According to a story from Science Daily, an experimental therapy for cancer could shut down tumor cells using an innovative mechanism that disrupts their circadian rhythm functions. A concept study with an experimental molecule named GO289 tested the drug on human kidney cancer cells and on mice who had acute myeloid leukemia.
About Circadian Rhythms
Prior studies have revealed that disrupting body activities which are dictated by circadian rhythm, such as sleeping, can have a significant negative effect in a patient’s health. A biological process which is governed by circadian rhythm generally tends to repeat itself around a single day on Earth, or around 24 hours. The fact is that even individual cells by operate by a circadian rhythm. This led cancer researchers to theorize that disrupting the circadian rhythm of a cancer cells could be a unique approach to halt their proliferation and growth.
Stopping Cancer With Circadian Rhythms
GO289 essentially works by throwing off the circadian rhythm of cancer cells. Cancer cells often alter their circadian rhythms to help facilitate their growth. Thankfully, GO289 can stop cancer cells from growing without harming the circadian rhythm of healthy cells. A test of the molecule with bone cancer cells showed that it could slow the circadian clock of the cells by targeting a certain enzyme called CK2.
This mechanism seems to work as something of a domino effect. Once the activity of CK2 is affected, then the function of several other proteins that are vital for the growth and survival of the cell are also disrupted. The fact that GO289 was also useful in kidney cancer and acute myeloid leukemia suggests that it could be a useful treatment in a variety of different cancers.
Overall, the researchers who have been working on the project, such as Dr. Steve Kay, are optimistic about the findings. While GO289 and future therapies that interfere with circadian rhythms could be an effective approach for treating cancer, there will definitely have to be more research conducted on these molecules before they can become developed into a therapy that is ready for use by the public.
The study was originally published in the academic journal Science Advances and can be found here.
