Monash University Scientists Have Identified A Protein That Stops The Growth Of Cervical Cancer

Main Category: Cervical Cancer / HPV Vaccine
Also Included In: Cancer / Oncology;  Biology / Biochemistry;  Immune System / Vaccines
Article Date: 26 Nov 2008 - 2:00 PST

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Animal studies led by Associate Professor Jun-Ping Liu, from the Department of Immunology, have shown that the protein bone morphogenetic protein-7 (BMP-7), when applied to cervical tumours in mice, can halve the size of the tumours in less than a week. The research has been published in the international journal Cancer Research.

Associate Professor Liu said that BMP-7 worked by inhibiting the enzyme telomerase. Telomerase is essential if cancer cells are to proliferate. It plays a key role in controlling the life span of cells by modifying structures called telomeres that are found at the end of chromosomes.

Although telomerase is involved in tumour development, it is also found in modest quantities in stem cells where it is involved in the repair of damaged and worn out tissues.

However, studies have shown that telomerase also plays a key role in the formation of cancerous tumours. "It's the best indicator of cancer - 85 per cent of all types of cancers require telomerase for the cancer cells to continue spreading," Associate Professor Liu said. "What's more, telomerase is not associated with benign tumours; it's a marker for malignant tumours only.

"If we can control the production of telomerase we can prevent the immortality of cancer cells and therefore cancer formation."

Dr Liu and PhD researcher Lucy Cassar found that by inhibiting telomerase BMP7 triggers cancer cell death, preventing the growth of cervical tumours. "Within 24 hours of applying BMP-7 to the cervical cancer cells telomerase production was blocked, thereby stopping the tumour's growth," Ms Cassar said. "Further, although telomerase is found in healthy cells, BMP-7 did not interfere with telomerase in these cells, only in the cervical cancer cells."

Associate Professor Liu said BMP-7's effect on telomerase had revealed a new approach to cancer treatment. "BMP-7 could, in future, be an alternate treatment for women with cervical cancer," he said.

Monash University - Dept of Immunology