Researchers at the University of California San Diego reported last week that a particular protein produced by lung cancer cells may accelerate the growth of lung cancer tumors and the spread of cancer to other parts of the body. The protein, known as versican, is a sizeable chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan that is involved in the cell movement process.
Versican stimulates the production of cytokines, which are immune system proteins, and begins the inflammation process that leads to cancerous tumor growth.
Michael Karin, a researcher at the university, stated that, in lab mice, versican “hijacks” parts of the immune system and hastens the growth and extension of lung cancer.
Sunhwa Kim, a member of Karin’s research team, told MSNBC.com that “research showed that versican is produced by cancer cell’s induced inflammatory response and that this whole process enhances metastasis (the spread of disease from one part of the body to another).”
Despite their discovery, Kim called the process of stopping versican from speeding up the spread of cancer “is not that easy,” and called the findings “a good starting point.”
Kim, along with Karin, agree that more research is needed in order to fully understand the role that versican plays in the spread of cancer and more rapid growth of lung cancer tumors.
Worldwide, lung cancer - including mesothelioma, a rare and aggressive form of cancer that occurs in the pleural lining of the lungs- is the leading cause of fatality in men and the second-leading cause of cancer-related deaths in women. According to the American Cancer Society, 975,000 men and 376,000 women are dying from lung-related cancer annually.
Dr. David Sugarbaker, a renowned expert on treating mesothelioma cancer, has been studying the “molecular and pathologic markers” that indicate the presence of metastasis for several years. Dr. Sugarbaker is just one of several thoracic experts in the United States that focuses on the study and treatment of this disease.
By 2015, at least 84 million people are expected to die from cancer, including mesothelioma (often referred to as asbestos cancer), according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Mesothelioma.com is a leading Internet resource for information focused on mesothelioma, mesothelioma treatment options, and more. Please visit Mesothelioma.com for further information.
