For Cancer Therapy, Radiation Protection and Delayed Tumor Growth from the Same Mechanism
This article was originally published in Start Up
Executive Summary
A group at the National Cancer Institute has shown that blocking the activity of the glycoprotein thrombospondin-1 protects surrounding tissue from the effects of ionizing radiation while, at the same time, sensitizing tumor cells to the effects of the radiation blast. The work could lead to new adjunctive cancer therapies--especially in breast cancer, to ablate residual tumor cells following reconstructive surgery.