PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

20-Mar-2014

Contact: Marla Paul marla-paul@northwestern.edu 312-503-8928 Northwestern University

Northwestern Medicine scientists have demonstrated that cancer cells and not normal cells can be killed by eliminating either the FAS receptor, also known as CD95, or its binding component, CD95 ligand.

"The discovery seems counterintuitive because CD95 has previously been defined as a tumor suppressor," said lead investigator Marcus Peter, professor in medicine-hematology/Oncology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. "But when we removed it from cancer cells, rather than proliferate, they died."

The findings were published March 20 in Cell Reports.

The self-destruction of cells, known as apoptosis, is a necessary process that helps the body rid itself of unwanted and potentially harmful cells. Under normal circumstances, when CD95 is activated, the process of apoptosis is triggered. Seen as a keeper of homeostasis in the immune system, it's been long-considered vital for the prevention of uncontrolled, cancerous cell growth.

"In order to conduct this line of work, we had to create something that I don't believe exists, a cancer cell completely devoid of CD95," said Peter, a member of the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University. "If CD95 was truly a tumor suppressor, its elimination would result in an enhanced growth and/or invasiveness of cancer cells."

Peter and his team tested cancer cells from nine different tissue origins. Instead of proliferating, the cells increased their size and the production of harmful reactive oxygen species, resulting in DNA damage. In their first attempt to divide, they died.

Peter determined that the "cell death induced by CD95 receptor or ligand elimination (DICE)," comprises multiple death pathways. A cancer cell would have to mutate components of each to defend against DICE, a highly unlikely scenario.

View post:

Surprising new way to kill cancer cells