low graphics version | feedback | help
|
| Front Page |
| World |
| UK |
| England |
| Northern Ireland |
| Scotland |
| Wales |
| UK Politics |
| Business |
| Sci/Tech |
| Health |
| Education |
| Entertainment |
| Talking Point |
| In Depth |
| AudioVideo |
|
|
 BBC Scotland's Forbes McFall"Charities hope this can provide a breakthrough in preventative treatment"  real 28k |
Researchers at Glasgow University say they have discovered why cancer cells grow so rapidly.
The scientists believe the find will be a major step towards developing drugs to combat the disease.
The research programme focused on how cancer affects the growth of individual cells in the human body.
 The Glasgow team have identified cell proteins which control growth
|
And if these "control proteins" are faulty, cells can become over-activated, leading to excessive growth and cancer.
The next stage, they say, is to develop specific drugs which will stop cells from growing abnormally and, it is hoped, prevent tumours developing.
Preventative treatment
With cancer rates in Scotland the highest in the UK and with almost half of all Scots predicted to contract some form of cancer during their lifetime, cancer charities hope this research can deliver a real breakthrough in preventative treatment.
Last month, a team from York University announced they had made a breakthrough that could lead to drugs targeting and destroying a virus linked to cervical cancer.
The said it had worked out the structure of a protein that controls the Human Papilloma virus (HPV) - thought by some to be involved in the development of cervical cancer.
|
Search BBC News Online |
|
|
 Advanced search options | |
| |
 | |
 | |
| |
|
| BBC RADIO NEWS |
| |
| |
 | BBC ONE TV NEWS |
| |
| |
| WORLD NEWS SUMMARY |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| PROGRAMMES GUIDE |
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites
E-mail this story to a friend
~RS~a~RS~international~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~10~RS~)