Cell signalling may prevent brain cancer cell growth and migration

Researchers believe that they have developed a way to prevent the growth of cancer cells in the brain and prevent them spreading.

A study at the University of Colorado Cancer Centre has found that cell signalling is the key to controlling the condition.

When researchers turned off cell signalling through the Mer pathway, cancer cells became more sensitive to chemotherapy and were unable to escape to other parts of the brain.

Senior author of the study Dr Amy Keating explained: "This represents a new targeted therapy, offering a potential new direction that nobody’s tried before."

Researchers at New York University are also trying to develop a vaccine to protect against brain cancer.

DCVax-Brain vaccine incorporates proteins found in patient's tumours to attack cancer cells with corresponding proteins.

However, the discovery at the University of Colorado could enhance vaccine research that targets the Mer pathway.

The technology is currently being tested in mice, but researchers are hopeful that they will progress to human clinical trials soon.

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