A gene which is overexpressed in malignant brain tumours could provide a solution to controlling the spread of the disease.
The paper, from Rama Kotipatruni and colleagues from St Louis, USA, build on previous work showing that the gene NDRG4 is overexpressed in aggressive meningioma cells. NDRG4 is an intracellular protein which is regulated by the transcription factor n-Myc. Reducing the levels of NDRG4 mRNA or protein in meningioma cell lines increased cell mortality and decreased migration. The group also use a variety of methods, including lentiviral modification of cells and 3D cellular assays to determine the effects of NDRG4 downregulation on a range of phenotypic traits, including angiogenesis and wound healing.
This is an exciting article which could trigger research into potential drugs that could bring NDRG4 expression under control and tame aggressive tumours. It’s free to access* on our site for the next four weeks, so why not download the paper here:
NDRG4, the N-Myc downstream regulated gene, is important for cell survival, tumor invasion and angiogenesis in meningiomas
Rama P. Kotipatruni, Daniel J. Ferraro, Xuan Ren, Robert P. Vanderwaal, Dinesh K. Thotala, Dennis E. Hallahan and Jerry J. Jaboin
DOI: 10.1039/C2IB20168B
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