Angiogenesis master gene

Source: WAIMR

Western Australian Institute for Medical Research (WAIMR) Associate Professor Ruth Ganss and her team have found that a gene called RGS5 can reverse angiogenesis, the growth of blood vessels inside tumours.

The team has reported its discovery in today's issue of Nature.

"It's the uncontrolled growth of blood vessels and the formation of abnormal blood vessels inside tumours that 'feed' them, allowing them to grow and stopping the immune system from wiping out the tumour," Ganss said.

"What we've shown is that RGS5 is a master gene in angiogenesis and that when it is removed, angiogenesis reverses and the blood vessels in tumours appear more normal.

"Importantly, this normalisation changes the tumour environment in a way that improves immune cell entry, meaning tumours can be destroyed and improving survival rates in laboratory tests."

Reversing abnormal vessel growth represents a fresh approach to tackling angiogenesis, with most current research focusing on how to block or kill tumour-feeding blood vessels.

"We've long-suspected this research would deliver advances in knowledge about what [affects] tumour growth and this publication recognises the innovation and importance of our work," she said.

"By understanding what is actually going on in the tumour itself, the ultimate hope is that we'll be able to work on making current therapeutic approaches even more successful and reducing side effects of them."

Earlier this month, a second paper by Ganss and her team was published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation which describes how tumours can be attacked by the immune system with fewer side-effects.

"This discovery involves targeting tumours with inflammatory substances that change the environment, so immune cells can attack the tumour through blood vessels more effectively and lessen the amount of toxins going elsewhere in the body," she said.