Discovery of Good – and Bad – Liver Stem Cells Raises Possibility of New Treatment

April 22, 2008

Many scientists believe up to 40 percent of liver cancer is caused by stem cells gone wild, but despite years spent looking, no one ever found these “cancer stem cells” or even normal stem cells in the liver until recently.

In the February 19 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center report discovering both types of stem cells, and by comparing their genetic “signatures,” they found evidence to suggest that a new type of experimental drug now being tested in other cancers might offer benefit in treating liver cancer. The study’s lead author is Lopa Mishra, M.D.,  Director of Cancer Genetics in the Department of Surgery at Georgetown University.

Please click here to learn more about the study: http://explore.georgetown.edu/news/?ID=31158.

Submit your news at any time to the GUMC Office of Communications at gumccomm@georgetown.edu.



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