Distinguish normal cells and cancer cells

One of the current obstacles to cancer treatment is the difficulty of directing cures to the destruction of malignant cells without destroying other healthy cells. A new study by scientists at McMaster University has provided new insights on how they can develop treatments and drugs that target cancer more effectively without causing Harms to healthy cells.

Mick Bhatia, scientific director at McMasterm Stem Cell and Cancer Institute Michael G. DeGroote Medical School, and colleagues have for the first time discovered the difference between normal stem cells and cancer cells. in humans.

Normal cells and cancer cells. Photo: chemheritage.org)

The finding, published in the journal Nature Biotechnology on January 4, is useful for adjusting individual cancer treatments.This finding will provide a model for finding drugs that use automated scans for molecules that have the potential to kill cancer.

Bhatia said: 'Normal stem cells and cancerous stem cells are difficult to distinguish, and many people mistaken healthy cells for cancer cells. Now, we can know normal cells with cancer cells. '

'This allows us to compare normal cells and cancer cells in humans in the laboratory - identifying the genetic differences they exhibit and their reactions to drugs. We can use this method to search for 'magic bullet', which can kill cancerous cells first, and not harm healthy cells . '

' McMaster meets the conditions for this search process, and this is the last missing piece - we have automated scanning equipment, but the most advanced chemistry library and experts like Professor Eric Brown and Gerry Wright, who discovered molecules that fight infectious diseases. Now we can combine all these factors to eliminate cancer. '

The study was funded by the Canadian Health Research Institute, the Canadian Cancer Society, the Ontario Cancer Research Institute and the Canadian National Cancer Institute.