Understanding the biological processes involved when cells die

April 10, 2004

10 Apr 2004

UK scientists are even nearer now to understanding the biological processes

involved when cells die. The Medical Research Council Toxicology Unit, UK,

say that their study will lead to new treatment for cancer and other

diseases.

When a person has a disease, interactions within a cell go wrong and lead to

its death. The scientists say that it will become possible to manipulate

these interactions.

You can read about this research in the journal Molecular Cell.

Our cells kill themselves by a programmed form of cell death called

Œapoptosis¹. If you are healthy there is a balance between cells that die

and new cells - for every million cells that you lose you create a million

new ones.

When the normal apoptosis process fails there is an imbalance. This is

common in such diseases as cancer, Parkinson¹s desease and some auto-immune

diseases such as lupus.

A complex cellular machine called protease regulates the life cycle of a

cell. Protease controls the balance of proteins in a cell. Proteasome

targets proteins, which are no longer needed, for destruction. This process

keeps the cell alive.

When the cell wants to self destruct it releases enzymes called caspases.

Caspases disable part of the protease which has the ability to tag proteins.

Proteins build up in the cell, the cell eventually dies.

According to the team from Leicester University, UK, the aim is to

eventually be able to pinpoint this procedure and then find ways to

manipulate it to treat disease.

In cases like cancer, the apoptosis process could be amplified so that the

cells die off. With cancer, the cells often fail to die off when they

should.

Lead researcher Professor Gerald Cohen, Leicester University, UK, said " This

new research takes us a step closer to understanding how cells die. The

challenge now is to use this knowledge to work towards finding new drugs and

treatments for the many common diseases and conditions which occur when cell

death goes wrong. "

According to some experts, this could help us stop cancer cells in their

tracks.

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