This is a basic break-trough, so I take the whole article, which was published by the BBC already on 28th. May 2015, and which mainly is the original press release, which I also add for clarity.
http://www.bbc.com/news/health-32913659[*quote*]
Sleeping cancer cells can 'wake up' decades later 28 May 2015
From the section Health
Blood cancer cells can avoid being killed by lying dormant - sometimes for decades
Scientists say they have found evidence that cancer cells can go to 'sleep', avoiding the effects of chemotherapy, and then 'reawaken' years later.
Researchers at the Institute of Cancer Research say this may explain why some cancers return, many years after they appear to have been cured.
They analysed a patient whose leukaemia returned after 20 years in remission.
The findings may help scientists to root out these dormant cancer cells, wake them up and kill them.
The study, published in the journal Leukemia, found that the cancer cells which 'woke up' in the patient after a period of two decades were similar to a group of cancer cells that pre-dated the original bout of the disease.
Blood and bone marrow samples were taken from the patient when he was diagnosed with a rare form of leukaemia at four years old and compared to samples taken when he relapsed aged 25.
In future it might be possible to speed up the growth of these pre-cancerous dormant cells so that they can be targeted and killed.
Prof Mel Greaves, The Institute of Cancer Research
Researchers identified a specific DNA mutation in cancer cells from both blood samples, in which two genes called BCR and ABL1 fuse together.
They said this showed a common link between the original and the relapsing leukaemia.
But they also found many new genetic changes had occurred in the cancer cells when the patient relapsed.
This implies that cancer cells had become dormant, resisted chemotherapy and then 'woke up' after many years of rest.
The cells may have survived because they were growing much more slowly than other cancer cells - and chemotherapy attacks rapidly dividing cells.
Study leader Professor Mel Greaves, director of the Centre for Evolution and Cancer at The Institute of Cancer Research in London, said the research showed that cancer cells are cunning.
"It provides striking evidence of cancer evolution in action, with cancer cells able to lie dormant to avoid treatment, and then to accumulate new mutations capable of driving a new bout of disease.
"Blood stem cells regularly fluctuate between being dormant or 'asleep' and dividing very quickly, so it seems cancer cells are just borrowing this trick to avoid being killed by chemotherapy."
Prof Greaves added: "In future it might be possible to speed up the growth of these pre-cancerous dormant cells so that they can be targeted and killed using chemotherapy, to reduce the risk of relapse even further."
Dr Matt Kaiser, head of research at Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research, said there were still too many children whose cancer returns.
"If we can build up a picture of what causes rare cases of late relapse and how we can detect and prevent it, we may be able to deliver more true cures for this terrible disease."
More on this story Leukaemia mutations 'almost inevitable', researchers say
27 February 2015
Scientists track leukaemia's origins 'back to the womb'
9 April 2013
Breast cancer 'alters bone to help it spread'
28 May 2015
Child leukaemia 'not linked to power lines'
7 February 2014
Related Internet linksThe Institute of Cancer Research, London
http://www.icr.ac.uk/Leukemia
http://www.nature.com/leu/index.htmlLeukaemia & Lymphoma Research
https://leukaemialymphomaresearch.org.uk/[*/quote*]
The original press release:
http://www.icr.ac.uk/news-archive/sleeping-cancer-cells-can-wake-up-after-decades[*quote*]
Latest news
Sleeping cancer cells can ‘wake up’ after decades28 May 2015
Sleeping cancer cells can ‘wake up’ after decades
Scientists believe they have explained why some cancers that appear to have been cured can recur many years or even decades later.
It is well known that in rare cases, cancers can come back even when patients have been free of disease for so long that doctors regard them as cured.
Now researchers at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, have found genetic evidence that cancer cells can go to sleep – avoiding the effects of treatment – only to ‘wake up’ many years later.
Their study could suggest ways of rooting out dormant cancer cells – eradicating the small risk that cancer could return after appearing to be cured.
The research, published in the journal Leukemia today, is unique because researchers had access to blood and bone marrow samples over a 20-year period from a patient with a rare form of leukaemia.
The research was funded by Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research, with additional support from the European Hematology Association, The Kay Kendall Leukaemia Fund and The Wellcome Trust.
Researchers analysed samples taken when the patient was diagnosed at four years’ old alongside samples taken when he relapsed as a 25-year-old, after 22 years in remission.
They identified a specific DNA mutation, in which two genes called BCR and ABL1 fuse together, in cancer cells from both blood samples, taken 22 years apart. This shows a common lineage between the original and relapsing leukaemia – implying that cancer cells had resisted chemotherapy by becoming dormant, and then ‘woken up’ after decades of slumber.
Researchers have suspected dormant cells from the original cancer were responsible for delayed relapse, but evidence has been very limited.
The cells responsible for the relapse are thought to have survived because they were growing much more slowly than other cancer cells – resisting traditional chemotherapy which attacks rapidly dividing cells.
The study gives researchers important insights that might help them root out these cells, for example by ‘waking them up’ so chemotherapy will kill them.
In their study, the reawakening cancer cells had some similarities to a group of cancer pre-cursor cells that predated even the original bout of the disease.
Researchers also found many new genetic changes had occurred in the cancer cells when the patient relapsed.
Study leader Professor Mel Greaves, Director of the Centre for Evolution and Cancer at the ICR, said: “We have always known that in rare cases leukaemia can relapse when it appears to be cured, but what we’ve lacked is firm evidence that cancer cells can lie dormant for long periods of time.
“Our study shows a common genetic lineage linking the original leukaemia and relapsing disease decades later. It provides striking evidence of cancer evolution in action, with cancer cells able to lie dormant to avoid treatment, and then to accumulate new mutations capable of driving a new bout of disease.”
“Blood stem cells regularly fluctuate between being dormant or ‘asleep’ and dividing very quickly, so it seems cancer cells are just borrowing this trick to avoid being killed by chemotherapy. In future it might be possible to speed up the growth of these precancerous dormant cells so that they can be targeted and killed using chemotherapy, to reduce the risk of relapse even further.”
Dr Matt Kaiser, Head of Research at Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research, said: “Despite impressive cure rates for the most common form of childhood leukaemia, there are still too many children whose cancer ends up coming back. If we can build up a picture of what causes rare cases of late relapse and how we can detect and prevent it, we may be able to deliver more true cures for this terrible disease.”
[*/quote*]
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