Brain tumour cells are shape-shifters:
in order to ensure an undisturbed life they imitate healthy
neurons and thus succeed in dodging the attacks of the immune
system, according to a research team led by Italy's Antonio
Iavarone, who has been working in the United States for some
time and is now the deputy director of Miami University Medical
School's Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center.
They discovered the 'trick' in one of the most aggressive and
untreatable tumours, glioblastoma.
The discovery, published in the journal Cancer Cell, is also the
result of a combination between the largest tumour protein data
bank ever obtained, and analysis by artificial intelligence.
Together, they enabled the team to discover a possible weapon
against this tumour, which is potentially useful also against
other forms of cancer.
"Our discovery was possible thanks to a unique approach in the
study of the glioblastoma," said Iavarone.
The study, which also saw the participation of Jong Bae Park of
South Korea's national cancer research centre, for the first
time assessed the complete collection of proteins (the proteoma)
in a series of cases of glioblastoma taken from patients upon
diagnosis and after the tumour came back. The changes caused by
the presence of enzymes in the proteins were also weighed.
This approach, Iavarone said, "offers a panorama of the possible
alterations of tumours at an individual level which is
impossible to obtain with genetic analysis alone". It is
currently the most complete tumour data bank, based on samples
taken from 123 patients both after diagnosis, and after therapy,
and after the appearance of resistance.
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