by Zaara Abbas / June 9, 2024
Researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) have made an exciting breakthrough that could help prevent cancer from returning after treatment. Their findings shed light on the role of strange, giant cancer cells in enabling tumors to regrow following chemotherapy or radiation.
For years, pathologists have observed abnormally large cancer cells with multiple nuclei under the microscope in tumor samples. However, their function was not well understood until now. The MUSC team discovered that these "polyploid giant cancer cells" or PGCCs implement clever tricks to survive cancer therapy. When exposed to the stress of chemotherapy or radiation, some cancer cells actually transform into PGCCs as a protective measure. By increasing the number of nuclei packed into a single oversized cell, they can continue replicating their damaged DNA rather than self-destructing like normal cells would.
Even more remarkably, the researchers found that after the treatment ends, PGCCs can revert back into normal cancer cells capable of dividing and regrowing the tumor. The key to this process involves manipulating levels of a protein called p21. In healthy cells, p21 prevents replication of damaged DNA to allow repairs or self-destruction. But in PGCCs, cancer hijacks p21 to bypass this safeguard instead.
"This time-lapse video shows formation of PGCC in ovarian cancer cells in response to treatment stress". Credit: Video courtesy of Joe. R. Delaney, Medical University of South Carolina
By blocking p21's effects with drugs like tamoxifen or statins, the MUSC team could prevent PGCCs from spawning new cancer cells after therapy, effectively stopping the cancer relapse process in its tracks. This groundbreaking work has opened up an exciting new area of cancer research focused on targeting PGCCs. Combining standard treatments with these inhibitor drugs at just the right time could be the key to improved outcomes and durable cures for many cancer patients in the future.
“Our findings suggest that treatment should occur at the same time as chemotherapy or radiotherapy. It is important to administer one of these drugs in conjunction with therapy stress to prevent PGCCs from generating the daughter cell,” said lead researcher Dr. Christina Voelkel-Johnson. "Once they are generated, it is too late”.
While more research is still needed, this new approach to defeating cancer's perseverance holds great promise. By anticipating and disrupting the mechanisms PGCCs use to overcome conventional therapies, scientists may finally gain the upper hand against this relentless disease.
Citations:
Medical University of South Carolina. (2024, June 5). “Monstrous” Discovery: Scientists identify key to stopping cancer recurrence. SciTechDaily. https://scitechdaily.com/monstrous-discovery-scientists-identify-key-to-stopping-cancer-recurrence/
Comments