Our body naturally produces a weapon to fight liver tumors: it has the name of a protein, Proteoglycan-4 (in acronym Prg-4).
The Irccs de Bellis of Castellana (Bari) has discovered that by increasing its presence - by stimulating its self-production in the liver or by administering it - it increases the effectiveness of the drugs in use today, at the same time allowing to reduce the dosages with obvious consequences in terms of of fewer side effects.
Therefore, by optimizing the therapeutic efficacy, the research - it is said in a note from De Bellis - marks an innovative strategy in the oncology field, so much so that it was published in Cell Death and Disease (Nature Publishing Group).
"Proteoglycan-4 is a glycoprotein, that is a protein with some sugars attached - explains Francesco Dituri, research biologist at IRCCS - produced by our body and distributed above all in the joints and in the eye, where it acts as a physiological 'lubricant'. For the first time, the research describes its role in liver cancer with
two relevant aspects: on the one hand, elevated levels of Prg-4 in the tumor tissue lead to better patient survival; on the other hand, the drugs administered ( Sorafenib and Regorafenib, ed) become much more effective in destroying cancer cells, if Prg-4 is present: since it is already in our body it does not involve side effects ".
"The result obtained - underlines the scientific director of IRCCS, Gianluigi Giannelli - can open up new scenarios in the fight against cancer by improving the efficacy of oncological therapies and identifying new cellular targets. Now we are expanding our research to all gastrointestinal cancers" .
To all intents and purposes, therefore, a new strategy of action: "So innovative - concludes the director general of IRCCS, Tommaso Stallone - that it is now being examined by international and national patent commissions".
(HANDLE).