Thursday, August 13, 2009

New method takes aim at aggressive cancer cells

Source: Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research
Date: August 13, 2009

Summary:

A multi-institutional team of Boston-area researchers has discovered a chemical that works in mice to kill the rare but aggressive cells within breast cancers that have the ability to seed new tumors. These cells, known as cancer stem cells, are thought to enable cancers to spread — and to reemerge after seemingly successful treatment. Although further work is needed to determine whether this specific chemical holds therapeutic promise for humans, the study shows that it is possible to find chemicals that selectively kill cancer stem cells. The scientists’ findings appear in the August 13 advance online issue of Cell.