San Antonio scientists target aggressive lymphoma
Reported April 14, 2010
Every year, 30,000 Americans are diagnosed with an aggressive form of lymphoma. Half of them will die. Now, some San Antonio scientists are trying to change those dismal statistics.
Dr. Ricardo Aguiar is a man on a mission. The University of Texas Health Science Center cancer biology researcher wants to get to the heart of a problem: how to attack diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, a deadly blood cancer.
We have basically reached a plateau in the treatment, explained Aguiar, who is both a medical doctor and holds a Ph.D. We need to better understand the disease at the molecular level in the laboratory and utilize that information to develop new types of treatment.
A recent finding in this San Antonio lab offers hope for a new way to intervene. Patients with aggressive disease had the highest levels of a specific gene called microRNA-155. The more of that gene, the more widespread the tumors.
The findings were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Basically, the tumor with this gene overexpressed is completely out of control, Aguiar said.
Using an imaging technique called bioluminescence, Aguiar and his colleagues were able to show how overexpression of the gene caused the cancer cells to grow unchecked. By knowing more about the mechanism that leads to the often fatal form of lymphoma, scientists hope to open the door to new therapeutics, perhaps a pharmaceutical way to turn off the abnormal gene and help stop the lymphoma.
Its very difficult to predict how far away from the clinic we are, Aguiar noted. We hope to be as close as possible. Were working very hard to get there.
Aguiars research is supported by the Max and Minnie Tomerlin Voelcker Fund, a private San Antonio foundation which is providing $750,000 over five years.
Source : KENS 5-TV