University Hospital Trust
People talk about a cure for cancer; but a University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center researcher said it is more likely there will be many cures for the many types of cancer and each begins with basic scientific research.
Because there are so many different types of cancer, there is no one "magic bullet" that will cure them all, said Dr. Tomas Pento, Noble Foundation Presidential Professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the OU College of Pharmacy. He also said science is working on understanding the genetic make-up of cancers to develop ways to stop the disease.
This is especially true in the area of breast cancer research, Pento said.
"The breast cancer death rate had been pretty consistent through 1995," he explained. "It is now on a downward trend due to better treatment, better post-treatment and better understanding of the disease."
Pento has two breast cancer-specific research projects that approach improved treatment from different angles: One looks at a growth hormone and another examines novel fusion proteins. Pento said basic science research provided the critical building blocks upon which new treatments and potential cures are built. He said it is necessary to develop an understanding of what is happening at a cellular level before moving on to other studies and then human trials.
"Everything starts with basic science, then it has to proceed to clinical studies and then to companies for commercial development," Pento said. "In reality, only one technology in 1,000 makes it to the market, but it all starts in the research lab doing work in the culture dishes and then moving forward."
Because cancer cells multiply rapidly, areas of concern involve stopping the cancer growth and finding drugs that target the cancer cells while leaving healthy cells unharmed. Currently, chemotherapeutic agents target cancer cells, but also kill all fast-growing cells, including intestine and hair follicle cells.
Working with Dr. Xiao-Ping Zang, Pento's lab is exploring Keratinocyte Growth Factor (KGF), an element Pento said was a "serendipitous" discovery by Zang. KGF is produced in stromal tissue (supportive tissue around the tumor) and it enhances the growth and migration of cancer cells. Zang's early research shows KGF stimulates cancer cells within the first hour of exposure.
"We thought there was another factor making the cells multiply and migrate, but when we asked another lab for a sample of that protein, the lab said 'try this' and sent us KGF," Pento said. "Xiao-Ping's work has been remarkable in discovering that KGF activity in breast cancer tumors is stimulated by both the tumor and the ovary. We have been able to measure the very rapid growth of cancer cells associated with KGF treatment."
This early work has shown Pento and Zang KGF is an important early signal in the process of breast cancer metastatic progression or simply put, the spread of breast cancer within the body.
"When breast cancer begins, it grows as a single mass within the breast, and at some point it begins to metastasize to other organs," Pento said. "If we can detect it before the spread begins, we can stop the cancer completely. If we catch it after it spreads, it is much more difficult to cure."
While working with Dr. Tom Lee, a colleague at the Ohio State University, Pento said they have been able to use computer modeling to examine KGF interaction at its receptor in cancer cells. This has enabled them to create new compounds that inhibit the hormone.
"We've tested 10 molecules in our lab, and find that we can now predict the binding ability," he said. "We've got a nice correlation between computer model predictions and our lab results."
Pento and Dr. Roger Harrison, an OU chemical engineering professor, also are working on novel fusion proteins to stop breast cancer. The focus on their work is an enzyme called urokinase that causes the spread of cancer.
