Bulletin No. 2, 2012

How Cells Cheat Death 29 Professor Fung compares chemical-induced apoptosis to demolition of buildings. ‘During the process of apoptosis, enzymes break up chromosomal DNA like demolition workers taking down a building. If you say: “Well, I don’t want to take it down now, please rebuild it.” Then, the DNA damage has to be repaired. But DNA repair may go wrong. It’s like you won’t have a hundred per cent original after you have taken down and rebuilt a historical building. The surviving cells may bear chromosomal abnormalities and acquire mutations. Certain mutations will lead to uncontrolled cell growth and proliferation. That means reversal of apoptosis may cause normal cells to become carcinogenic.’ In the case of cancer cells, the cells that undergo reversal of apoptosis after anticancer treatment could acquire new mutations and thus transform into more aggressive and metastatic cancers. The good news is that the research team found that soybean extract, with an anticancer compound known as genistein, could inhibit the recovery from apoptosis in cancer cells. In future studies, the researchers plan to test the extract on animals and carry out human clinical trials. The research team’s finding provides a new route to understanding the basic biology, and suggests new therapies such as enhancing the effect of chemotherapy by inhibiting anastasis. Healthy cell (untreated) Apoptotic dying cell (treated) Cell after washing Apply inducer Wash inducer off DNA alertations as a consequence Cancer cells become more aggressive Normal cells can transform to tumour cells