Cancer Treatment

Involves the development of specific treatments or medicines to interfere with a specific abnormal gene or abnormal function of a gene. Highly targeted molecular medicine can be directed at killing cancer cells without harming healthy cells.

Biologists are investigating a process called apoptosis. Apoptosis is also known as programmed cell death or "cell suicide." In apoptosis, various genes activate mechanisms of self-destruction when cells become damaged or are no longer needed. Techniques that bring on apoptosis in cancer cells may one day offer new treatments.

Another active area of research focuses on preventing blood vessels from growing to nourish cancers. In order to grow beyond a small, harmless size, every cancer must develop its own blood supply. Development of blood vessels is called angiogenesis. Many experts feel that substances that prevent angiogenesis, called angiogenesis inhibitors, can be developed into cancer-fighting drugs.

Researcher are also working to develop drugs that interfere with signal transduction, the process by which growth signals are transmitted to cells. Several types of cancer secrete too much growth factor. These factors act on nearby cells but also drive proliferation of the cells that produced them. Drugs that interfere with signal transduction would stop the uncontrolled cell growth characteristic of cancer cells.