NEW YORK, Nov 6, 2008 (UPI via COMTEX) -- U.S. medical scientists say they've
determined chronic inflammation can cause stomach cancer -- the second leading
cause of cancer deaths in the world.
The multi-center research team led by Columbia University Medical Center said it
discovered, for the first time, that elevated levels of a single
pro-inflammatory cytokine, an immune system protein called IL-1 Beta, can start
the progression towards stomach cancer. The scientists said they hope their
finding will lead to development of ways to block the process, thereby
preventing cancer from developing.
"This study shows that accumulation of IL-1 Beta, which is induced by infection
with the bacterium Helicobacter pylori in the gastrointestinal tract, is a
significant contributor to the onset of stomach cancer," said Dr. Timothy Wang,
a professor of medicine and lead author of the study. "We show in this study
that IL-1Beta works by activating a type of white blood cell known as myeloid
derived suppressor cells, which in our study appeared to be strongly
pro-inflammatory. Blocking IL-1Beta or the myeloid cells may represent a
potential strategy to prevent stomach cancer."
The study is reported in the journal Cancer Cell.
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Copyright 2008 by United Press International