Cancer has been and continues to be a battle for many, killing millions of people each year. However, recent research led by the University of Queensland's very own, Professor Peter Koopman from the Institute of Molecular Bioscience, found that cancers in mice with an abnormal form of the SOX18 gene slowed down in growth.
The SOX18 gene regulates blood vessel development and acts by starving the cancer cells. In regulating blood vessel development, it is possible to stunt if not stop the growth of the cancers. This is because tumours depend on attracting the growth of blood vessels to grow themselves. If they are unable to do this, the tumours can only grow to a certain amount. The final result also depends on which genes interact with the SOX18 gene and what processes are undertaken by the relevant cells. The gene targets cancer formed in the colon, prostate, bowel, pancreas and brain.
When tested on mice with tumours, a mutant form of the SOX18 gene was able to completely stop the growth of the tumours and made the tumours benign. However, mice with normal SOX18 genes did not produce the same result. The mutant SOX18 gene prevented the development of blood vessels, and thus the tumour cells were deprived of the necessary mechanisms to grow.
The SOX18 gene is also able to act in the reverse direction. This does not mean that it can make tumours grow even larger, but rather, increase the speed of the blood vessel development. This allows for quicker-healing wounds and the treatment of circulation problems. On top of that, the use of the SOX18 gene in treating cancer is advantageous over chemotherapy as it has a very specific role. The SOX18 gene acts selectively on new blood cells. That is, if it is introduced into the relevant site in the body, it will only cut off blood supply to the tumour, not the rest of the body.
Regardless of this advance in science, Professor Koopman's team are still working hard. They hope to develop a drug which will have similar effects (to the mutant SOX18 gene) in humans and are also planning to develop a method to deliver the drug to the SOX18 gene in the cell.
References:
http://www.uq.edu.au/research/index.html?page=67763&pid=67755
http://www.bio-medicine.org/medicine-news/Sox-18-Slows-Cancers-4226-1/
