Researchers create a fly to study how a normal cell turns cancerous

This is the fruit fly with an epithelial tumor in it.

Today I read an article entitled “Researchers Create a Fly to Study How a Normal Cell Turns Cancerous”. As I was reading the article I was thinking “Yes, we have a cure for cancer!” But no, we are only one step closer on finding how normal cells turn into cancerous ones. In this article Andres Dekanty, an Argentinian scientist in the Milan Lab explains to the reader how the fruit fly can help scientists discover new information about cancerous cells. Scientists use fruit fly wings as inexpensive cells that allow them to monitor genes and molecules in each step of cancer growth. They can closely watch and monitor how the cells change and grow. “For the first time we have a genetic model that allows us to understand the events that take place, starting from when cells begin to accumulate genomic errors until the development of a tumor” stated Dekanty.

The Milan lab researchers started their experiment by “provoking genomic instability” in the wing of the fruit fly. I had to look up what “genome instability” means and to the best of my ability it means this, “An increased tendency of the genes to acquire mutations (changes) when various processes involved in maintaining and replicating the genes are dysfunctional.” Basically, what they are doing is stopping the cells from putting up their “natural defense mechanism” so they can survive. When this happened they could see the cells spread and contaminate nearby tissues. These events contribute to how cancer spreads. According to Dekanty, if they can show this genomic instability then they can work easier to find exact targets to see if genomic instability is a cause of cancer. Dekanty believes if scientists can “clearly differentiate” a bad cell from a healthy one, it will be a huge step in the developing of a drug that would only treat the cancerous cell.

I believe cancer causes pain, hurt, destruction, and uncertainty for yourself and the ones you love. However it’s fascinating to witness all the science being investigated and discovered. Who knows? Maybe in the next decade or so we will have a cure for cancer and there will be no more pain and suffering.

Check this article out!!!

http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2012/11/29/researchers_create_a_fly_to_study_how_a_normal_cell_turns_cancerous.html