Cancer Cells May Have Built-In Self-Destruct Signal

by Alex A. Kecskes

Researchers recently discovered that many cancer cells have a built-in "self destruct" signal. This signal appears as a protein on the cell's surface that invites immune cells to attack and destroy it. The goal is to "turn on" this self-destruct signal as soon as possible in those suffering from cancer.

Cancer cells emit the self-destruct signal by displaying the protein calreticulin. What keeps these cells alive is another molecule, called CD47, which allows most cancer cells to avoid destruction by sending out a no-destruct signal.

Many of the body's normal cells have CD47, but these cells are not affected by the anti-CD47 antibody. The anti-CD47 antibody treatment selectively kills only cancer cells without being toxic to most normal cells, but researchers have yet to determine why this occurs.

New research has revealed that calreticulin exists in a variety of cancers, including some types of leukemia, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and bladder, brain and ovarian cancers. Most normal cell populations don't display calreticulin and are not depleted when they are exposed to a blocking anti-CD47 antibody.

The big challenge is to determine how calreticulin works, how it contributes to the disease process, and what happens in the cell that causes the protein to move to the cell surface. These are the mechanisms that will allow oncologists to ultimately treat cancer.

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