€ 9 06 seem | nememananinei etn pe * que:
roneruomanecinen —cermvesmay —waeroves —wecanon user [_ eomon | Q.
‘The Importance of Good Communication: Cell Signaling and How it Relates to Cancer
In 2007, the United States Congress declared May as Cancer Research Month. We know that
supporting cancer research is important, ultimately leading to earlier detection, better treatments,
possibly even a cure. But, what actually goes on in an academic cancer research lab?
An important focus of study within cancer research is called signal transduction. Basically, all of
the cells in your body need external and internal signals to tell them what to do ~ grow, move,
secrete something, live, die, etc, These messages are transmitted via a series of proteins, in an
extremely complex and carefully regulated process. In fact, misbehavior of these very pathways is
often what causes and sustains cancer.
A protein called K-Ras is mutated in about 90% of pancreatic cancer cases. Under normal
conditions, the K Ras protein responds to other proteins, called receptors. Receptors sit on the
surface of a cell, half outside, half inside. As their name suggests, receptors receive signals from
proteins outside of the cell, and convey the message to proteins within the cell, instructing the cell
what to do. However, mutation of K-Ras bypasses the need for receptor activation, leading to a
pathway that's always “on’. In the case of K-Ras, this signal instructs the cell to grow and survive.
Tumors form because cells ignore the normal signals that tell them its time to stop growing, or
that it's time to die. Therefore, these aberrations in cell signaling pathways are integral to the
formation and growth of cancer.
Historically, cancer treatments (chemotherapy and radiation therapy) target any cell that is actively
growing, rather than just attacking the cancer cells. However, a deeper understanding of the
signaling pathways that are hyperactive in cancer cells can lead to development of treatments that
target just the cancer cells, and spare normal cells. This type of targeted treatment carries the
potential to more effectively kill the cancer cells, and alleviate detrimental side effects to the
patient.
Many labs, including several funded by the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, are tirelessly
working to figure out how to target K-Ras, or other signaling proteins behaving abnormally in
pancreatic cancer cells, in order to develop novel treatment options. Encouragingly, breakthroughs
have occurred in leukemia and breast cancer, where understanding of the cancer cell signaling has
led to specific, targeted drugs that have revolutionized the treatment of these diseases. The signal
transduction research taking place in labs throughout the country creates hope that a new
treatment for pancreatic cancer might be next.
Read more about the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network's research grant recipients.