Cancer has time and again raised its ugly head in various forms and claimed many human lives till date. Over the years scientists
have incorporated different strategies like radiotherapy and chemotherapy to cure the disease but with little success. Latest therapies that “target specific
cancerous cells” and others that “starve” cancerous cells have been developed with the know-how of cell
signaling.
Cell signaling deals with the study of intercellular communication, a vital process that governs development, tissue repair, immune responses and homeostasis. One of the key communication pathways that becomes altered in cancer is the Wnt pathway. There are at least ten mutations that can activate this pathway. Studies on mice with genetic changes to proteins involved in the Wnt pathway have revealed how altering the pathway results in tissue specific cancerous changes. With this understanding, proteins used by the cancerous cells may be individually targeted to design better therapeutics. Moreover, compounds may be directly identified and used as anti cancer agents.
Another approach is to use “deranged” cellular signalling to track behaviour of cancer cell populations at diagnosis through therapy as well as during remission of cancer. Single cell stage level diagnosis helps in early detection of cancer cells and their response to the therapy. Eventually, it helps to predict those pathways which the cancer cells might be using to circumvent current therapies and hence direct the patient towards alternative treatments.
No matter what researchers develop in terms of therapy, ultimately the largest reduction in cancer mortality will come from changes in lifestyle. So, winning the battle over cancer lies in the hands of both scientists and citizens.