recent discovery by Mayo Clinic researchers may allow future researchers to gauge the progression of a tumor or halt future tumor development altogether.
The team of researchers led by Edward Leof, Ph.D., studied the enzyme p21-activated kinase 2 (PAK2), a biological indicator of cancerous growth and excess tissue development. The researchers discovered the enzyme is not readily activated in epithelial cells, the cells that comprise the tissue that lines cavities and surfaces of structures throughout the body, but is activated in mesenchymal cells which make up the connective tissues in the body, blood and lymphatic vessels.
In an effort to better understand and hopefully curtail cancerous development, the researchers examined the factors that prevent PAK2 activation in the epithelial cells.
“We found that a protein called Erbin, in cooperation with the NF2 tumor suppressor Merlin, controls the outcome,” said Dr. Leof.
This discovery found that Erbin, a protein in the body, controls Merlin, a tumor suppressor gene. If Merlin is mutated or absent from the cell, the result is the formation of schwannoma, a tumor comprised of cells which make up the layer that surrounds nerves.
Mesothelioma is a rare cancer that affects the lining of certain body cavities and absence of Merlin has been shown to have a role in the development of this cancer. According to a Swiss study, mutations in Merlin were found in 40 percent of the mesothelioma cases studied.
The research demonstrated that the relationship between the Erbin protein and Merlin gene prevents destructive PAK2 activity in these cells, preventing tumor growth. Researchers found that in the absence of Erbin and Merlin a growth factor protein known as beta (TGF-B) stimulates PAK2 to generate tumor growth, bypassing an important checkpoint intended to curtail tumor development.
According to Dr. Leof, this discovery is important because it may allow future researchers to identify where interventions could be staged to stop tumor growth and also distinguish disease progression.
For victims of asbestos exposure, the primary cause of mesothelioma, a low level or lack of Erbin or Merlin may play a role the likelihood of future development of mesothelioma since an absence of either may make a person more susceptible to tumor growth. Unfortunately, a mesothelioma prognosis is typically poor, but knowledge gained through this study and additional research may help in the battle against this aggressive cancer.
Additional information about mesothelioma may be found through the Mesothelioma Cancer Center.
The team of researchers led by Edward Leof, Ph.D., studied the enzyme p21-activated kinase 2 (PAK2), a biological indicator of cancerous growth and excess tissue development. The researchers discovered the enzyme is not readily activated in epithelial cells, the cells that comprise the tissue that lines cavities and surfaces of structures throughout the body, but is activated in mesenchymal cells which make up the connective tissues in the body, blood and lymphatic vessels.
In an effort to better understand and hopefully curtail cancerous development, the researchers examined the factors that prevent PAK2 activation in the epithelial cells.
“We found that a protein called Erbin, in cooperation with the NF2 tumor suppressor Merlin, controls the outcome,” said Dr. Leof.
This discovery found that Erbin, a protein in the body, controls Merlin, a tumor suppressor gene. If Merlin is mutated or absent from the cell, the result is the formation of schwannoma, a tumor comprised of cells which make up the layer that surrounds nerves.
Mesothelioma is a rare cancer that affects the lining of certain body cavities and absence of Merlin has been shown to have a role in the development of this cancer. According to a Swiss study, mutations in Merlin were found in 40 percent of the mesothelioma cases studied.
The research demonstrated that the relationship between the Erbin protein and Merlin gene prevents destructive PAK2 activity in these cells, preventing tumor growth. Researchers found that in the absence of Erbin and Merlin a growth factor protein known as beta (TGF-B) stimulates PAK2 to generate tumor growth, bypassing an important checkpoint intended to curtail tumor development.
According to Dr. Leof, this discovery is important because it may allow future researchers to identify where interventions could be staged to stop tumor growth and also distinguish disease progression.
For victims of asbestos exposure, the primary cause of mesothelioma, a low level or lack of Erbin or Merlin may play a role the likelihood of future development of mesothelioma since an absence of either may make a person more susceptible to tumor growth. Unfortunately, a mesothelioma prognosis is typically poor, but knowledge gained through this study and additional research may help in the battle against this aggressive cancer.
Additional information about mesothelioma may be found through the Mesothelioma Cancer Center.
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