Researchers Discover New Phase in Stem Cell Cycle That May Help Develop Tumor Treatments
Researchers from Arizona State University are conducting a study on the life cycle of stem cells. The study may be useful in the development of new techniques for treating brain cancer. The research was reported in the “Molecular Systems Biology” journal.
Assistant professor of biomedical engineering from the institution’s school of engineering Christopher Plaisier stated that the research team had discovered a new phase in the cycle during their study. This new information was discovered through an alliance with associate professor Patrick Paddison from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and University of Washington’s assistant professor of neurological surgery Dr. Anoop Patel.
The researchers analyzed brain stem cell data provided by Paddison and Patel, then mapped out a circular pattern, which they identified as the different phases of the cell cycle. Samantha O’Connor, a biomedical engineering doctoral student in the Plaisier Lab at Arizona State University who was part of this research, designed a cell cycle classifier tool that was used to analyze cell data for glioma tumors. The tool, dubbed ccAF, has been designed to closely examine what happens in the stem cell growth cycle.
The researchers discovered that tumor cells usually remained in the G1 growth phase, or the G0 quiescent state, explaining that as tumors became more aggressive, fewer cells remained in the dormant-like G0 state. They noted that this meant that more cells were growing and multiplying the tumor.
The researchers then compared this data with the prognosis for glioblastoma patients, which led to the discovery that patients who had higher G0 levels in tumor cells had tumors that were less aggressive. Glioblastoma is an aggressive type of brain tumor that begins in the astrocytes, which are cells that support nerve cells. It can occur in the brain or spinal cord.
In addition to this, the researcherss discovered that the dormant-like G0 state was independent of the rate at which a tumor could divide its cells and produce new ones. Plaisier explained that the quiescent state, being a separate biological process, would be useful in the development of new treatments, adding that forcing more cells into the G0 state could possibly make tumors less aggressive.
At the moment, treatments for cancer focus on cancer cell elimination. This isn’t the most effective approach as killing these cells results in debris being released into the area surrounding the tumor, which may cause cells to become more treatment resistant. Plaisier argues that putting the cells in a dormant-like state may be a better approach, in comparison with killing them.
Other companies such as CNS Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: CNSP) have developed drug candidates that could help to treat glioblastoma multiforme and other malignancies affecting the brain once those candidates prove to be efficacious during the clinical trials to which they are being subjected.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to CNS Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: CNSP) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/CNSP
Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the BioMedWire website applicable to all content provided by BMW, wherever published or re-published: http://BMW.fm/Disclaimer
Researchers from Arizona State University are conducting a study on the life cycle of stem cells. The study may be useful in the development of new techniques for treating brain cancer. The research was reported in the “Molecular Systems Biology” journal.
Assistant professor of biomedical engineering from the institution’s school of engineering Christopher Plaisier stated that the research team had discovered a new phase in the cycle during their study. This new information was discovered through an alliance with associate professor Patrick Paddison from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and University of Washington’s assistant professor of neurological surgery Dr. Anoop Patel.
The researchers analyzed brain stem cell data provided by Paddison and Patel, then mapped out a circular pattern, which they identified as the different phases of the cell cycle. Samantha O’Connor, a biomedical engineering doctoral student in the Plaisier Lab at Arizona State University who was part of this research, designed a cell cycle classifier tool that was used to analyze cell data for glioma tumors. The tool, dubbed ccAF, has been designed to closely examine what happens in the stem cell growth cycle.
The researchers discovered that tumor cells usually remained in the G1 growth phase, or the G0 quiescent state, explaining that as tumors became more aggressive, fewer cells remained in the dormant-like G0 state. They noted that this meant that more cells were growing and multiplying the tumor.
The researchers then compared this data with the prognosis for glioblastoma patients, which led to the discovery that patients who had higher G0 levels in tumor cells had tumors that were less aggressive. Glioblastoma is an aggressive type of brain tumor that begins in the astrocytes, which are cells that support nerve cells. It can occur in the brain or spinal cord.
In addition to this, the researcherss discovered that the dormant-like G0 state was independent of the rate at which a tumor could divide its cells and produce new ones. Plaisier explained that the quiescent state, being a separate biological process, would be useful in the development of new treatments, adding that forcing more cells into the G0 state could possibly make tumors less aggressive.
At the moment, treatments for cancer focus on cancer cell elimination. This isn’t the most effective approach as killing these cells results in debris being released into the area surrounding the tumor, which may cause cells to become more treatment resistant. Plaisier argues that putting the cells in a dormant-like state may be a better approach, in comparison with killing them.
Other companies such as CNS Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: CNSP) have developed drug candidates that could help to treat glioblastoma multiforme and other malignancies affecting the brain once those candidates prove to be efficacious during the clinical trials to which they are being subjected.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to CNS Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: CNSP) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/CNSP
Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the BioMedWire website applicable to all content provided by BMW, wherever published or re-published: http://BMW.fm/Disclaimer
