Stem cell find for child cancer
Osteosarcoma accounts for about 2% of childhood cancers
Scientists have uncovered a stem cell in dogs which could lead to new
treatments for bone cancer in children, according to an Edinburgh
study.
The cancer stem cell makes copies of the disease, enabling it to
spread around the body. It appears notoriously resistant to
treatment.
But by identifying it, it may be possible to work out how to target
it.
Osteosarcoma in dogs is molecularly similar to bone cancer in
children, The Veterinary Journal study noted.
The idea that faulty stem cells drive the development of some
cancers is gaining momentum
Henry Scowcroft of Cancer Research UK
It is the most common form of bone tumour in young people, and more
than 80% risk losing a limb as a result.
"The rogue cancer stem cell is key in the whole process," said
Professor David Argyle of the Royal Vet School at the University of
Edinburgh.
"We identified it by growing cells in particularly harsh conditions
but whereas other cancer cells died off, this stem cell was able to
survive."
Around 30 children develop osteosarcomas in the UK each year. They
occur more commonly in older children and teenagers, usually boys,
and are very rarely seen in children under five.
The causes are unknown, but it is thought that children who have an
inherited retinoblastoma - a rare tumour of the eye - are at
increased risk.
Henry Scowcroft, senior cancer information officer at Cancer Research
UK, said: "The idea that faulty stem cells drive the development of
some cancers is gaining momentum.
"This discovery lends more weight to this theory, and opens up new
avenues of research that could one day lead to new treatments."
But he cautioned: "The finding came from studies of cancer in dogs so
it remains to be seen whether it holds true in humans."
http://news.
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StemCells subscribers may also be interested in these sites:
Children's Neurobiological Solutions
http://www.CNSfoundation.org/
Cord Blood Registry
http://www.CordBlood.com/at.cgi?a=150123
The CNS Healing Group
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CNS_Healing
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