- Most of the drugs we use to fight cancer are designed to kill cancerous cells. While this can be effective, colorectal tumours often come back just weeks after treatment. This team may have now found a new way to fight the cancer type by reactivating a gene known as adenomatous polyposis coli (Apc) that’s turned off in 90 percent of human colorectal tumours.
- Testing their approach in mice, the team was able to stop tumour growth and restore normal intestinal function within just four days, simply by restoring Apc levels. Within two weeks, all tumours in the mice’s intestines had been eliminated, and six months later there were no signs of the cancer coming back.
- Unfortunately, there is one big barrier stopping this research from working in humans - scientists can't genetically edit humans in the way they can mice. But the researchers are optimistic about using drug treatments and other approaches to restore Apc function, or control the overactive Wnt pathway.
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