‘Dark-Horse’ Molecule Is A Potential Anti-Cancer Target

Australian researchers have identified a molecule called interleukin-11 as a potential new target for anti-cancer therapies.

Asian Scientist (Aug. 14, 2013) – Australian researchers have identified a molecule called interleukin-11 as a potential new target for anti-cancer therapies.

Until now, the importance of interleukin-11 in cancer development has been underestimated, but researchers have recently identified this molecule as a ‘dark horse’ responsible for the development of cancer.

Their discovery suggests that drugs targeting interleukin-11 could provide a new approach to the treatment of bowel and stomach cancer, which are two of the most common cancers worldwide.

When a tumor develops, the normal (non-cancerous) tissues around it can become inflamed, and produce many different molecules, including the two related proteins interleukin-11 and interleukin-6.

These hormone-like signalling molecules, referred to as cytokines, are thought to promote the growth and spread of cancer cells. Even so, interleukin-11 was thought to have only a minor, if any, role during cancer development.

In their study, published in Cancer Cell, the researchers have now shown that interleukin-11 is one of the most important cytokines that stimulate the growth and spread of cancers.

They further discovered that blocking interleukin-11 in models of stomach and bowel cancer stopped tumor growth and could lead to tumor shrinkage, making this cytokine a promising potential new target for treating many types of solid cancers.

The article can be found at: Putoczki et al. (2013) Interleukin-11 Is The Dominant IL-6 Family Cytokine During Gastrointestinal Tumorigenesis Cnd Can Be Targeted Therapeutically.

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Source: WEHI; Photo: snre/Flickr/CC.
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