News 2007
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£160,000 Boost for Cancer Study: July 2007
Researchers who have been studying the role aspirin can play in fighting bowel cancer have today been given a funding boost.
A team of scientists from Edinburgh University based within the MRC Human Genetics Unit has been awarded a £160,000 grant by Cancer Research UK, the anti-cancer charity, to help with their work. There are 36,000 people diagnosed with bowel cancer every year in Britain, and 16,000 deaths from the disease - making it the second most common cause of cancer death in the UK. And in Scotland, there are more than 3,500 cases a year and in excess of 1,500 deaths annually. The team, led by Dr Lesley Stark, previously discovered that treating bowel cancer cells with aspirin or similar non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) caused them to self-destruct. The researchers are now trying to find out more about how this process occurs.
They are also hoping to develop new drugs that mimic the effect that aspirin has on cancer cells, as taking NSAIDs long-term can have side effects, making them unsuitable for use for cancer prevention.
Dr Stark said: "The ultimate aim of the study is to identify means other than NSAIDs that prevent bowel cancer in a similar way to aspirin."
She explained that her team hoped to gain a greater understanding of how aspirin and other NSAIDs caused the bowel cancer cells to self-destruct. And she added: "Understanding how NSAIDs act against bowel cancer gives us the chance to identify other drugs that have a similar preventative effect."
Zebrafish may earn its Stripes in Cancer Fight : Aug 2007
A TINY fish has become the latest weapon in the fight against skin cancer. The zebrafish, a popular aquarium pet, has been bred to carry a gene associated with malignant melanoma, the most dangerous form of skin cancer.
Researchers at MRC Human Genetics Unit and the University of Edinburgh found the blue-striped fish developed moles on its skin when bred with the gene, called BRAF. Scientists now hope the fish, which grows to 3.8cm, can provide a useful new model for the study of malignant melanoma. The next step is to expose the specially bred fish to UV light. Scientists believe changes will occur in the moles, which will mimic the development of melanoma. This should help researchers track the development of the disease.
Dr Elizabeth Patton, a researcher on the project, said "The new discovery could be a significant step in skin cancer research."
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