科学家研究感冒病毒攻癌关
路透社伦敦消息 人类腺病毒是一种能引起人体感冒症状的病毒，它有着与其它病毒相类似的结构和属性。近日苏格兰大学的研究员宣布，这种病毒能为癌症成因的研究带来新的曙光，为癌症治疗开辟新道路。
在人类200种不同的癌症中，大约有六分之一是由病毒触发的。其中包括子宫癌及某些类型的白血病。至今病毒在癌症中的作用机理还是个谜。苏格兰大学的研究人员想利用感冒病毒来解决这个问题，是因为虽然感冒病毒本身不会引起癌症，但它们有着与癌症病毒相类似的特征。
癌病毒能破坏P53，P53是一个肿瘤抑制基因，P53破坏之后癌细胞就会疯狂地生长导致失控。人类腺病毒也能产生破坏P53的分子，但它不会引起癌症。因为腺病毒在传染末期会将被感染的细胞杀死。
研究人员发现，百分之八十的癌症细胞中的P53基因是被破坏的，只有百分之二十癌症细胞中的的P53基因是完好无损的。在能引起癌症的病毒中，P53虽被破坏了，但仍有其它的病毒性蛋白会诱导细胞发生一系列的变化，致使细胞继续复制。
, http://www.100md.com
目前，研究员正研究两种腺病毒分子，以期得到腺病毒分子阻断P53工作的机理。如果科学家们能够确定癌病毒与腺病毒相类似的地方，以及找到使P53基因免遭破坏的方法，就有望研发新的药物，使癌细胞自我毁灭而不是继续复制。
Scientists Seek Cancer Clues in Cold Virus
LONDON (Reuters) - Viruses that cause the common cold could hold important clues to ways of tackling cancer, Scottish scientists said Tuesday.
About one-sixth of the 200 different types of cancer, including cervical cancer and some kinds of leukemia, are triggered by viruses but how they do it is still a mystery.
, 百拇医药
Researchers at Scotland‘s University of St. Andrews hope the human adenovirus, which causes colds and has similar properties to other viruses, will shed new light on those that cause cancer and open up another line of attack against the disease.
``We‘re using a cold virus to try to crack the problem because although it doesn‘t cause cancer itself, it has features in common with viruses that do,‘‘ Professor Ron Hay, the head of the research team, said in a telephone interview.
, http://www.100md.com
One of the common features is a tumor suppressor gene, called P53, which acts like a brake to stop cancerous cells from dividing uncontrollably.
Cancer viruses destroy p53 so that it can‘t stop the uncontrolled cell division associated with cancer. The adenovirus produces molecules that also damage p53 but without causing cancer.
``The reason adenoviruses don‘t cause cancer is that they kill the cells at the end of the infectious cycle,‘‘ Hay explained. ``In viruses which cause cancer, you get a situation where p53 is destroyed, and there may be other viral proteins which induce other changes in the cell to tell the cell to keep replicating.‘‘
, 百拇医药
Hay and Professor David Lane, of the Cancer Research Campaign in Dundee, are studying two adenovirus molecules to find out how they stop p53 from working.
P53 is genetically altered in 80 percent of cancers but in the other 20 percent of cancers the gene is still intact.
``The idea is that if we can identify these similarities in cancer cells we could identify targets for further drug development,‘‘ Hay explained.
If scientists could stop p53 from being degraded or disabled, the damaged cells would destroy themselves instead of replicating., http://www.100md.com
在人类200种不同的癌症中，大约有六分之一是由病毒触发的。其中包括子宫癌及某些类型的白血病。至今病毒在癌症中的作用机理还是个谜。苏格兰大学的研究人员想利用感冒病毒来解决这个问题，是因为虽然感冒病毒本身不会引起癌症，但它们有着与癌症病毒相类似的特征。
癌病毒能破坏P53，P53是一个肿瘤抑制基因，P53破坏之后癌细胞就会疯狂地生长导致失控。人类腺病毒也能产生破坏P53的分子，但它不会引起癌症。因为腺病毒在传染末期会将被感染的细胞杀死。
研究人员发现，百分之八十的癌症细胞中的P53基因是被破坏的，只有百分之二十癌症细胞中的的P53基因是完好无损的。在能引起癌症的病毒中，P53虽被破坏了，但仍有其它的病毒性蛋白会诱导细胞发生一系列的变化，致使细胞继续复制。
, http://www.100md.com
目前，研究员正研究两种腺病毒分子，以期得到腺病毒分子阻断P53工作的机理。如果科学家们能够确定癌病毒与腺病毒相类似的地方，以及找到使P53基因免遭破坏的方法，就有望研发新的药物，使癌细胞自我毁灭而不是继续复制。
Scientists Seek Cancer Clues in Cold Virus
LONDON (Reuters) - Viruses that cause the common cold could hold important clues to ways of tackling cancer, Scottish scientists said Tuesday.
About one-sixth of the 200 different types of cancer, including cervical cancer and some kinds of leukemia, are triggered by viruses but how they do it is still a mystery.
, 百拇医药
Researchers at Scotland‘s University of St. Andrews hope the human adenovirus, which causes colds and has similar properties to other viruses, will shed new light on those that cause cancer and open up another line of attack against the disease.
``We‘re using a cold virus to try to crack the problem because although it doesn‘t cause cancer itself, it has features in common with viruses that do,‘‘ Professor Ron Hay, the head of the research team, said in a telephone interview.
, http://www.100md.com
One of the common features is a tumor suppressor gene, called P53, which acts like a brake to stop cancerous cells from dividing uncontrollably.
Cancer viruses destroy p53 so that it can‘t stop the uncontrolled cell division associated with cancer. The adenovirus produces molecules that also damage p53 but without causing cancer.
``The reason adenoviruses don‘t cause cancer is that they kill the cells at the end of the infectious cycle,‘‘ Hay explained. ``In viruses which cause cancer, you get a situation where p53 is destroyed, and there may be other viral proteins which induce other changes in the cell to tell the cell to keep replicating.‘‘
, 百拇医药
Hay and Professor David Lane, of the Cancer Research Campaign in Dundee, are studying two adenovirus molecules to find out how they stop p53 from working.
P53 is genetically altered in 80 percent of cancers but in the other 20 percent of cancers the gene is still intact.
``The idea is that if we can identify these similarities in cancer cells we could identify targets for further drug development,‘‘ Hay explained.
If scientists could stop p53 from being degraded or disabled, the damaged cells would destroy themselves instead of replicating., http://www.100md.com
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