Early diagnosis of mesothelioma is critical for improved survival. When treating mesothelioma patients, the best outcome is achieved with early detection of the disease by increasing treatment options and improving the patients' quality of life while battling the cancer. Currently, there are no reliable screening methods for detecting mesothelioma before symptoms become problematic for patients. However, biologists report they have discovered a bioelectric process that can identify cells that are "likely to develop into tumors."
Researchers at Tufts University School of Arts and Sciences already knew that bioelectric signals are involved in regulating how cells grow and multiply, but they set out to find out if they could control cancer growth by manipulating the bioelectric signals. Not only were the researchers able to pinpoint future cancerous cells, but they found that they could "lower the incidence of cancerous cells" by controlling the signals.
"The news here is that we've established a bioelectric basis for the early detection of cancer," says Brook Chernet, doctoral student and the first author of the research paper "Transmembrane Voltage Potential is an Essential Cellular Parameter for the Detection and Control of Tumor Development."
Through a tadpole model, the researchers induced tumor growth associated with cancers such as melanoma, leukemia and lung cancer. They then analyzed the tumor cells using a membrane voltage-sensitive dye and fluorescence microscopy and found that the tumor sites had unique characterizations suggesting a bioelectric signature. Further experimentation confirmed what the biologists suspected – changing the bioelectric code can suppress abnormal cell growth.
"We've shown that electric events tell the cells what to do," said co-author Michael Levin, Ph.D., professor of biology and director of the Center for Regenerative and Developmental Biology. "The voltage changes are not merely a sign of cancer. They control and direct whether the cancer occurs or not."
The findings led the researchers to conclude, "The ability to detect such tumors and their edges using a non-invasive (optical sensing) approach suggests exciting possibilities for a new detection and diagnostic modality." They went on to say that pharmacological applications of the findings "points to a new class of therapies for suppressing tumors based on ion channel drugs that are already approved for human use."
Mesothelioma, a rare asbestos-related cancer, is one of many cancers that is most often diagnosed at a late stage, making a cure almost impossible. Nearly 3,000 Americans are diagnosed with the disease each year. Currently, there is no cure for the disease.
The paper can be found online in the journal Disease Models and Mechanisms.
There was no indication as to when this technique could be used in practice.
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Nancy Meredith is a blog and web content writer with more than 20 years of professional experience in the Information Technology industry. She has been writing about Mesothelioma for 4 years. Follow Nancy on Google+
