MIT scientists have developed a new
gene therapy technique that can stop the spread of malignant cells around the
body – the leading cause of mortality in women with breast cancer. The treatment
uses microRNAs – small non-coding RNA molecules that around the body, known as
metastasis. The therapy could be used alongside chemotherapy to treat
early-stage breast cancer tumours before they spread. The idea is that if the
cancer is diagnosed early enough, then in addition to treating the primary
tumour (with chemotherapy), one could also treat with specific microRNAs, in
order to prevent the spread of cancer cells that cause metastasis. The regulation
of gene expression by microRNAs is known to be important in preventing the
spread of cancer cells.
No comments:
Post a Comment