Can the Course of Diseases Be Predicted? This Appears Possible for Stomach Cancer

We know stomach cancer does not follow the same course in everyone. Some patients respond very well and live for many years, while in others with aggressive disease we may not see the expected treatment benefit. Whether its course can be predicted is among the most intriguing questions. A recently published study in the American Journal of Pathology reported that measuring blood levels of a specific RNA molecule (miR-506) could predict the course of stomach cancer.

What Is Micro RNA and Its Relationship with Cancer?

I would like to explain what micro RNAs (miRNA) are and where they come from through an analogy. Consider the chromosomesin the nucleus of each cell, containing all our information, as a personal library. The books of this library called chromosomes are DNA molecules. These books preserve our genetic information long-term and pass it to future generations. DNA is the mother of books and a kind of template. Like a book, it contains lines, pages, important and less important headings, and much writing we understand or have not yet understood. Protein and RNA and other cell components are produced using genetic instructionsthat form an important part of DNA content. The DNA book has headings called genes , containing information about life's building blocks, proteins. Proteins are synthesized by reading and copying information in the DNA book's sections called genes. We can compare proteins, the final products, to construction materials. These various materials come together to form organs… Here, miRNAmolecules play critical roles in converting genetic information into proteins. They are noncoding RNAs, formed by genes copied from DNA (transcription) but not translated into proteins. Previously thought nonfunctional because they did not become proteins, some were recently discovered to promote cancer development (oncomiRs), while others suppress it. A change in DNA (mutation) may increase cancer-promoting miRNAs or reduce/disrupt cancer-suppressing ones. This is thought to be a fundamental mechanism of cancer formation. The newly discovered miR-506, discussed today, is thought to be a micro RNA with tumor-suppressing properties .

The study found longer survival in stomach cancer patients with high microRNA 506 (miR-506) levels in stomach tissue samples. Its ability to predict disease course therefore suggests miR-506 may be a good marker for stomach cancer. It was also discovered that miR-506 suppresses tumor vascularization(angiogenesis), which plays an important role in cancer growth and spread. Researchers therefore concluded that miR-506 suppresses stomach cancer cell spread, making miR-506-related processes a potential treatment target.

In conclusion, cancer is highly complex, and controlling its development and spread is possible through better understanding of the molecular mechanisms causing it. Predicting the course of a difficult disease such as stomach cancer offers substantial benefits for patients, families and physicians. Seeing a new door open in cancer treatment every day lets us look to the future with hope.