New way found to kill the world's second most common cancer

Researchers from Oregon State University (USA) have discovered a way to turn an "accomplice" of cancer into a tumor-killing substance.

According to Medical Xpress, a multi-year study by a group of American scientists has identified the role of the Bcl-2 protein in cancer as well as how to transform it in a way that benefits patients.

Breast cancer cells - (Graphic image: NEW SCIENTIST).

Bcl-2 is a protein that counteracts apoptosis , the mechanism by which cells are normally programmed to die at some point.

Bcl-2 is produced at high levels by some types of cancer cells, thereby protecting these diseased cells from self-destruction, helping them survive in the body and resist treatment.

So attacking Bcl-2 means stripping away a key layer of defense for cancer cells.

In a study recently published in the medical journal Cancer Research Communications, the authors describe how they discovered and tested a new compound that changes the shape of the Bcl-2 molecule.

This change revealed what they called the 'killer conformation' of Bcl-2, which led to cell death. Thus, the mutated Bcl-2 had turned 'back on its master ,' into a tumor-killing agent.

In a second study published in the medical journal A CS Pharmacology & Translational Science , they describe another approach that targets the Bcl-2 protein, causing the death of cultured breast cancer cells and preventing breast cancer lung metastasis in mice.

The lung is the site where breast cancer most commonly spreads , while the type of cancer targeted in the trial is triple-negative breast cancer.

This killer form of breast cancer accounts for 20% of all breast cancer diagnoses, including 15% of those with the worst prognosis. That's a huge number, considering breast cancer is the second most common cancer in the world , according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

According to the authors, these results are very promising because in addition to breast cancer, Bcl-2 is also elevated in many other types of cancer, including treatment-resistant cancers.

They hope to continue to see more positive results in the next steps of research, including additional preclinical research and clinical studies.