Researchers in Germany have uncovered what may be another tool to fight cancer, targeting a blip in the cell division process found only in cancer cells, according to a study published today in the journal Science Translational Medicine.

"We were looking for a novel anticancer target," says lead researcher Alwin Kraemer of the University of Heidelberg. "Since we came up with the idea that this is something unique to cancer cells, not present in normal cells and not unique or specific to a single type of cancer...it seems to be a very attractive target."

The process involves a centrosome, which is a small region next to the nucleus. During cell division the centrosome divides into two, and each ball-shaped structure moves to opposite ends of the cell, explains Kraemer. The centrosomes create spindle fibers that extend from the centrosome toward the middle of the cell. The spindles attach to chromosomes, pulling them into dividing cells.
While this process happens during all cell divisions, cancerous cells contain more than the normal two centrosomes. These extra centrosomes are crammed into dividing cells, called daughter cells. Cancer cells contain more daughter cells than healthy ones.

What the researchers discovered is that cancer cells use only 82 out of nearly 25 thousand proteins in every human cell to bundle their extra centrosomes. If they can inhibit these role-playing proteins, the cancer cell, in theory would not be able to pass clusters of centrosomes onto new cells, resulting in cell death.

"If you perturb that mechanism, it won't, theoretically, harm the normal cells," Kraemer explains.

But before researchers can target and destroy these proteins, they need to make sure the proteins don't have other important cell functions.

"Among the 82 proteins, there are at least 15 to 20 with unknown functions," says Kraemer. "We need to find out [their functions] and look at each of these 82 proteins separately and see what happens if you inhibit them."

Although early in its stages, Kraemer sees promise in using this cell division process as an anticancer drug target, especially because by chance, several of the 82 proteins are already cancer targets.

"Our research argues [these proteins are] a viable target," he says.

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