The concept of bispecific antibodies – monoclonal antibodies able to recognise and engage two different antigens – has been explored for over twenty years. Development of therapies based on the approach has, however, been hampered by difficulties in their construction,…
Blog Archives
NSAIDs and Cancer – Another Piece of the Puzzle
Regular use of NSAIDS has been linked to reduced incidence of certain types of cancer but the underlying protective mechanisms are unclear. Some of the anticancer effects are believed to be mediated through inhibition of COX-2, but a study led…
Role for PEAK1 Kinase in Tumour Metastasis
The cytoskeleton plays a key role in regulating many cellular functions; it maintains cell shape, protects the cell, enables cellular motion, and has important roles in proliferation and differentiation. Metastasising cancer cells exploit the cytoskeleton to produce protrusions that allow…
CD95: A Question of Life or Death
Programmed cell death (apoptosis) is essential to maintain homeostasis within living organisms and is controlled by a variety of intra- and extra-cellular signals. Activation of the death receptor CD95 (also known as Fas or Apo-1) by its physiological ligand, CD95…
Loss of microRNA in Malignant Mesothelioma
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small (21-23 nucleotides), single-stranded RNA molecules that function as regulators of gene expression. The human genome encodes several hundred miRNAs and abnormal expression of these has been associated with cancer progression. We have previously reported on miRNA…
It May Not Be the Clock that’s Wrong
To ensure normal growth and avoid tumour formation, cell division must be tightly regulated. Remarkably, many cells from species as diverse as single celled organisms and humans only divide at certain times of the day, suggesting that division is under…
Stopping Cancer Spread
The deadliest feature of cancer is its ability to spread, or metastasise. Migrastatin, a compound isolated from Streptomyces, was found to weakly inhibit tumour cell migration and, in 2005, researchers from Weill Medical College of Cornell University and the Sloan-Kettering…
Lipid Genes Linked to Cancer
Although clinical and epidemiological studies have linked cancer with other chronic conditions such as inflammatory and metabolic diseases, the pathways linking different diseases are poorly understood. Inflammation is commonly associated with the development and progression of cancer and increased cancer…
Enhancing Drug Penetration of Tumours
One problem associated with the treatment of solid tumours is that chemotherapeutic agents have difficulty in penetrating more than a few cell diameters from the vasculature. Higher doses of drug are required and, because some tumour cells are not reached,…
The Mysteries of Arsenic
For many people, the word ‘arsenic’ conjures up thoughts of murder mysteries and, in fact, arsenic has been a popular murder weapon since the middle ages. In the Victorian era, arsenic trioxide found favour as a cosmetic and it has…
