12月12日,法國國家科研中心發表公報說,法研究人員日前發現一個名為DCC的基因可通過誘導癌細胞凋亡來抑制結腸和直腸癌發展,從而起到預防和治療癌症的效果。
這項研究由法國國家科研中心等機構共同完成。領導該研究的法國專家派屈克·梅倫和同事在英國《自然》雜誌網站上報告說,他們發現DCC基因的活動可啟動「依賴性受體」機制,該機制可通過誘導癌細胞死亡來預防癌症。
比如,當DCC基因通過正常表達,阻止其指導合成的受體蛋白質與神經軸突導向分子netrin-1結合,相關細胞就會收到誘導死亡信號,隨後該細胞逐漸凋亡。但如果DCC基因無法正常表達,導致上述受體蛋白質與神經軸突導向分子相互結合,有關細胞就會繼續存活,甚至異常增殖。
法國研究者通過老鼠實驗發現,如果老鼠的DCC基因由於變異而喪失表達功能,那麼這種老鼠會患上結腸癌。
派屈克·梅倫說,人體可通過DCC基因啟動的「依賴性受體」機制來抑制癌細胞增殖並預防癌症,但一些癌細胞可以阻斷「依賴性受體」機制,從而不受控制。這一發現有望指引新療法研發,通過誘導癌細胞凋亡來治療癌症。
據派屈克·梅倫介紹,其研究團隊已經研製出幾種能激發DCC基因並誘導癌細胞凋亡的藥物,在一些動物身上已試驗成功,希望3年後能對這些藥物進行臨床試驗。(
生物谷Bioon.com)
DCC constrains tumour progression via its dependence receptor activity
Marie Castets, Laura Broutier, Yann Molin, Marie Brevet, Guillaume Chazot, Nicolas Gadot, Armelle Paquet, Laetitia Mazelin, Loraine Jarrosson-Wuilleme, Jean-Yves Scoazec, Agnès Bernet & Patrick Mehlen
The role of deleted in colorectal carcinoma (DCC) as a tumour suppressor has been a matter of debate for the past 15 years. DCC gene expression is lost or markedly reduced in the majority of advanced colorectal cancers1 and, by functioning as a dependence receptor, DCC has been shown to induce apoptosis unless engaged by its ligand, netrin-1 (ref. 2). However, so far no animal model has supported the view that the DCC loss-of-function is causally implicated as predisposing to aggressive cancer development3. To investigate the role of DCC-induced apoptosis in the control of tumour progression, here we created a mouse model in which the pro-apoptotic activity of DCC is genetically silenced. Although the loss of DCC-induced apoptosis in this mouse model is not associated with a major disorganization of the intestines, it leads to spontaneous intestinal neoplasia at a relatively low frequency. Loss of DCC-induced apoptosis is also associated with an increase in the number and aggressiveness of intestinal tumours in a predisposing APC mutant context, resulting in the development of highly invasive adenocarcinomas. These results demonstrate that DCC functions as a tumour suppressor via its ability to trigger tumour cell apoptosis.