Study shows how to halt lung cancer

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths because of the difficulty in halting the proliferation of lung tumors which, is controlled by the development of blood vessels. Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research in Bad Nauheim and Justus Liebig University Giessen conducted a study in which tumor growth was reduced. They discovered three molecules responsible for cancer cell development. The transcription factor HIF triggers the activation of the tumor cell genes and a messenger molecule, and cAMP, is involved at the end of the process. These two molecules are linked by a third molecule, phosphodiesterase, PDE4, which has binding sites for HIF. PDE4 inhibitors were used on mice implanted with human tumor cells. Results showed 50 percent tumor growth reduction and deceleration of tumor cell division, thus making the procedure in this study a potential method for treatment of lung cancer.