New Discovery: Cancer Cells Forced to Self-Destruct?

 

Professor Dr David Teh, a Senior Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon sent me this new discover in the link below how cancer cells can be made to self-destruct (apoptosis)

https://bgr.com/science/scientists-found-a-new-way-to-make-cancer-cells-self-destruct/

Although this discovery is very new and recent, I can still give my comment because cancer cells may still be able to generate new blood vessels (angiogenesis) to support their growth. I cannot comment further, except below, not until the scientists can investigate more as this discovery is so recent

Briefly, researchers have indeed made strides in creating a new compound designed to induce apoptosis (self-destruction) in cancer cells. They achieved this by fusing two proteins: BCL6, a protein that normally inhibits apoptosis in certain cancers, with CDK9, which reactivates the cell death pathway. By re-enabling apoptosis, this compound targets the cancer cells’ reliance on BCL6 for survival. This approach could be promising, especially since it aims to avoid harming healthy cells, unlike chemotherapy and radiation. Early testing in mice with blood cancer is underway to assess its effectiveness. This is a compelling direction, given how cancer cells often evade apoptosis and even stimulate angiogenesis for growth.  If successful, this technique could indeed mark a breakthrough in precision cancer therapy.

My feeling about this is, even though initial results are encouraging, we have no idea how the cancer cells may be able to circumnavigate this induction? We need to wait and see if the results are applicable to other types of cancers as the study currently is done in rats. What about in human cancers, and many types too from carcinomas to sarcomas

While initial animal studies show promise, cancer's adaptability remains a challenge, and how human cancers will respond is still uncertain. Tumours are highly resilient and can develop mechanisms to counter therapeutic interventions, including apoptosis-inducing strategies. Applying this to diverse human cancers—such as carcinomas, sarcomas, leukaemia, and lymphomas—will require extensive testing, and the cellular heterogeneity in each cancer type adds complexity.

If human trials confirm efficacy across types, it could revolutionize treatment, but it’s a cautious optimism until then.

This is my opinion at the moment after reading the link sent to me by Dr David Teh. Although I am now a retired medical research scientist officially, but my mind biologically has not rested or retired. I have adapted for survival. Indeed, I have extended my study after retirement and have gone into evolutionary medicine or Darwinian medicine at postdoctoral level at the  University of Cambridge.  Evolutionary medicine is a very new branch of medicine but a rapidly developing field that applies the principles of evolutionary biology to help explain and prevent human disease.

Briefly explained, no matter what strategies scientists like to use to challenge the cancer cells, they will adapt and evolve when the environment for their continued survival is confronted. That’s how Nature works since the creation of life here on this Planet Earth 3.7 billion years ago.

This is evolutionary medicine I am familiar with, not just ordinary clinical medicine or even deeper cellular medicine, or even still deeper into molecular medicine.

 Cancer cells’ ability to adapt and survive mirrors the broader evolutionary strategies seen across life forms on Earth. Just as organisms evolve mechanisms to thrive in challenging environments, cancer cells develop resistance and can even exploit therapies intended to destroy them. This adaptability indeed exemplifies Darwinian principles, where the “fittest” cells—those that mutate to resist treatment—often survive and propagate. It’s a humbling reminder of the complexity of life, even at its most destructive.

Overcoming this resilience in cancer treatment remains a monumental challenge. Scientists are now exploring adaptive therapies that account for these evolutionary dynamics, aiming to “out-evolve” the cancer, but it will likely require a multi-faceted approach and careful monitoring to stay ahead.

This is my humble opinion as we, scientists and doctors, are losers against the Might of God who programmed all life here in this world for them to stay and remain unchallenged.

Ju-boo lim