Can we really, really intervene late, and save someone with even quite advanced forms of cancer? According to research reviewed Ian Sample of the Guardian, it may be possible sooner than you think. [1]
According to Ian, this hope lies in the destruction of something called extrachromosomal DNA (ecDNA). No, we’d never heard of it either. Apparently it takes the form of little lumps of DNA which break off from your chromosomes and go swanning around on their own. Until recently it didn’t seem to matter much. But it seems the fragments contain all kinds of genes to suppress the immune system and foment the growth of tumours. Not surprising then, the fact that they seem to show up in 17.1% of cancers [2] However, be of good cheer, for there is further news. A class of drugs called CHK-1 inhibitors may be just the ticket to take down and wipe out these pesky little fragments.
Why did we like this story this morning? Well, Ian Sample is nearly always good for something interesting. Also he has the best monniker for a science journalist anywhere. We liked the intellectual discipline of the paper(15000 patients, 39 types of tumour,etc). Best of all we liked the fact that the whole study has grown partly on the initiative of Cancer Research UK. That marvellous body whom we have plugged before on these pages. [3] So the Moral of the Story is clear, gentle reader. Giving money to them works, Spending money on scientific research makes for better outcomes than throwing it over the bar at the Dog and Duck. And that people who denigrate and deny the findings of scientists, and/or cut their funding represent a very clearw and present danger to us all.
[1]https://www.theguardian.com/society/2024/nov/06/zapping-rogue-dna-key-treating-aggressive-cancers-study
[2]https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-08107-3
#cancer #medicine #health #dna
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