Dental researcher discovers cancer switch
An Ohio Dental researcher has found a protein that makes cancer cells spread from a tumour to other parts of a body.
Ge Jin, who works for both the Lerner Research Institute at the Cleveland Clinic and Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine, discovered the protein called disabled-2 (Dab2).
The process of cells spreading is called epithelial-mesenchymal transdifferientiation (EMT) and can often be fatal in pancreatic, colon, breast and ovarian cancers.
However, Jin discovered that if the Dab2 protein is knocked out it stops the EMT process from triggering.
Jin said that by understanding triggers for EMT scientists could design drugs to hinder or halt progression.
He added that his discovery might also help scientists to better understand how other diseases progress and spread.
Join this Discussion