VOLUME control for enzymes in the human body could stop the development of cancer, it is claimed.
Scientists say turning the activity of a key substance up or down could force the disease to switch off.
Teams from Dundee and Bath universities have found new functions of an enzyme named as Dual-specificity phosphatase 5 (DUSP5), already known to stop the activity of another enzyme called ERK, which controls cell growth in colon and lung cancers, as well as melanoma.
But despite this, studies have also found that DUSP5 is active in several cancers.
Now new work using cell-based models has shown that the loss of DUSP5 can completely stop cancer cells from forming by driving ERK molecules to such high levels of activity that the cells are forced to shut down.
The team compare the mechanism to altering the volume control on the radio to levels too low or loud to hear comfortably.
Dr Jim Caunt, from Bath University, said: “These results confounded our initial predictions and show just how important it is to understand how different types of mutation co-operate to influence cancer cell behaviour. An exciting prospect raised by the study is that monitoring DUSP5 could help us predict which types of drugs could be most effective in cancer treatment.”
Professor Stephen Keyse of Dundee University, said: “When the link between DUSP5 and ERK was established it was thought it acted to suppress tumour growth, but levels of DUSP5 are observed to be increased in many human tumours.
“What we are now seeing is that DUSP5 does inhibit ERK activity, but sometimes this allows cancer cells to persist and grow by preventing them from engaging natural tumour suppressive responses.
“This suggests targeting DUSP5 and increasing the level of ERK signalling beyond a tolerable level may offer a new route for combatting the progression of some tumours.”
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