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Scientists discover protein which could help in cancer fight

Written by Lautaro Vargas

Wednesday, 12 December 2007

Scientists in Cambridge have discovered a protein which could improve the success rate of tumour shrinking drug paclitaxel in the treatment of ovarian cancer. The finding by researchers at Cambridge Research Institute that the loss of a protein called TGFBI causes paclitaxel to fail also has implications for drugs used to treat lung and breast cancer. Paclitaxel, part of a family of drugs called taxanes originally derived from yew trees, is a common chemotherapy treatment for ovarian cancer. However, only 50 per cent of patients respond well to the therapy. For the study, funded by Cancer Research UK and the Medical Research Council, the scientists examined ovarian cancer cell lines and data from 20 patients in a prospective trial. Those who showed no response to the drug had less TGFBI in their pre–treatment samples compared to those whose condition improved. Studies after treatment revealed that death of cancer cells occurred where levels of TGFBI were high. Ovarian cancer is one of the hardest cancers to detect at an early stage and is the fourth most common cancer in women, with 7,000 cases diagnosed in the UK each year. The study suggests that patients who lack the protein could be spared from chemotherapy which will not benefit them. Lead researcher and clinician, Dr James Brenton, said: “TGFBI is lost in one third of primary ovarian cancers and it is possible that this protein could be used as a biomarker for selecting patients likely to respond to this class of drug. “Our findings offer hope not only for improved ovarian cancer treatment, it may also lead to improvements in the success rate of other taxane drugs used to treat lung and breast cancer.” Prof Herbie Newell, Cancer Research UK’s director of translational research, said: “We are entering a period of cancer treatment where more drugs are targeted at those people who will benefit the most. This personalised medicine approach potentially means treatments will be more effective with fewer side effects.”

 

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