Cancer Killing Cells Can Be Produced
Related News: Stem Cells and CancerSouth Korean scientists reported that they have found a way to produce the human body's own cancer-killing cells through gene therapy.
A team of scientists from the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology in Daejeon, report they had found that a gene called Vitamin D3 Upregulated Protein 1 (VDUP1) which plays a crucial role in directing stem cells to diversify into immune cells known as natural killer cells.
Natural killer (NK) cells are large, granular blood cells known as lymphocytes that are able to eliminate virus infected cells as well as tumour cells.
"Stem cells can develop into various cells and organs in the body," Inpyo Choi said, leader of the team. "We have found that when hematopoietic stem cells diversify into NK cells, the gene, Vitamin D3 Upregulated Protein 1 (VDUP1), plays a decisive role.
"We have also succeeded in developing technology needed to induce stem cells obtained from a patient's bone marrow to diversify into immune cells and activate them.
"This is the first step toward developing new treatments using our own immune system to fight cancers and other serious diseases."
The result of the study, which comes as scientists look for ways to supplement existing cancer treatments including chemotherapy, radiology and surgical operations, was published last week in Immunity, a journal of immunology.
The team investigated the role of the VDUP1 gene by breeding mice lacking the gene.
The researchers found that these mice showed minimal changes in the development of other immune cells, but there was a "profound reduction" in the numbers of natural killer cells and decreases in the activity of the cells.
In the VDUP1-deprived mice the expression of a protein called CD122 - a pre-cursor for natural killer cells - was reduced, showing that the gene was required for CD122 expression and the maturation of natural killer cells.
Posted on February 27, 2005 11:05 PM