Lung Cancer “weak Spot” Finding

Even though research is only at the experimental stage, by inhibiting the oncogene of the proteins it uses as food, it would be possible to slow the development of lung cancer.

The simple fact of saying “lung cancer” is a factor of anxiety, because we all know the dangerousness of this pathology. We would like to tell you about the discovery of the most aggressive “weak point” in the genetic structure of lung cancer.

We all have a friend, acquaintance, or family member who struggles with this disease, or who has suffered from it but cannot overcome it.

It is a subject as complex as it is dramatic. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), lung cancer is one of the leading causes of death in the world population.

A few years ago, men were by far the most affected by this cancer. However, in recent years, the number of women diagnosed has risen sharply.

Even if lung cancer is not always caused by tobacco, it is important to point out that people who have led a healthy life and who have been struck by this disease represent a very small percentage of the total number of patients.

The objective of science in the face of this reality is simple and clear. It is necessary to find a drug to slow down the development of this cancer.

Without a doubt, researchers need the means. But we must also take our share of the responsibility, by stopping the consumption of cigarettes which, sooner or later, will end up killing us.

Not long ago, journals like Science Daily echoed an important discovery about lung cancer.

We will explain all of this to you in detail.

Discovery on lung cancer and its “weak point”

The study in question was carried out by the University of Virginia Health System and, as we told you, the outlook it offers is very optimistic.

But, as is always the case with these studies, it will take years to develop a drug that can exploit this loophole.

This is an innovative treatment that will allow us to deal with the most aggressive variant of lung cancer.

We will detail with you each step forward that this discovery will allow.

Small cell lung cancer

This tumor variety accounts for about 15% of lung cancers. However, it is by far the most lethal.

• This cancer spreads quickly through the body. Once the metastasis has started, it is almost impossible to treat it.
• Oncologists tell us that patients with small cell lung cancer have a life expectancy of 5 years.
• In addition, it exclusively affects people who are, or have been, habitual smokers.

The director of this work is scientist Kwon Park, of the Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Cancer Biology at the University of Virginia.

His goal, and that of his team, was to slow down the progression of tumors affecting the lungs.

It was based on a previous study on oncogene mutations and their impact on the onset of metastasis.

He knew from the start that it would be difficult to design a drug that could control these genes that cause disease.

But, what if instead of controlling the genes, it was possible to detect their weak point?

It was this thinking that set Dr. Park and his team on the path to their incredible discovery.

• This type of lung cancer, the most aggressive, has a weak barrier in its structure. The key to crossing it lies in protein.

Oncogenes and their rapid action

An oncogene is an abnormal gene which has changed itself and which will give rise to a tumor.

Scientists have observed in the laboratory that this microscopic enemy is particularly deadly because it acts extremely quickly.

It needs a lot of protein to function. It regulates and assembles them so that each cell divides more quickly, which generates metastases.

It is therefore conceivable that proteins are the necessary “fuel” for tumors. What if we were to stop oncogenes from accessing proteins, what would happen?

This is the key to the problem. Dr. Park and his team are still working on this topic.

They seek to prevent the work of these proteins which increase the spread of cancer tenfold. For the moment, in the laboratory, they have managed to obtain excellent results.

What advances can we expect from this discovery?

As we told you at the beginning of the article, this discovery on lung cancer is hopeful.  But we have to be patient, because the resulting drug is still in the experimental stage.

Dr. Park’s team has created a drug that inhibits the spread of tumors. Scientists are trying to initiate a project to begin testing their treatment on patients in the United States.

Other varieties of this drug have been developed in Canada and Australia. The idea is to test the molecules and see their impact on the development of the disease.

We all hope that if the results are positive, this lung cancer discovery can benefit as many people as possible because we will eventually beat cancer.

In a few years, we will be able to cure this terrible pathology. It is a positive horizon that we must not lose sight of.