December 1, 2006
1 min read
Add Us On GoogleAdd SciAmMoles' Cancer Brake
By David Biello
On supporting science journalism
If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.
Most moles harbor mutations that can trigger deadly skin cancer, but many do not ful-fill any cancerous destiny. Researchers at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor pinpointed a series of mechanisms that prevent cells in a particular type of mole from continuing to divide, despite having various mutations and tumor-promoting oncogenes. The scientists found that the endoplasmic reticulum, the organelle inside cells that folds amino acids into proteins, can sense the presence of oncogenes and stop its protein folding, thereby shutting down the cancerous cell prematurely.
While this mech anism protects against tumor growth, tumor cells could take advantage of this state—not dead but no longer dividing— “to favor survival and resistance to drugs,” researchers note in the October issue of Nature Cell Biology. In other words, the internal mechanisms can both help guard against cancer as well as help promote its growth.
It’s Time to Stand Up for Science
If you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in that two-century history.
I’ve been a Scientific American subscriber since I was 12 years old, and it helped shape the way I look at the world. SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe. I hope it does that for you, too.
If you subscribe to Scientific American, you help ensure that our coverage is centered on meaningful research and discovery; that we have the resources to report on the decisions that threaten labs across the U.S.; and that we support both budding and working scientists at a time when the value of science itself too often goes unrecognized.
In return, you get essential news, captivating podcasts, brilliant infographics, can't-miss newsletters, must-watch videos, challenging games, and the science world's best writing and reporting. You can even gift someone a subscription.
There has never been a more important time for us to stand up and show why science matters. I hope you’ll support us in that mission.
