Madison, Wis. — For the first time, researchers have learned that two cancer drivers are linked together, and some of the top scientists at the University of Wisconsin are taking credit for the incredible discovery.
“This is an emerging area,” said lead author Dr. Mo Chen as he discovered how the two most mutated cancer markers actually work together.
“Science teaches you that you have to be open to things that are unpredictable,” Dr. Vince Krins of UW Health said of what he found under the microscope.
The Third Messenger Lab, in collaboration with the laboratories of Dr. Krins and Dr. Richard Anderson, brought forth the 56-page NIH-funded breakthrough published in the July issue of Nature Cell Biology.
“It’s a huge paper, it can’t be exaggerated,” Krins said. “It was a difficult endeavor.”
On his three-year journey, Chen proved that the mutant cancer regulatory gene p-53 could, in fact, be activated along with another major cancer pathway.
“We can see that the two are together because green and red are yellow,” Crines said of the stained find on specific slides.
“I would say, I call the accident of two gods,” Dr. Chen said of the realization that this was even a possibility.
Researchers agree that this Wisconsin idea could revolutionize cancer care in the future.
“This work is now just the tip of the iceberg or perhaps the tip of the iceberg is visible in this work,” Anderson said. “But there is much more to do. This is what I really believe is the foundation of a truly incredible set of medical sciences.”
“We’ve shown that they come together in a certain way,” Anderson continued. “And there are specific molecules that, if we can develop drugs for those molecules, we can actually deactivate both of those pathways, rather than working independently or separately with two different drugs. And I think it’s very exciting clinically.”
Top docs said they are too far with the research. He believes that his discovery will provide new therapies in the next five years.
Learn more about the paper at https://news.wisc.edu/unexpected-link-between-most-common-cancer-drivers-may-yield-more-effect-drugs/.
