New hope to beat prostate cancer

AN “INSIDIOUS network” of faulty cells driving prostate cancer has been mapped by British scientists, revealing scores of potential new treatments for the disease which kills 12,000 men in the UK every year.

Breakthrough research has identified a large number of genes fuelling the spread of the third most common cause of cancer death in Britain.

The study sheds new light on how scientists can exploit the complex biology of the disease to offer hope for the one in six prostate cancers that is currently untreatable.

Dr Bissan Al-Lazikani, of The Institute of Cancer Research in London, said: “This is a big step forward in improving our understanding of the disease and the treatment possibilities we can explore.

Complexity

“This insidious network of faulty cells works like a social network – they move around, interact and talk to each other to drive the disease.

“We can treat all but 16 per cent of prostate cancer patients. What we have been able to do is start the process of understanding why we have been failing to treat or cure these large numbers of people.”

Scientists analysed the tumours of nearly 1,000 prostate cancer patients alongside data from drug studies.

They were able to draw up a map charting a network of proteins responsible for spreading the disease.

Eleven were targeted by existing licensed drugs and seven by drugs in clinical trials, while 62 were identified as potential targets to explore.

Ros Eeles, Professor of Oncogenetics at the ICR, said: “One of the challenges

REVEALED...THE DNA BEHIND DEPRESSION

DOZENS of depression genes have been found by British scientists, it emerged yesterday.

The breakthrough could lead to new treatments for the condition that affects more than 300 million people worldwide.

An analysis of the DNA of 300,000 people in the UK – the biggest of its kind – identified 80 genes that could be involved.

The mental illness affects one in five people in the UK and is a huge risk factor for suicide. It is the second-leading cause of death among 15 to 29-year-olds.

Dr David Howard of Edinburgh University who wrote the study in Nature Communications said drugs could target the genes.

He added: “This identifies genes that potentially increase our risk of depression – it is partly a genetic disorder.

“The findings also provide new clues to the causes of depression and we hope it will narrow down the search for therapies that could help people living with the condition.” we face is the complexity of the disease and the sheer number of ways we could potentially treat it.

“Our study will help focus our efforts on the areas that offer most promise for patient benefit.”

Dr Justine Alford, of Cancer Research UK, said: “In the future this knowledge could help doctors better tailor treatments to individuals.”