Andrew Johnson in the Centre for Genetics and Genomics reactivated tumour suppressor genes and stopped the cancer from growing by treating them with Axolotl oocyte extract. After 60 days there was still no evidence of cancerous growth.

Dr Allegrucci, a lecturer in molecular genetics and cell biology, said: “The on/off switch in genes is controlled by the modification of proteins that are bound to the DNA in a cell — so called epigenetic modifications. Tumour suppressor genes in many breast cancers are switched off by epigenetic marks, which is the underlying cause of tumours. We sought to reverse this process, activating the tumour suppressor genes, in hope of stopping cancerous cell divisions.”

Dr Johnson explained that the technology made use of the eggs (oocytes) of the axolotl salamander as the proteins in axolotls are very similar to those in humans and also have very powerful epigenetic modifying activity. Extracts prepared from these oocytes have shown capacity to change epigenetic marks on the DNA of human cells. In a breakthrough they also showed it is important to use oocytes from the ovary, because if the oocytes are ovulated these activities are lost. “We thought that by treating cancer cells with extracts made from axolotl oocytes we could reverse the epigenetic marks on tumour suppressor genes, causing these genes to reactivate, and thereby stopping the cancerous cell growth,” Dr Johnson added.

The identification of the proteins responsible for this tumour reversing activity in axolotl oocytes is a major goal of future research which could form a powerful new technology platform for the treatment of cancers from the breast, and other tissues. * Journal Molecular Cancer