膀胱癌的最新科研成果

膀胱癌的最新科研成果

齐鲁细胞刘兆云 译

曼彻斯特的科学家们发现了一种蛋白，这种蛋白可以帮助医生们筛选出哪些膀胱癌患者对放疗更敏感，效果更好。

英国癌症研究所的内尔巴里说：“这一新发现会帮助医生们调整对膀胱癌的治疗策略。 在医学研究委员会资金支持下的曼彻斯特大学研究团队发现，HIF-1a蛋白表达高的患者更易于从氧气和碳酸气的混合气体及烟酰胺联合放疗中受益，这种治疗方法被叫做“CON”疗法，明显提高放疗敏感性。

通过比较137例单独接受放疗或联合”CON”治疗的患者组织中HIF-1a蛋白水平，研究者发现这些蛋白质表达受益于“CON”，接受CON与放疗的患者不仅要比只接受化疗的患者的蛋白水平高而且生存期也长。

HIF-1a蛋白反映肿瘤细胞的缺氧水平，CON疗法的作用是提高缺氧肿瘤细胞的氧气增加肿瘤细胞对放疗的敏感性。

曼彻斯特大学的英国癌症研究中心的凯瑟琳教授说：“虽然我们还有其它生物标志物来预测”CON”在治疗膀胱癌患者中的作用，但我们的这一研究结果告诉我们关于膀胱癌的更多的特点以及对治疗的反应。同时我们还需要更加努力为那些未从这一疗法中收益的患者找到更好的治疗方法。

在曼彻斯特每年有65人被诊断为膀胱癌，有25人死于膀胱癌。纵然这一疗法使得英国膀胱癌死亡率有所下降，但我们还需要更多的研究机构一起来帮助我们找到更好的治疗膀胱癌的方法。

（本文由山东齐鲁细胞医学技术服务中心刘兆云翻译，张康总结发稿。）

翻后感：既然通过检测HIF-1a蛋白水平能判断膀胱癌患者对放疗是否有效，提高治愈率减轻患者负担，那么作为肿瘤治疗的新一代生物疗法-----免疫细胞疗法在给患者输注之前能否先以患者机体各项指标差异为因变量，以细胞治疗种类、输注时间及临床治疗方案为自变量通过析因设计分析之后，针对性的调整，能否也能为患者找到更优的治疗方案呢？

原文章：

Bladder cancer patients identified who could benefit from 'tumor-softening' treatment

Scientists in Manchester have identified a protein that could help doctors decide which bladder cancer patients would benefit from a treatment that makes radiotherapy more effective, according to a study published in the British Journal of Cancer (BJC).

"This fascinating new finding could help doctors adapt their treatments to patients with bladder cancer," said Nell Barrie, Cancer Research UK

The team from The University of Manchester, funded by the Medical Research Council, found that patients whose bladder tumor had high levels of a protein, called 'HIF-1α', were more likely to benefit from having carbogen -- oxygen mixed with carbon dioxide gas -- and nicotinamide tablets at the same time as their radiotherapy. The treatment, called 'CON', makes radiotherapy more effective.

By comparing levels of HIF-1α in tissue samples from 137 patients who had radiotherapy on its own or with CON, the researchers found the protein predicted which patients benefited from having CON. High levels of the protein were linked to better survival from the disease when patients had radiotherapy and CON. Patients with low protein levels did not benefit from having CON with their radiotherapy.

The HIF-1α protein indicates low oxygen levels in tumor cells -- a state known as 'hypoxia'. The CON treatment works by adding oxygen to the oxygen-deprived tumor cells which makes them more sensitive to the radiotherapy.

Study author, Professor Catharine West, a Cancer Research UK scientist at The University of Manchester, said: "Although we have another biomarker that can predict responsiveness to CON and radiotherapy in bladder cancer patients, our findings tell us a bit more about the characteristics of bladder cancer tumors and how they may respond to this treatment."

"But we desperately need to do more work to find ways to treat those patients who won't see as much benefit from this.

"And it's exactly this type of vital research that we and other scientists will be doing at the Manchester Cancer Research Centre -- bringing together a wide range of expertise to revolutionise cancer treatment."

Around 65 people are diagnosed with bladder cancer in Manchester every year. There are around 25 deaths from the disease every year.

"Deaths from bladder cancer are falling in the UK, but more work needs to be done so that this trend continues. More research is needed to helps us find new and better ways to fight bladder cancer."