Cancer therapy: switching off oncogenes.
Cancer derives from a cell clone that has accumulated genetic and epigenetic changes that influence its phenotype and finally enable it to escape from the normal controls of proliferation. A recent paper shows that, in myc-induced tumours, the inactivation of this oncogene produces the regression of the tumours and the differentiation of the tumour cells into mature osteocytes.1 In addition, a further reactivation of myc in these cells does not restore the malignant phenotype but induces apoptosis. This discovery could lead to an innovative therapeutic strategy.
Pompetti
Franca
F
Section on Molecular Biology, Laboratory of Haematology, Civil Hospital, Pescara-Italy.
Pilla
Daniela
D
Giancola
Raffaella
R
D000818:Animals; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000628:therapy; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D016259:Genes, myc / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000628:therapy*; D009857:Oncogenes; D012516:Osteosarcoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000628:therapy