CANCER AND CELL GROWTH

Cancer is caused by uncontrolled cell growth and has become one of the most common diseases of our time. According to the Globocan,  20 million people worldwide developed it in 2020 alone. The WHO expects that more than 21 million people will develop malignant tumours every year from 2030. 90% of cancer-related deaths are caused by metastases.

One of the most important problems in oncology is therefore the spread of the primary tumour caused by metastases. This process involves the exfoliation and transport of viable tumour cells from the primary tumour, most commonly via the bloodstream, and subsequent growth, usually in other organs. Metastases are the main cause of fatal disease progression.

To divide, essentially all growing cells require the presence of special proteins called growth factors. Lack of access to such factors inhibits cell growth and causes the death of cells in the division cycle.

Growth factors are synthesized in bone marrow and transported in platelets in the circulation to growing cells. In cell cultures, they are added in the form of a supplement, often serum.

The left image shows growing young connective tissue cells, the right shows tumor cells. The cells were briefly 
overlaid with isolated platelets, which were then washed away. All dividing cells can bind platelets.                      

Blocking access to growth factors by interrupting their transport pathway terminates cell growth and averts chemosesistance. Cell Receptor Inc. owns important intellectual property for this.