EDINBURGH, December 16 (Sputnik), Mark Hirst – Academics at the University of the West of Scotland have discovered a protein in cells that prevents cancer from developing in what Taranjit Singh Rai, one of the scientists who led the research, told Sputnik News Agency could become a “breakthrough” in the fight against the disease. “This discovery is the start of what could become a bigger breakthrough,” Rai told Sputnik on Tuesday. “We have discovered this new mechanism which stops cells becoming cancer cells. We are dealing with the mechanism whereby a cell can stop cancer.” The six-year study undertaken by Rai and colleagues at Glasgow University and the Beatson Institute of Cancer Research has found a protein, known as HIRA, that prevents cancer developing and although the study only focused on skin cells the scientists believe it will play a significant role in other types of cancers. “I expect this protein to be important in the majority of cancers, but it is still very early days,” Rai told Sputnik. The scientist said firstly it was important to understand the process of a cell becoming a cancer cell. Currently, when cancer is found, attempts are made to remove the affected cells by surgery or treatment such as chemotherapy. “Talking about treatment in the context of this discovery is not the right way to go. What we have done has been to take a step back and understand the basics of what is happening first,” Rai added.
