Researchers find molecule that causes malignant cells to self-destruct

Researchers have discovered a molecule that is capable of subverting natural processes in cancer cells and causing them to self-destruct. The new discovery is being heralded as a step toward a new, non-invasive, treatment for Renal Cell Carcinoma (RCC), the most common form of kidney cancer.

Autophagy is a process that occurs naturally within all cells. During autophagy, cells recycle material by breaking down internal chemicals for other uses. RCC cells often have a mutated VHL gene, known as a tumor suppressor gene. Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine, led by Dr. Amato Giaccia , found a compound, STF-62247, which enhanced the rate of autophagy in cells that lack the VHL gene. When authophagy happens too fast, the cell destroys itself.

"We have found a small molecule that selectively induces cell death in VHL-deficient cells, such as those that are found in kidney cancer. This represents a paradigm shift for targeted therapy," said Giaccia, who is a professor and director of radiation oncology and radiation biology.

A drug that uses the compound would be a major breakthrough in kidney cancer treatment, since kidney cancer is resistant to most standard cancer treatments, including chemotherapy and radiation. Historically, there is little doctors can do for a kidney patient except for removing the kidney, which can often lead to other medical problems. According to the American Cancer Society, 54,000 Americans will be diagnosed with kidney cancer this year, and 13,000 will die from the disease.

Autophagy has been targeted by cancer researchers for some time. But until this new discovery, it was unclear how researchers and doctors could harness the process to fight cancer.

"Autophagy has been really troublesome as whether it's a mechanism that keeps the cells alive or it's a mechanism that you can utilize to promote cell death," says Kimryn Rathmell, who studies kidney cancer at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill.

Rathmell acknowledged the potential benefits of the new research, which appeared in the July 8th edition of the journal "Cancer Cell."

"If we can find the linchpin that keeps the cancer going, and we can target that specifically, then those drugs can have really tremendous potential to either induce very long-term remission, stable disease, or even cure," Rathmell says.

Giacca projected clinical studies would begin "in the next couple of years."

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