Scientists reprogrammed cancer cells, increasing their sensitivity to chemotherapy and slowing growth. This discovery can significantly help in the fight against breast cancer.

Researchers from the International Fund for Cancer Research named after Samuel Waxman published an article in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, which describes the so-called epigenetic reprogramming of breast tumor cells. And although it was not possible to obtain normal cells from tumor cells, the results achieved by scientists are very significant-reprogrammed cells divide at a lower rate and, in addition, are more susceptible to drugs.

About the cells As it was an experimental technique that has not been worked out yet even on laboratory animals, the scientists did not work with patients, but with the culture of MDA-MB-231 cells. Cell culture is cells that were once isolated from a real tumor, placed in nutrient solution and started growing outside the body, just like growing plants.

With cells that grow "in vitro" (quoted, since it usually uses slightly different dishes, namely - flat containers, so-called Petri dishes), you can do many times more than even with the experimental mouse. At any convenient time, scientists have the opportunity to give an additional dose of drugs, take a sample culture for the study under a microscope, moreover, under a microscope, you can place all the cells for real-time monitoring.

About epigenetics What is epigenetic reprogramming that scientists used? The DNA of any human cell contains about 20 thousand. Genes, and each gene encodes either a protein or an RNA molecule. But only a small part of this diversity is really used, the cells of the breast will never synthesize the proteins necessary for building muscle fibers or neuronal receptors.

What determines which genes are active, and which are not? Special markers that can block the work of genes. And if the genes themselves call genetic factors, then epigenetic means "switches" of genes that can radically change the life of a cell without reorganizing its genome.

About false goals How was it possible to redirect MDA-MB-231 cancer cells to the path of correction? If you leave behind a complex sequence of biochemical reactions associated with the switching of gene activity, it can be said that a key role was played by a protein molecule called SID decoy.

The word decoy denotes in English a false goal, such a name is justifiable. A relatively small protein molecule linked to another protein, which played a key role in switching gene activity, and due to this, did not allow it to start the work of those genes that provided the cancer cell with rapid growth along with resistance to drugs.

About how effective the new method will be in the transition from cell culture to the clinic, it is still difficult to say, but the authors of the study emphasize that they managed to cope with the most dangerous form of breast cancer.

Cancer cells used by researchers belong to a group that is practically immune to the three most common drugs. The women affected by this type of tumors are not helped by hormonal therapy, and for the treatment it is necessary to apply surgery, radiation and rather toxic chemotherapy.

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