Are you aware that 1 in 5 people suffer from cancer at some point in their lives? According to the World Health Organisation, in 2022, over 20 million new cases of cancer were reported across the globe. The word “cancer” has always brought about fear but advancements in medical research are catapulting us to a point where this disease is curable. So, how does cancer actually work? It is a genetic disease which is a result of changes to genes. One major cause is errors in cell division. Scientists believe that they may have found a critical piece of the jigsaw puzzle to help in finding the cure! 

Recent groundbreaking research at Umea University in Sweden (2024) showed that a protein complex called the Mediator could be the key to slowing down rapid cell division. Ribosomes as well as mRNA (messenger RNA) play a crucial role in cell division. The Mediator interacts with another protein complex, Lsm1-7, to regulate proteins which make up ribosomes. Scientists have revealed that when the Mediator moves down the gene, it interacts with Lsm1-7. This interaction interferes with the development of mRNA along with the reduction of the production of ribosomal proteins, thus slowing down the process of cell division.

Fig. 1: Cell Division

However, how does this actually help us in finding a cure for cancer? Now that scientists have discovered that the position of the Mediator affects the rate of cell division, the next step is to control the location of the Mediator. The decrease in rate of cell division can result in the prevention of the rapid replication of cells in cancerous tumours. Exciting research like this acts as a beacon of hope for millions of people!

Fig. 2: mRNA

Sources:

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/05/240503111936.htm

https://www.who.int/news/item/01-02-2024-global-cancer-burden-growing–amidst-mounting-need-for-services

https://academic.oup.com/nar/advance-article/doi/10.1093/nar/gkae266/7645241#446998532

https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/understanding/what-is-cancer#:~:text=Cancer%20is%20caused%20by%20certain,tightly%20packed%20DNA%20called%20chromosomes.&text=C: Mediating a Cure for Cancer!