Stem cells — popularly known as a source of biological rejuvenation — may play harmful roles in the body, specifically in the growth and spread of cancer. Amongst the wildly dividing cells of a tumor, scientists have located cancer stem cells.
Cancer stem cells may be at the root of brain tumors
Posted by Crush at 12/28/2007 02:07:00 PM
Labels: Brain Tumor, Stem Cells
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Buzz Apparel - Support Brain Tumor Research
Fox Valley Brain Tumor Coalition - Journey of Hope Walk
The Journey of Hope is our major fundraiser of the year, allowing us to raise most of the funds that we need to survive. This event is critical to the success of this group, so we hope you can join us!
With over 750 walkers, the Fox Valley Brain Tumor Coalition puts on a great party the Saturday after Labor Day every year. The non-competitive walk is held on the grounds of NeuroSpine Center of Wisconsin. Our paved ½ mile trail is short enough for nearly everyone to make at least one lap around, and is accessible to wheelchairs! For those who like more of a challenge, we encourage as many laps as you are able to do!
The day is a celebration of those fighting brain tumors and remembering those who have lost their battle. The walk starts with a ceremony at the Tree of Hope, with testimonials from those most affected by this disease, as well as a dedication from neurosurgeon Thomas Wascher MD, one of our biggest supporters.
Once you have built up your appetite from the walk, come in to our party tent for a great home-cooked picnic. We have fresh roasted corn-on-the-cob, hamburgers, hot dogs, chips and sweets! Vegetarian selections are available for those with restricted diets.
A huge silent auction, kids games, music, pictures and more makes this party fun for everyone!
As always, dogs are welcome, but should always be on a leash…we will provide water for our four legged friends!
Your registration cost of $10 (yes still only $10 after all these years!!!) includes a great t-shirt with all of our corporate sponsors proudly displayed, lunch and all the fun you can handle!
New this year is our online registration and personal web page, making it easier for your family and friends to support your efforts.
My Team
1 comments:
Stem cells have the infinite ability to renew themselves and produce the many different cell types that make up a human. Cancer's hallmark is its ability to grow infinitely, multiplying into various cells that make up a tumor. Is cancer the result of a normal stem cell turned bad or an ordinary cell that somehow acquires a stem cell's immortality and versatility?
Some patients' brain tumors respond to chemotherapy and some do not. A pathway/mechanim - cancer stem cells - may be the cause. To prevent cancer's return may require one therapy to shrink a tumor and another therapy to kill the abnormal seeds that sprouted it. Conventional cancer therapies have been good at shrinking tumors, but the ability to shrink tumors has little or no correlation to survival times. Newer treatments need to decrease the number of cancer stem cells.
There is a communication between stem cells and a tumor. It sends out a signal that make the different cells of the tumor and the cancer cells then (send chemical messages) that cycle back to the cancer stem cell. Every tissue and organ in the body is made of cells. In order for cells to grow, divide, or die, they send and receive chemical messages. These messages are transmitted along specific pathways that involve various genes and proteins in a cell.
A protein that governs development of human embryonic stem cells can inhibit the growth and spread (metastasis) of cancer. Embryonic stem cells can become any of 200-plus cell types in the adult body, depending on the signals they receive from their 'microenvironment' (surrounding cells, tissues and vasculature). During cancer progression, malignant cells also receive and release signals from their 'microenvironment,' cues that promote tumor growth and metastasis.
Finding the protein that prevents cancer from metastasizing, isolating factors within the human embryonic stem cell 'microenvironment,' can influence tumor cell fate and reverse the cancerous properties of metastatic tumor cells. However, it is not the only tumor suppressive factor within the embryonic 'microenvironment.' Not all genes and proteins have a critical role in the survival and growth of cancer cells.
In some cases, targeted drugs may kill tumor cells without killing microvascular cells in the same time frame. In other cases, they may kill microvascular cells without killing tumor cells. Yet in other cases, they could kill both types of cells or neither type of cells. The ability to these targeted agents to kill tumor and/or microvascular cells in the same tumor is highly variable among the different agents.
You still need to measure the net result of all cellular processes, including interactions, occurring in real time when cancer cells actually are exposed to specific cancer drugs, not just the individual molecular targets. Improving cancer patient diagnosis and treatment through a combination of cellular and gene-based testing will offer predictive insight into the nature of an individual's particular cancer and enable oncologists to prescribe treatment more in keeping with the heterogeneity of the disease.
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