Is this the cure for cancer?

Part of the process of cancer is angiogenesis - the creation of blood supply to feed the rapidly dividing cells. One theory has been that if you can kill the blood supply, you can kill the cancer. Well the gentic component for growth of new arteries was just discovered.

Source

The research article does not specifically mention cancer, but my thought is that the gene responsible for artery growth will rapidly be funded for anti cancer research.

I am not a biologist so presuming that the body no longer grows arteries then it would seem like a potentially viable solution.
If bodies still keep growing arteries, or the same gene is responsible for repairing them etc, then how would they be able to administer a drug that would only target cancer growing arteries? I am not questioning, I just have no idea at all, could be a standard practice for what I know!

I do however like the way you looked beyond the original document and start to look at application.......that is how most inventions occur. How cool would it be if you are the person that discovers this ?

Of course posting that idea here means that ATS owns it

[edit on 30/11/05 by Strodyn]

Hah...let ATS own it. They can fund it better than I can.
I am a biology graduate student, but genetics and I never got along too well. I prefer working with cells or something I can see - so I work with neurological cell biology. Anyway, if it would go into the area of cancer research my thoughts would be that there would first be a study if lab mice that are genetically altered at birth where they can switch off the gene responsible for artery growth at some time. If that works, the next logical step would be drug applications. Drug wise. I think it would be possible to use a viral vector retrovirus that would basically alter the DNA of cells so that they would essentially turn off the artery growth gene at a time where possible cancerous tumor growth is detected.

If I had research funding and a better working knowledge of molecular genetics - that's what I would do.

[edit on 30-11-2005 by carlwfbird]

Of course posting that idea here means that ATS owns it

Not true.


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[edit on 30-11-2005 by sardion2000]

[edit on 30-11-2005 by sardion2000]

[edit on 30-11-2005 by sardion2000] That better

[edit on 30-11-2005 by sardion2000]

Originally posted by carlwfbird
I think it would be possible to use a viral vector retrovirus that would basically alter the DNA of cells so that they would essentially turn off the artery growth gene at a time where possible cancerous tumor growth is detected.

If I had research funding and a better working knowledge of molecular genetics - that's what I would do.

Without meaning to sound patronising someone is going to to this, so goodluck to you. You could end up saving a friends, a relatives or my life


[edit on 30/11/05 by Strodyn]