The oncosuppressors
The oncosuppressors are genes that upon mitogenic signals inform the cell to terminate its own proliferation. Compared to oncogenes, which are haploinsufficient, oncosuppressors are haploinsufficient, so two mutation events affecting both copies of the gene are required to alter their function; if both copies of the gene are mutated, the mutation is called “loss of […]
Cell plasticity
One of the greatest challenges in oncology is to increase efficacy in destroying tumours. When drug treatments do not totally eliminate tumour cells, it happens that the remaining ones become resistant to the following therapies. This topic was investigated with a study published on 3 July 2023 in ‘Nature‘. The researchers focused their attention on […]
Cellular senescence and interferon γ
Melanoma is a tumour resulting from the unregulated proliferation of certain cells known as melanocytes and it is the deadliest type of skin cancer. There are several subtypes of melanoma, each differing by the gene mutated within it. The NRAS subtype has mutations in the NRAS gene and accounts for a quarter of all melanoma […]
A new immunotherapy frontier
After Covid-19, the term “vaccine” also became popular in non-scientific fields. While many studies have been conducted, even today it may not be clear to everyone how a vaccine works. The vaccine simulates first contact with the pathogen but without causing disease because the infectious agent is weakened. The basic concept is immunological memory: it […]
The Aspartame
Let’s try to pick up a toothpaste package or a can of a diet drink and carefully read the ingredients list, you may come across the words “Aspartame,” but what is it? Aspartame is an artificial sweetener 200 times sweeter than sugar and is used in more than 6,000 products, such as diet drinks and […]
Tumors and their genetics
The tumor is a gene-related disease; in fact, it is due to the accumulation of mutations on genes that control the balance between cell proliferation and differentiation. Cancer cells with a proliferative advantage will be selected, a selection analogous to the concept proposed by Darwin. Genes of our interest will be oncogenes, oncosuppressors, and genes […]
Health going up in smoke
The average cost of a pack of cigarettes is about 5 euros. To most of us this may not seem like much, but let’s think about it more, how much is our health worth? Is it worth less than 5 euros? I think we all agree that health is priceless. Each of us is aware […]
Discovering MOv18 IgE
Nowadays new cancer therapies see the engagement of our immune system to fight this disease. For example, monoclonal antibodies represent a type of treatment to suppress cancer cell activity and alert the immune system; they can block the activation of different mechanisms within the cancer cell, such as uncontrolled proliferation. Today the monoclonal antibodies approved […]
The role of the Y chromosome
The Y chromosome is one of the two sex chromosomes in mammals. Its presence may explain why some types of cancers have a higher lethality in men than in women. Several studies have been conducted in both human and mouse models to support this theory.On June 21, 2023 two studies about the correlation between the Y chromosome […]
Immunotherapy, a new weapon
There is a new way, there is a new type of treatment for fighting cancer, this is the immunotherapy. Immunotherapy can be called immune-oncology if applied to oncology, but how does it work? This kind of therapy aims to prevent, control and eliminate cancer, harnessing the power of our own immune system. There isn’t just […]
