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Spanish researchers are able to melanoma cancer cells are "self-destruct"

Melanoma Group researchers at the National Center for Scientific Research (CNIO) have made human melanoma cells \u0026lt;\u0026lt;causante skin> Cancer> is "self-destruct" to activate simultaneously two death programs cell: apoptosis and autophagy, say the study results published in the journal Cancer Cell.

"We suspected that the melanoma cells expressed other conditions beyond those already known flaws in the process of apoptosis. Previously we had described several compounds able to trigger apoptosis in melanoma cells. Unfortunately these treatments have significant side effects or were not strong enough against metastasis, "explained the group's director of the CNIO, Mary S. Soengas.

Given the "ineffectiveness" of existing drugs, researchers decided to explore other mechanisms for survival and cell death, specifically in autophagy, a process that takes its name through the ability of some cells "autocanibalizarse" explained from the CNIO.

Melanoma is a cancer "very aggressive" with one forecast "disappointing" because when metastatic life expectancy of patients "usually does not exceed ten months," he said. The problem is that this tumor "is characterized by numerous genetic alterations that hinder the destruction of tumor cells to conventional treatments: immunotherapy, chemotherapy and radiation therapy, "they said. NO SIDE EFFECTS

In this sense, the study has not only described a new avenue of treatment \u0026lt;\u0026lt;the autofagia>>, but has also identified a chemical agent "capable of sparking a mass of self-abasement melanoma cells. " It is a synthetic molecule belonging to the group of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA, for short): a polymer poli-inosina/acido polycytidylic (PIC).

The dsRNA can be found in some virus-infected cells, which recognized to activate the immune system. However, melanoma cells do not form part of the immune system and its role is to respond to viral infections. From this point, the researchers introduced this pIC CNIO in melanoma cells using a polycation nanocomplejos called polyethylenimine (PEI).

The study published by Cancer Cell shows that melanoma cells have receptors for dsRNA, but can not tolerate these molecules pIC-PEI, so that autodegradan. "The pIC-PEI complex," said Soengas, "has important advantages over other anticancer agents. On the one hand, pIC-PEI induces both autophagy and apoptosis, while other drugs activate - and partially - only one of these programs. "

also "demonstrated that in experimental pIC-PEI is able to block the metastatic growth of melanoma without inducing side effects. However, there is still a long way to go before we can translate these findings to the clinic. One of our next goals will be to improve management efficiency and pIC-PEI in vivo, "said this expert.

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