Scientists Find ways to Stop Cell Division

Everett Han  
P2
Mr. Mathieu
10/19/2013

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/10/131008123154.htm

Summary: The article above describes how scientists have found a way block cell division. Scientists have observed the way tumor cells divide uncontrolled and by observing the regulation of this process, have now found out a way to block mitosis. The control of cell division mainly relies on proteins. Scientists are mainly focused on Aurora and Polo because inhibitors have already been developed for them. They are currently undergoing clinical trials in oncology. Another protein that regulates cell division that is being worked on is Greatwall. The reason that this is not as hard to study is because France has now generated the first genetic model of this protein in mammals, using the mouse as a model. This model allows us to see that without the Greatwall protein,  cellular DNA does not form the right structure at the moment of cell division and the cell collapses. This prevents them from continuing to divide. Many scientists say that this is the next future cancer treatment because Greatwall blocks the function of PP2A phosphatase, a tumour suppressor frequently altered in human cancer. This implies that the inhibition of Greatwall could, at the same time, slow down cell division and reactivate tumour suppressor PP2A, a protein capable of inhibiting many of the oncogenic molecular pathways involved in cancer development. However, the key is to find the tumors of which this would work benefit from this strategy.

Relevance: This is relevant to what we are discussing in class because we are currently learning about cell division in class. We also learned that cell division occurs because of proteins. This article says that cell division is controlled by special proteins and cannot occur without these proteins. These proteins can stop or start cell division and without them, no cell division would occur. This also relates to our unit on cancer because this arivle says that stopping sell division is the next step in treating cancer. It also syas that this is used to treat tumors.