Researchers say that blocking a natural cell process may help control cancer

According to researchers, cancer tumours can manipulate a natural cell process to promote their survival- if we are able to control this it could possibly help in stopping the progression of the disease.

Cancer tumours manipulate a natural cell process to promote their survival and controlling this may help stop progress of the disease, researchers have found.

The study was published in the journal Nature Communications. (Shutterstock)

A natural physiological process - called non-sense mediated decay (NMD) - provides cells with the ability to detect DNA errors called nonsense mutations, as well as playing a lead role in the development of genetic diseases such as cystic fibrosis and some hereditary forms of cancer. The study, led by researchers from the University of Oxford, initially focussed on ovarian cancers. It found that about a fifth of these cancers use NMD to become stronger as NMD ensures that the message from a gene called TP53, which ordinarily protects cells from developing cancer, is almost completely eliminated.

In the absence of NMD, a mutated TP53 might still retain some activity but NMD ensures that this is not the case, the researchers noted. Based on these findings, the study predicted that because cancer essentially feeds on NMD, it becomes dependent on it in some cases. Thus, if a mechanism to inhibit or control the process is developed, it is possible to control and prevent the progression of cancer, the researchers said in the paper published in the journal Nature Communications.

“This opens the door for exciting possibilities for customised treatments including individualised immunotherapies for patients in the future,” Ahmed added.

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