Medical Breakthrough--Researchers Force Cancer Cells into Permanent 'Coma'—Malignant Cells Can No Longer Divide

Brian Ferguson / Teresa Neumann Reporting : Mar 16, 2005
The Scotsman

The Scotsman reports that researchers at the Marie Curie Research Institute in Surrey have successfully put cancer cells into a permanent "coma" providing a breakthrough alternative to treating cancer.

Their findings show that they can switch the mechanism that triggers senescence (meaning cells can no longer divide) back on in cells for malignant melanomas. "The cells stop dividing - and never divide again," says the report.

Dr Colin Goding, who led the research, explains: "When certain genes called oncogenes are activated by mutation, they cause cancer to develop. Many oncogenes control cell growth or cell division. When these are mutated, it’s like the accelerator in a car being jammed on - the cell is continuously getting instructions to divide. In our lifetime of 70 years or so, we get mutations in these genes all the time, but may only get cancer once. That is partly because we are protected by the senescence mechanism. Normal cells sense something is wrong - that the accelerator is jammed on - and put on this brake on cell division called senescence, which means the cell will never divide again. It’s in a coma permanently."