Scientists Intrigued by Clever Trick That Makes Cancer Cells Self-Destruct

https://www.yahoo.com/news/scientists-intrigued-clever-trick-makes-142313408.html


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Victor Tangermann
Mon, July 31, 2023 at 7:23 AM PDT




Researchers have discovered a mechanism that forces cancer cells to self-destruct, hijacking their ability to replicate uncontrollably and turning it against themselves.

The research team from Stanford University and gene therapy company Shenandoah Therapeutics published a paper last week in the journal Nature, describing how cancer cells can be rewired to "activate cell death," not unlike flipping a switch.

While we're still a long way from developing a drug for humans that takes advantage of this gene hack — assuming it's actually possible in a practical way — scientists are nonetheless intrigued by the prospect.

"It’s very cool," Jason Gestwicki, professor of pharmaceutical chemistry at the University of California, San Francisco, who was not involved in the study, told the New York Times. "It turns something the cancer cell needs to stay alive into something that kills it, like changing your vitamin into a poison."

 

Eny advancement in medical field, such as ancology is exciting.
Since I lost a parent, relatives, friends and neighbors to cancer and now have a relative in treatment for stage 4 CRC.
I'm hopeful that this and other discoveries will
turn in to meaningful treatments saving and improving quality of life of patients.

 

I always think of the XKCD comic that even though something can kill cells in a petri dish, so can a revolver (edit: make that handgun): https://xkcd.com/1217/

 

A new study published July 27, 2023 in the journal JAMA Oncology suggests that just 4 to 5 minutes of "vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity" is enough to significantly lower cancer risk.

Read on to learn more about how they landed at this conclusion. Then we'll explain some of the best workout styles to incorporate into your day to put this study into practice.

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/science-suggests-just-4-minutes-152937503.html

"Related: Adding Just 10 Minutes of Exercise Per Day Can Improve Health and Slow Aging, According to Science

What This Exercise Study Found
Researchers at University of Sydney's Charles Perkins Centre in Australia noticed that previous studies suggested that adults who don't exercise appear to be at higher risk for developing 13 kinds of cancers (breast, endometrial, colorectal, liver, kidney, lung and more), but noticed that there was a knowledge gap about how much exercise might move the needle.

"More than 1,800 cancer cases diagnosed in Australia this year are likely to be the direct result of physical inactivity," professor Karen Canfell, D.Phil., director of the Daffodil Centre, at the University of Sydney, explains in a University of Sydney news release."

 

Sounds like unless you are completely sedentary you are likely to get that exercise in your day-to-day already, but perhaps it will be motivating to those who don't engage in any physical activity.

 

My take: exercise is all well and good. Important. Cancer? This is how I (a layman) see it.

(1) Be careful in the sun. Manage your exposure and use sunscreen. (I wasn't - it caught up with me. Operation - now gone. I was lucky. )
(2) Don't smoke. Kills one out of two who smoke regularly. Not a pleasant way to go.
(3) Don't eat garbage. People buy lots of it in supermarkets. And read food labels - you know what to look for - or you can learn.
(4) If you drink - do so within prescribed limits. If you can't -- consider quitting entirely. Worked for me. There's help if you need it.
(5) Regular medical checkups - Know the signs and be frank with your doctor, Odds are it's not cancer, but - be safe.

Nothing new here. All the best to everyone. Hope this contributes to the cause.