Analyses of cell signals provide insight into the origin of severe inflammatory symptoms that appear in various types of blood cancer and point to possible therapeutic approaches: In around one-fourth of patients suffering from juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML), there is evidence of mutations in the so-called KRAS gene in the leukemia cells. Patients affected by JMML carrying these mutations suffer particularly often from signs of inflammation, such as fever, weight loss, and an abnormal enlargement of the spleen.
It was previously unknown how the sometimes severe inflammatory symptoms are connected with the cancer. A team of researchers has now demonstrated that the cancer-causing mutation in the KRAS gene is also the cause of the inflammation. The improved understanding of the symptoms will enable doctors to develop new drugs for blocking the progression of leukemia in the body.
The KRAS gene regulates the production of the K-Ras protein, which gives the cells instructions to grow or to divide. The protein ensures that cells only multiply if new cells are needed in the body. If K-Ras is excessively active in some cells due to a mutation in the genetic material, these cells divide unchecked - and cancer develops.
The team have now discovered that K-Ras also plays an important role in the immune response: Via the NLRP3 protein complex - also known as the NLRP3 inflammasome - it leads to the release of two inflammation-promoting messenger substances, interleukin-1β and interleukin-18, which the researchers succeeded in detecting in cells from blood samples of leukemia patients. When the researchers inhibited the formation of the messenger substances with drugs, this treatment not only relieved the inflammatory symptoms but also slowed down tumor growth.
"This is a promising result that is also consistent with other studies demonstrating that cancer-causing mutations influence the production of interleukin messengers," explains the author. The results of the study show that the signaling pathways whose disruption leads to cancer are also directly related to the signaling processes of the immune response.
http://www.pr.uni-freiburg.de/pm-en/press-releases-2020/cancer-mutation-in-dual-role
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-15497-1
http://sciencemission.com/site/index.php?page=news&type=view&id=publications%2Foncogenic-krasg12d&filter=22
KRAS mutation also causes inflammation in cancer patients
- 2,070 views
- Added
Edited
Latest News
TB blood test which could d…
By newseditor
Posted 27 Mar
Propionate supplementation…
By newseditor
Posted 27 Mar
Role of human Kallistatin i…
By newseditor
Posted 26 Mar
Addressing both flu and COV…
By newseditor
Posted 26 Mar
How the brain senses body p…
By newseditor
Posted 26 Mar
Other Top Stories
Secret tunnels to communicate and smuggle cancer signals to their n…
Read more
Skin cancer-causing fusion gene identified
Read more
Improved photodynamic therapy to kill cancer cells
Read more
DNA in blood can track cancer development and response in real time
Read more
Cell's mechanism to cope with the loss of TCA cycle enzyme, succina…
Read more
Protocols
All-optical presynaptic pla…
By newseditor
Posted 23 Mar
Epigenomic tomography for p…
By newseditor
Posted 20 Mar
A mouse DRG genetic toolkit…
By newseditor
Posted 17 Mar
An optogenetic method for t…
By newseditor
Posted 13 Mar
Profiling native pulmonary…
By newseditor
Posted 08 Mar
Publications
Integrated plasma proteomic…
By newseditor
Posted 27 Mar
APP antisense oligonucleoti…
By newseditor
Posted 27 Mar
Targeting Erbin-mitochondri…
By newseditor
Posted 27 Mar
Regulation of Zbp1 by miR-9…
By newseditor
Posted 27 Mar
Pain-free oral delivery of…
By newseditor
Posted 27 Mar
Presentations
Hydrogels in Drug Delivery
By newseditor
Posted 12 Apr
Lipids
By newseditor
Posted 31 Dec
Cell biology of carbohydrat…
By newseditor
Posted 29 Nov
RNA interference (RNAi)
By newseditor
Posted 23 Oct
RNA structure and functions
By newseditor
Posted 19 Oct
Posters
A chemical biology/modular…
By newseditor
Posted 22 Aug
Single-molecule covalent ma…
By newseditor
Posted 04 Jul
ASCO-2020-HEALTH SERVICES R…
By newseditor
Posted 23 Mar
ASCO-2020-HEAD AND NECK CANCER
By newseditor
Posted 23 Mar
ASCO-2020-GENITOURINARY CAN…
By newseditor
Posted 23 Mar