LONDON, Jan. 23 (Xinhua) -- A specific protein has been found to be associated with aggressive breast, colorectal and ovarian cancers, and researchers believe the findings could be used to assist relevant diagnosis and development of treatments, according to a study released on Wednesday by London-based Institute of Cancer Research (ICR).
A team from ICR found that the protein Dickkopf-3 (DKK3) in cancer-associated fibroblasts promotes tumor growth and spread. The DKK3 protein is known to have the ability to activate proteins involved in signaling pathways that aid tumor progression.
"This study found that the DKK3 protein, unlike other proteins in the DKK family, promotes tumor growth and development, leading to more aggressive cancers of the breast, colon and ovaries," said Dr. Fernando Calvo, who led the research at the ICR.
These findings suggest that the discovery of drugs which block the action of DKK3 may have strong therapeutic potential in treating more aggressive cancers, according to the study.
"The next step is to use the information from this study to develop drugs that target DKK3 to prevent its pro-cancer signaling, and investigate whether they have any therapeutic benefit," said Calvo.
