Showing posts with label cancer cells. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cancer cells. Show all posts

Saturday, March 30, 2013

CANCER CELLS AND THE CURE


A living cell is in constant motion. At any given time, there are periods of chemical reactions unfolding in a living cell. These processes are occurring 24/7. Despite their large number, they are not random, but are coordinated and purposeful. They have one overall objective which is the survival of the cell against all odds. However, when they cannot preserve life, they initiate the programmed cellular death. 
These cellular reactions respect basic chemical laws of ion and atom interactions. However, the general direction from reactions is imposed by the cellular mission which is clearly determined by the location of the cell in a tissue or organ and the expected function to be performed by the organ. At any given point in time, the cell is either in differentiation or proliferation, or changing to adapt to current circumstances of the cell. These functions and adaptations are caused by environmental stimuli reaching the cell.
 These stimuli could be chemical, hormonal, traumatic or electric and they reach receptors which cross the cellular boundaries or membrane, and affect the molecules belonging to a signal transduction pathway. The signal goes on to affect genes in the nucleus of the cell where DNA will be replicated to achieve or respond to the stimuli accordingly. All reactions follow a certain flow to achieve a purpose for the cell. To control the general direction of reaction the cell uses several methods: the first is to silence un-needed genes and to amplify the expression of needed genes that carry the code for the mission to be performed. 
The cell will enter division and proliferation of those genes to impose the general direction or flow of the reaction. The second method used to impose the general direction is the formation of genes that can catalyze or force the reaction to go a certain way: these are called "enzymes" for that particular reaction. If an enzyme is not formed, the reaction is not allowed to progress. Therefore, the control of what is happening is occurring this way. A third way to control the flow of direction is to promote proteins called "regulators". The more the regulators in a reaction, the more likely that regulated reaction can occur in a controlled fashion. The fourth way of controlling reaction is mole fraction which puts together certain regulators and enzymes or proteins in general which are aligned in a chain and forces molecules to go from one protein to another in the mole in a certain direction so that the output is what is needed for the mission. 
These mole-like complexes of proteins are called "core binding factors". Any protein function not needed will not be incorporated in the complex. Genes are silenced by methylation, or simply by being attached to patches of molecules that belong to the histones, the histones that cover genetic material. At any given point, when a gene is needed, the cover can be re-opened or pulled back, which is called "gene remodeling". A cancer cell will tend to move away from the location where it is located not because of its intention to kill the host, but because in that location the nutrients and local conditions will be inadequate eventually to allow further growth. It will seek another location to survive. Before it moves away, it has to take steps to protect its survival. It will break adhesion to surrounding cells; this is mostly achieved by decreasing its surface adhesion molecules. It will secrete proteins that can break fibers on its way in order to get through and detection of these proteins called “metalloproteases” can signal doctors that the disease, the cancer, is on the move. In certain circumstances, it produces a mucus to protect itself against detection by the immune system. 
When it arrives in the new location, the cell will produce a hormone or growth factor which gives itself advantage over the already present cells in that location. This is generally called a “tumor growth factor”. The potential for proliferation, division and growth advantage is driven through the signal transduction pathway inside the cell. This is generally achieved by the expression of a driver gene which is amplified or over-expressed forcing reaction for downstream pathways. This is called a “driver mutation”. 
Experience with chemotherapy which was like a bomb with an indiscriminate effect affecting both good and bad cells of the host has only been able to achieve 20 to 30% of cure. Today, scientists are targeting the driver mutations to stop pathways of growth of cancer cells. We are now getting higher response rates and starting to see response in cancers that were resistant to chemotherapy, e.g. melanoma. People used to talk about cure without believing in their own statement, but with the advance of target therapy, cure is a real possibility. We are just at the beginning of our understanding of the various targets. Cure will be achieved.

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Molecules and Cancer Cells

Now that we know that the cell does not discriminate about what is the category of this molecule invading me as classified by humans, we are ready to suggest some unconventional combinations of chemotherapy drugs:
Nexavar-Metformin for hepatocarcinoma
anti-MEK- calcium channel blocker for K-ras expressing lung cancer
Antibiotic with impact on splicing molecule with the MTOR
(to be continued)

Saturday, November 17, 2012

The CRBCM has completed a 3 week field work for its client. Successful completion of this work has earned the CRBCM further work in Houston. Texas. We will be back here in Houston November 26th, 2012. In the meantime, This coming week, we will continue clinic work in El Paso as Greater East Cancer Center continue to increase slowly its share of patients. This is hard work to ensure we survive the struggle and fight another day! News from Washington is positive. We just may make it with a new contract in January. We will continue to update our reader with new proposal for research as we study new opportunities offered by weakness in the Sodium-Potassion Ion pump in cancer cells and cell division check points (details to follow). Get to catch that flight to El Paso!