04/10/2007

A new European research network to develop new treatments for cancer entitled 'ONCODEATH-Sensitisation of solid tumour cells to death receptor related therapies? recently commenced work coordinated by the National Hellenic Research Foundation?s Institute of Biological Research and Biotechnology (IBRB/NHRF).

ONCODEATH examines innovative molecular biological approaches to treating cancer. Scientists from seven countries with different areas of specialisation are participating in the network which is being financed by the European Union for three years with EUR 2.5 million. Their specialisations include: the molecular biology of cancer, genetics, cell biology and pharmacology. The participating bodies include important laboratories/institutes conducting research and developing treatments for cancer in Europe.

Over recent years remarkable efforts have been made to produce ?smart? cancer treatment drugs whose molecular structure targets the cancer cells in patients. The research team from the IBRB/NHRF Laboratory of Signal Mediated Gene Expression is already studying carcinogenesis and cell death (apoptosis) mechanisms and has developed new approaches to cancer treatment using ?smart? molecules such as TRAIL.

TRAIL (Tumour Necrosis Factor Related Apoptosis Inducing Ligand) is a new anti-cancer factor which in the future could be used as an alternative and/or complement to existing and new targeted treatments. Applications of TRAIL in the lab and in living organisms are particularly successful and promising.

TRAIL is a cytokine and its advantages over other molecules are that it has extra apoptotic action on cancer cells while normal cells are resistant to it. In other words TRAIL selectively ?kills? cancerous but not normal cells, resulting in fewer side-effects for patients.

"In mice which have been injected with cancer cells from various tissues, TRAIL causes a major reduction in tumours" pointed out Dr Alexandros Pintzas, Head of the IBRB/NHRF Laboratory of Signal Mediated Gene Expression where TRAIL's selective action in cancer models of cancer of the human large intestine has already been shown. The first phase of human clinical trials is producing encouraging results both for TRAIL and for monoclonal antibodies (substances that target a specific molecular) which mimic it, activating its receptors.

According to researchers, understanding the specific marking mechanism used by TRAIL and the factors which affect it will help in the effort to find a less invasive alternative treatment, which will minimise toxicity compared to normal cells, and could also in the future lead to the design of tailored treatments.

As far as public health is concerned, it is clear that the optimum use of these new treatment protocols will shift the therapeutic emphasis to specific cancer drugs resulting in patients spending less time in hospital, lower costs and higher effectiveness.

As Dr A. Pintzas pointed out, the next actions in the ONCODEATH project relate to understanding how TRAIL acts, and to develop protocols combining TRAIL and other targeted drugs which will be tested in pre-clinical stages based on gene alteration in each case. Successful protocols will then be tested in clinical trials on patients with specific genetic alterations in an effort to develop tailored treatments for them. Information on the progress of research will also be provided over the three-year duration of the project.

Source: IBRB/NHRF Laboratory of Signal Mediated Gene Expression