Ah receptor - UC Davis research

Hi Everyone-

Thought you might find this blurb interesting/encouraging. It's from a UC Davis publication out of the College of Argiculture and Environmental Sciences. I received the Fall issue in the mail last week and just saw this particular article. It's online at http://outlook.ucdavis.edu Fall, 2010 issue and it's on Page 12. It's amazing where one will find information these days. Maybe some day, Dr. Matsumura will say "ah ha!"

Suzanne

Fumio Matsumura
Targeting cancer cells
Professor Fumio Matsumura has studied the effects
of contaminants on living organisms for decades.
Recently, the environmental toxicologist made an
unexpected discovery about one molecule (the Ah
receptor) that could lead to better cancer treatments.
When Matsumura came to UC Davis in 1987 from
Michigan State University, he had been examining the
effect of dioxins on fish in the Great Lakes. Dioxins are
persistent environmental pollutants formed primarily
through industrial processes, and are known to cause
cancer and other adverse health effects.
Gradually, Matsumura’s interests shifted to the
effect of dioxins on human health and to a protein
molecule called the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (Ah
receptor). Receptors are like little doors on cells that
allow chemical messengers, such as hormones, to
deliver a signal to the cell. The Ah receptor allows
dioxins to deliver a toxic message to cells.
Matsumura wondered why the Ah receptor persevered
through evolution if its presence threatens the
organism, and hypothesized that it must have some
additional function. “At the beginning, we’re purely
interested in the mechanisms,”said Matsumura, a
distinguished professor in the Department of Environmental
Toxicology and the UC Davis Cancer Center.
The Matsumura team discovered that cells that
overexpress Ah receptors are more difficult to kill,
giving them a survival advantage. They also found
that some malignant types of breast cancer cells
produce extra Ah receptors, helping them to grow
more aggressively. This discovery means the Ah
receptor could possibly be a target for therapeutic
approaches to cancer. The Matsumura laboratory
has begun investigating natural compounds that will
effectively block the Ah receptor in breast cancer cells,
making them easier to kill.
“Breakthroughs in science usually come from
people who can find the simplest way to attack a
complex problem,” said Matsumura. “Sometimes you
have no idea that something might lead to a cancer
cure.” – RD