Quantcast
ZME Science
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
    Menu
    Natural Sciences
    Health
    History & Humanities
    Space & Astronomy
    Technology
    Culture
    Resources
    Natural Sciences

    Physics

    • Matter and Energy
    • Quantum Mechanics
    • Thermodynamics

    Chemistry

    • Periodic Table
    • Applied Chemistry
    • Materials
    • Physical Chemistry

    Biology

    • Anatomy
    • Biochemistry
    • Ecology
    • Genetics
    • Microbiology
    • Plants and Fungi

    Geology and Paleontology

    • Planet Earth
    • Earth Dynamics
    • Rocks and Minerals
    • Volcanoes
    • Dinosaurs
    • Fossils

    Animals

    • Mammals
    • Birds
    • Fish
    • Reptiles
    • Amphibians
    • Invertebrates
    • Pets
    • Conservation
    • Animals Facts

    Climate and Weather

    • Climate Change
    • Weather and Atmosphere

    Geography

    Mathematics

    Health
    • Drugs
    • Diseases and Conditions
    • Human Body
    • Mind and Brain
    • Food and Nutrition
    • Wellness
    History & Humanities
    • Anthropology
    • Archaeology
    • Economics
    • History
    • People
    • Sociology
    Space & Astronomy
    • The Solar System
    • The Sun
    • The Moon
    • Planets
    • Asteroids, Meteors and Comets
    • Astronomy
    • Astrophysics
    • Cosmology
    • Exoplanets and Alien Life
    • Spaceflight and Exploration
    Technology
    • Computer Science & IT
    • Engineering
    • Inventions
    • Sustainability
    • Renewable Energy
    • Green Living
    Culture
    • Culture and Society
    • Bizarre Stories
    • Lifestyle
    • Art and Music
    • Gaming
    • Books
    • Movies and Shows
    Resources
    • How To
    • Science Careers
    • Metascience
    • Fringe Science
    • Science Experiments
    • School and Study
    • Natural Sciences
    • Health
    • History and Humanities
    • Space & Astronomy
    • Culture
    • Technology
    • Resources
  • Reviews
  • More
    • Agriculture
    • Anthropology
    • Biology
    • Chemistry
    • Electronics
    • Geology
    • History
    • Mathematics
    • Nanotechnology
    • Economics
    • Paleontology
    • Physics
    • Psychology
    • Robotics
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

Home → Health

Cancer cells turned into fat to stop cancer development

study proved that one way to treat cancer is by exploiting one of its loopholes to convert cancerous cells into harmless fat, stopping it from growing and "healing" the body in the process.

Fermin Koop by Fermin Koop
August 12, 2019
in Diseases, Health, News

In what could be a big change for cancer treatment, a group of researchers figured out a way to transform breast cancer cells into fat cells in a study on mice. An estimated 9.6 million people died from cancer last year.

A breast cancer cell, photographed by a scanning electron microscope. Credit: Flickr

Researchers from the University of Basel in Switzerland studied mice implanted with an aggressive form of human breast cancer. They administered cancer treatment called trametinib, as well as a diabetic drug called rosiglitazone.

Thanks to the combination of these drugs, the researchers were able to interrupt cancer metastasizing. Basically, instead of converting to something that let it spread, the cancer cells morphed into harmless fat cells, a process called adipogenesis.

Between the two drugs, trametinib was the one that really helped the cancer cells turn into stem cells and the stem cells to turn into fat cells. The other drug, rosiglitazone, only worked in collaboration with trametinib, helping it to counteract the dangerous cells more effectively. Together, they had a higher chance of constraining, dispersing, and stopping the evolution of cancer.

“The models used in this study have allowed the evaluation of disseminating cancer cell adipogenesis in the immediate tumour surroundings,” the team wrote in their paper. “The results indicate that in a patient-relevant setting combined therapy with rosiglitazone and trametinib specifically targets cancer cells.”

The researchers specified that not every cancer cell changed into fat cells. But the ones that did didn’t change back. Their work was published on Cancer Cell journal.

“As far as we can tell from long-term culture experiments, the cancer cells-turned-fat cells remain fat cells and do not revert back to breast cancer cells,” said senior author Gerhard Christofori.

The study proved that one way to treat cancer is by exploiting one of its loopholes to convert cancerous cells into harmless fat, stopping it from growing and “healing” the body in the process. At the very least it can be done with breast cancer on mice; further research is needed on other types of cancer.

The two drugs used in the research are already FDA-approved, so it should be easier to get this type of treatment into clinical trials for actual people. That’s one reason for optimism despite the fact that many mouse-tested treatments don’t actually make it to, or fail, the clinical trial stage.

In the meantime, the team is investigating whether this therapy would work combined with chemotherapy and whether it would apply to other types of cancers.

“In the future, this innovative therapeutic approach could be used in combination with conventional chemotherapy to suppress both primary tumor growth and the formation of deadly metastases,” Christofori explained.

Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Related posts:
  1. The development of babies’ brains relies directly on fat from the mother’s bottom and thighs
  2. Eating animal fat increases stroke risk — while vegetable fat may decrease it
  3. Researchers “trick” breast cancer cells and turn them into fat
  4. Killing cancer with salt: chlorine payload brings destruction to cancer cells
  5. Artificial intelligence is just as good at spotting skin cancer as doctors. Could be turned into an app
Tags: cancercancer curecancer treatment

ADVERTISEMENT
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
  • Reviews
  • More
  • About Us

© 2007-2021 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
    • Natural Sciences
    • Health
    • History and Humanities
    • Space & Astronomy
    • Culture
    • Technology
    • Resources
  • Reviews
  • More
    • Agriculture
    • Anthropology
    • Biology
    • Chemistry
    • Electronics
    • Geology
    • History
    • Mathematics
    • Nanotechnology
    • Economics
    • Paleontology
    • Physics
    • Psychology
    • Robotics
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact

© 2007-2021 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

Don’t you want to get smarter every day?

YES, sign me up!

Over 35,000 subscribers can’t be wrong. Don’t worry, we never spam. By signing up you agree to our privacy policy.

✕
ZME Science News

FREE
VIEW