Biological Clock in Cancer Cells Influences Tumor Growth

Cancer cells often have a non-functioning or malfunctioning biological clock.

Most of the cells in the human body have an internal clock that sets a rhythm for the activities of our organs according to the time of the day. Cancer cells, however, often have a non-functioning or malfunctioning clock.

Does the biological clock in cancer cells influence tumor growth? Yes, according to a study conducted by Nicolas Cermakian, a professor in McGill University's Department of Psychiatry.

Unraveling Tumor Growth in Stem Cells
At the University of Cambridge, researchers have discovered that a single mutation in a leukemia-associated gene reduces the ability of blood stem cells to make more blood stem cells, but leaves their progeny daughter cells unaffected.

‘Directly targeting the biological clock in a cancerous tumor has an impact on its development, revealed a new study.’

Published in the journal BMC Biology, these results show for the first time that directly targeting the biological clock in a cancerous tumor has an impact on its development.

"There were indications suggesting that the malfunctioning clock contributed to rapid tumor growth, but this had never been demonstrated. Thanks to the use of a chemical or a thermic treatment, we succeeded in 'repairing' these cells' clock and restoring it to its normal functioning. In these conditions, tumor growth drops nearly in half", explains Cermakian, who is also Director of the Laboratory of Molecular Chronobiology at the Douglas Mental Health University Institute, one of the research centers of the CIUSSS de l'Ouest-de-l'Île-de-Montréal.

Although this preclinical demonstration was done on mice, this important discovery provides a glimpse of potential new ways to treat cancer in humans.

Key Protein That May Prevent Colon Inflammation and Tumor Growth Identified
The role of an important protein in the regulatory pathway that is involved in limiting colon inflammation and tumor growth has been discovered by researchers.

"Activating the biological clock in tumors could become an innovative approach in slowing their growth or that of metastases. This would give people more time to use more conventional treatment modalities, such as surgery or chemotherapy", says Cermakian. "It now remains to be shown that we can target the clocks in human tumors the same way."

For this study, Silke Kiessling, a postdoctoral fellow on Nicolas Cermakian's team, successfully adjusted the gears of the internal clocks in two types of cancer cells - skin and colon - to make them function properly. This repair, which was tested in mice and tissue cultures, slowed cancerous tumor growth. After about a week, the tumor treated in this manner was two-thirds smaller than the control tumor.

Tumor Growth in Mice Slowed Down Through Injection of Human Stem Cells
A new study published in the journal Stem Cell Research & Therapy found that tumor growth in mice could be slowed down by injecting human stem cells into the mice.

While it is difficult to say at this point what types of cancer might be amenable to such an approach, this new concept could lead to an improvement in human cancer treatment in the long term, the researchers say.

Source-Eurekalert

Protein Plays a Key Role in Spread of Tumor Growth
A new protein has been discovered by scientists that plays a key role in spread of tumor growth, raising hope for putting a brake in spread of cancer cells.