Friday, March 25, 2011

LSUHSC research finds protein that protects cancer cells from chemo and radiation therapy

Summary: Dr. Daitoku Sakamuro of LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans and the LSUHSC identified a protein that enables the activation of a DNA-repair enzyme that protects cancer cells from tremendous harm casued by chemo and radiation therapy. The protein c-MYC oncoprotein, can promote almost all human cancers and discovering the cancer treatment resistance may lead to many lives being saved. Researchers also propose that analyzing the levels of c-MYC and BIN1 also serve as a valuable prognostic marker to determine if a cancer responds to an aggressive dose of therapeutic agents. Cancer accounts for 25% of deaths in the US with an estimated 569,490 cancer deaths to be expected las year. Dr. Sakamuro add, " our study will determine how we can re-sensitize maligent cancer cells to conventional DNA-damaging therapeutic agents and how we can minimize unnecessary side effects associated with cytotoxic chemo and radiation therapy.
Opinion: I think the research that Dr. Sakamuri is doing is a really good thing. My granfather had cancer and altough it was detcted early and it didnt do any severe damage, he nor anyone else should have to go through the pain of dealing with cancer or have to see a family member go through it. Its amazing how far we have come in life to keep discovering new vaccines, medicines, and treatments to the illnesses we have today. The fact that a quarter of the deaths in the US are from cancer is pretty scary. Hopefully we'll reach a point where no one has to worry about any type of cancer.

http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2011/03/24/lsuhsc_research_finds_protein_that_protects_cancer_cells_from_chemo_and_radiation_therapy.html

                                                                                                                                    bianca brailey

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