AsianScientist (Apr. 1, 2011) – Scientists have discovered an essential protein called ‘Sharpin’ that controls the inflammation induced by tumor necrosis factor (TNF) – an important part of the body’s defenses against infection and a driver of cancer-associated inflammation.
The study, which was published in Nature today, was led by Cancer Research UK-funded scientists based at Imperial College London in close collaboration with scientists at La Trobe University in Melbourne.
TNF plays a pivotal role in protecting the body against infection by bacteria, viruses and other pathogens. It does this by directing the immune system to spot rogue pathogens before destroying them.
As the name suggests, when TNF was first discovered, scientists thought its main role in the body was to help kill cancer cells. But later research showed that in many types of cancer, TNF instead serves to promote cancer growth by causing the surrounding tissues to be inflamed.
Short-term inflammation is used by the body to increase blood flow to an injury or infection, helping it heal faster. Scientists believe, however, that prolonged inflammation may be exploited by some cancers to help fuel the growth and spread of disease.
The team found that the inflammatory skin problems triggered in mice lacking Sharpin could be completely resolved by switching off TNF. This was a striking result, providing potential new insights into the link between inflammation and cancer.
Study leader Professor Henning Walczak, from the Department of Medicine at Imperial College London, said:
“Understanding how inflammation is controlled in the body on a molecular level could one day open the door to completely new approaches for treating both cancer and autoimmune disease.”
The article can be found at: Gerlach B. et al. (2011) Linear ubiquitination prevents inflammation and regulates immune signalling.
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Source: Cancer Research UK, Nature Publishing Group.
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