Molecular Switch Identified That Controls Key Cellular Process: Gives Insight Into Cancer

ScienceDaily (Aug. 1, 2012) — The body has a built-in system known as autophagy, or 'self-eating,' that controls how cells live or die. Deregulation of autophagy is linked to the development of human diseases, including neural degeneration and cancer.

• 研究團隊discovered a critical molecular switch that regulates autophagy. They also studied the links between autophagy and a cellular process called senescence that stops cell growth permanently. 
• ASPP2, a tumor suppressor, as a molecular switch that can dictate the ability of a common cancer gene, known as the RAS oncogene, to either stop or promote senescence. 
• We found that in the presence of the common cancer-causing RAS oncogene, ASPP2 interacted with a protein complex that is responsible for deciding cell fate via autophagy. [oncogene: A gene that in certain circumstances can transform a cell into a tumor cell]
• Some of the recently developed anti-cancer drugs are potent inducers of autophagy. The new findings may also offer an explanation as to why patient response to these drugs can vary dramatically. 

Journal Reference:

1. Y. Wang, X. D. Wang, E. Lapi, A. Sullivan, W. Jia, Y.-W. He, I. Ratnayaka, S. Zhong, R. D. Goldin, C. G. Goemans, A. M. Tolkovsky, X. Lu. Autophagic activity dictates the cellular response to oncogenic RAS. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2012; DOI:10.1073/pnas.1120193109