A new study published in the open-access journal PLoS Medicine finds that vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF) is regulates the development of tumors and can be a target for cancer treatment therapies. Researcher Kiyoshi Masuda (Department of Stress Science, Institute of Health Biosciences, University of Tokushima Graduate School, Tokushima, Japan) and colleagues note, however, that anti-VEGF monotherapy has been less effective than regular chemotherapy in clinical trials.

The Japanese researchers came to these conclusions after studying the role of vegf messenger RNA (mRNA) in colon cancer cells. They demonstrated that the cancer cells have a survival system for which vegf mRNA is responsible for regulating. This means that vegf mRNA and its protein may collaborate to foster malignancy in tumor cells. In addition, the pair acts to increase the tumor’s resistance to chemotherapy. The authors conclude that, although further research is needed to generalize these findings, combining anti-vegf transcript therapy, “In combination with anti-VEGF therapy might provide optimal anti-tumor effects, including inhibition of angiogenesis, blockade of tumor cell survival, and enhanced sensitivity to radiation and drug therapies.”

A Perspective article that accompanies the study is written by Thomas Hughes and Pamela Jones (University of Leeds, UK), two researchers who were not involved in the study. They write:

“This study has a clear implication for VEGF-targeted therapies, in that strategies to target the mRNA may be required to inhibit the full oncogenic influence of the gene. More generally, the study highlights a little-studied gene regulatory pathway that may yet prove to be far more commonplace than currently appreciated.”

A novel tumor-promoting function residing in the 59 non-coding region of vascular endothelial growth factor mRNA

Masuda K, Teshima-Kondo S, Mukaijo M, Yamagishi N, Nishikawa Y, et al.

PLoS Medicine (2008). 5(5): e94

doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.0050094

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Regulatory RNAs: Have mRNA untranslated regions joined the party?

Hughes TA, Jones PF

PLoS Medicine (2008). 5(5): e110

doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.0050110

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About PLoS Medicine

PLoS Medicine is an open access, freely available international medical journal. It publishes original research that enhances our understanding of human health and disease, together with commentary and analysis of important global health issues. For more information, visit http://www.plosmedicine.org

About the Public Library of Science

The Public Library of Science (PLoS) is a non-profit organization of scientists and physicians committed to making the world’s scientific and medical literature a freely available public resource. For more information, visit http://www.plos.org

Written by: Peter M Crosta