Jan. 5, 2010 Scientists at the University of Michigan
Comprehensive Cancer Center have uncovered an important link
between inflammation and breast cancer stem cells that suggests
a new way to target cells that are resistant to current
treatments. The researchers identified a receptor, CXCR1, on the
cancer stem cells which triggers growth of stem cells in
response to inflammation and tissue damage. A drug originally
developed to prevent organ transplant rejection blocks this
receptor, killing breast cancer stem cells and preventing their
metastasis in mice, according to the study. Cancer stem cells,
the small number of cells that fuel a tumor's growth, are
believed to be resistant to current chemotherapies and radiation
treatment, which researchers say may be the reason cancer so
often returns after treatment. "Developing treatments to
effectively target the cancer stem cell population is essential
for improving outcomes. This work suggests a new strategy to
target cancer stem cells that can be readily transla