A step forward as been made thanks to an Italian research. A group of scientists at the Humanitas Rozzano (Milan) has discovered the ability of a particular gene, called PTX3, that is able to "turn off" cancer . The study, funded by the Italian Association for Cancer Research (AIRC), would open the way to the realization of a concrete cure.
A study by the Humanitas reveals a new and unique mechanism in the fight against cancer. Scientists have shown that the PTX3 gene is"switched off" prematurely in some tumors. "This brings the tumor to recruit macrophages, immune system cells that ultimately promote growth and genetic instability.
This is an unexpected finding, from which they expect important clinical implications on the front." The next goal of the team is to transform the potential of PTX3 in a concrete cure through clinical experiments.
The results of the research, coordinated by Alberto Mantovani, were published in the scientific journal Cell.
