By Ashley Hall – ABC.
Researchers from the Origins of Cancer group have opened the door to a new treatment for prostate cancer which can starve cancer cells.
The breakthrough was discovered by a team led by Associate Professor Jeff Holst at Sydney’s Centenary Institute, which identified three specific nutrients that prostate cancer cells need to grow.
“What we’ve discovered this time around is that prostate cancer cells increase one of the pumps that bring a nutrient called glutamine into the cells,” Professor Holst said.
“If we can block the pumps that bring glutamine into the cells, then we can actually starve the cancer cells and stop them from growing.”
Professor Holst said an increase in the number of pumps provided the ability to target those pumps and selectively block the cancer cells and not the surrounding normal cells…Read more and listen to the AM Audio.
