The discovery leads to drugs targeting dozens of types of cancer
By turning off genes one by one, researchers from the United Kingdom and the United States have targeted cancer with new drugs.
The author, Sean Lintern, said in a report in the British newspaper “The Independent”, that scientists have made an important step towards developing new drugs that target specific genes within dozens of types of cancer. For the first time, researchers from the United Kingdom and the United States were able to draw a separate map of the genetic makeup of about 25 different types of cancer and matched the results.
The author stated that using genetic editing technology, researchers identified the genes that cancer cells need to survive by stopping them one by one, which means that these genes can be targeted by a new generation of drugs.
In general, research conducted by teams from the Wellcome Sanger Institute and the Broad Institute included tests of 725 separate lines of cancer cells belonging to people who had about 25 different types of cancer.
The author added that the two institutes compared the results, and concluded that the experiments are identical, which means that their databases can be combined to form the largest genetic scan of cancer cell lines ever.
Indeed, the research, published in the journal Nature Communications, noted that the size of the combined data set would help accelerate the discovery and development of new cancer drugs.
In this context, the researcher Aviad Cherniak of the Broad Institute said, “This analysis is the first of its kind, and it is really important for the entire cancer research community.”
“This study is important because it demonstrates the validity of experimental methods and the consistency of the data that it produces. It also means that the similarities in the two sets of data have become harmonious. By working together, we will be able to access greater statistical strength,” said Dr. Francesco Yorio of the Welcoming Sanger Institute. Much, with the goal of narrowing the target list to the next generation of cancer treatments.
‘Good Days and Bad Days’: Princess of Wales Gives Update on Cancer
Princess Diana’s cancer battle was a private one, but she did share some of her experiences with the world.
In a 1997 interview with BBC’s Panorama, the late royal opened up about her health struggles, including her cancer diagnosis.
“I’ve had a very bad year, a very bad year,” Diana said in the interview, which was conducted in the summer of 1997. “I’ve had a lump in my neck for a year and a half, and I’ve had it operated on, and it’s come back.”
Diana, who was 36 at the time, said she was diagnosed with a tumor in her neck, which was later found to be a form of cancer called carcinoma. She underwent surgery to remove the tumor, but it returned.
“I’ve had all the tests, and I’ve had the operation, and I’ve had the radiotherapy, and I’ve had the chemotherapy, and I’ve had the hormone treatment,” she said. “I’ve had everything that anybody could have.”
Diana also spoke about the emotional toll her illness had taken on her.
“I’ve been through a lot of pain, and I’ve been through a lot of suffering, and I’ve been through a lot of depression,” she said. “I’ve been through a lot of despair, and I’ve been through a lot of fear, and I’ve been through a lot of anxiety.”
Despite her struggles, Diana remained hopeful and determined.
“I’ve got a long way to go, but I’m going to fight this cancer with all my might,” she said. “I’m going to keep going, and I’m going to keep smiling, and I’m going to keep taking it one day at a time.”
Diana passed away on August 31, 1997, at the age of 36, after a car crash in Paris. Her death was a shock to the world, and her legacy continues to live on.