Blocking Protein Leads to Fewer, Smaller Skin Cancer Tumors
Abhay Satoskar
New research suggests that blocking the activity of a protein in the blood could offer powerful protection against some skin cancers. In the study, conduced by microbiologist Abhay Satoskar and his colleagues, normal mice and mice that had a genetically engineered protein deficiency were exposed to almost a year of ultraviolet light that mimics chronic sun exposure. The mice that lacked the protein developed fewer, smaller, less aggressive and less vascular skin cancer tumors than did the normal mice. The protein is called a macrophage migration inhibitory factor, or MIF. “Our data show that MIF appears to be affecting multiple pathways that are important for tumor progression. It is also clear here that there is a link between inflammation and cancer,” Satoskar said. This work was supported by an Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center seed grant.
To learn more, go to http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/mifskinca.htm.
Originally published Spring, 2009
