Technique lights up the spread of cancer

Source: Agencies  |   2008-12-9  |     NEWSPAPER EDITION

A new type of imaging compound can literally light up spreading cancer cells and may offer a way to track the deadly spread of the disease, Japanese and American researchers reported yesterday.

They used the new compound to monitor the spread of breast and ovarian cancer cells in living mice, using a tiny camera known as an endoscope.

"These compounds may allow clinicians to monitor a patient's response to cancer therapy by allowing them to visualize whether a drug hits its target and whether hitting the target leads to shrinkage of the tumor," said Dr Hisataka Kobayashi of the United States National Cancer Institute, who helped lead the study.

Kobayashi and Yasuteru Urano of the University of Tokyo first targeted breast cancer cells with a certain mutation in what is known as the epidermal growth factor receptor or EGFR, which drives several different cancers.

This mutation is targeted by Genentech's breast cancer drug Herceptin, known generically as trastuzumab.

The researchers made their imaging compound by linking a fluorescent compound to Herceptin, which is itself a genetically engineered antibody that homes in on cells with mutated EGFR. It only attaches to living cells, making it possible to specifically find living cancer cells.

The researchers reported in the journal Nature Medicine that they could see breast tumors in living mice, and tumor cells after they spread away from the initial tumor site.

"Our design concept is very versatile and can be used to detect many types of cancer," said Kobayashi.