Protein that helps growth of childhood cancer found
September 17, 2010 in Special Needs News by Admin Dawn
Scientists have identified a protein that plays a crucial role in the progression of a devastating form of childhood cancer called T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (T-ALL), a finding that could lead to new drugs for treating the disease.
Scientists at the New York University Langone Medical Centre found that the protein called NF-kB (short for nuclear factor kB), which is crucial for the immune response, appears to be a key player in the progression of T-ALL — the most common type of cancer in children.
The researchers, who detailed their study in the journal Cancer Cell, also found that when the activities of the protein were suppressed it killed the leukemic cells, opening a potential avenue to new drugs that could prevent progression of the disease.
Read more here: Protein that helps growth of childhood cancer found.
