By Cho Jin-seo
Staff Reporter
A group of Korean researchers said they have found how a gene causes the uncontrolled growth of tumor cells in liver cancer.
The research is the first to confirm the role of a gene called TM4SF5 in liver cancer and could lead to the development of efficient anti-cancer drugs, the team led by Seoul National University Professor Lee Jung-weon said.
The joint research team of Seoul National University, Gyeongsang National University and several other schools have already succeeded in producing a chemical compound that can inhibit the catalystic role of TM4SF5, they said. The paper was published in Journal of Clinical Investigation on Friday.
``We are now searching for a business partner to conduct clinical research into liver cancer drugs,'' the team said in a press release on Sunday.
In human organs, growth of normal cells is arrested when they come in contact with each other, a process known as contact inhibition. But for tumor cells the contact inhibition sometimes does not work, resulting in the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells, which is cancer. Cancer cells also tend to spread to other organs and tissues in the body via lymph or blood and reappear months or years after.
According to the researchers, the TM4SF5, or tetraspanin transmembrane 4 superfamily member 5, has been suspected of being linked to various cancers since 1998. But it hasn't been known how the gene is actually related to the disease.
``We found that TM4SF5 was over-expressed in human hepatocarcinoma (liver cancer) tissue,'' the paper said. ``Our observations have revealed a role for TM4SF5 in causing uncontrolled growth of human hepatocarcinoma cells.''
The researchers first found that seven of nine patients suffering from liver cancer had more TM4SF5 in their tissue cells than those of healthy people. To confirm the relationship between the gene and cancer, they injected mice with the substance and observed it caused tumor cells to grow.
They said that their finding can allow specific research to go forward on how to suppress the tumor cells from becoming overly active.
The research was supported by Korea Science and Engineering Foundation and funded by the Korean government. Lee Sin-ae and Lee Sung-yul of the Seoul National University are its main authors.
indizio@koreatimes.co.kr