New target found for cancer treatments

Duram, N.C. -- U.S. scientists may have found a new target for anti-cancer drugs by focusing on the protein activated by a gene involved in many tumors.

In experiments with human cells and animal models, Duke University Medical Center researchers studied "ras," a gene integral in normal cell growth. But when the gene is mutated and becomes overactive, it can lead to the unregulated proliferation of cells that's the hallmark of tumor formation.

"Since it has been so difficult to target the ras gene itself with drugs, we tried to determine if something that ras activates could be a possible target for a drug or therapy," said Christopher Counter, an associate professor of pharmacology and cancer biology and senior member of the research team. "We found a specific target that could be susceptible to drugs and if these findings are proven true in human trials we could have a new way of treating ras-dependent cancers."

The Duke research, with graduate student Brooke Ancrile as first author, is reported in the July 15 issue of the journal Genes & Development.

Copyright 2007 by United Press International.