New Method ‘Starves’ Cancer Cells to Death
13th July 2013
“Cancer cells grow and divide much more rapidly than normal cells, meaning they have a much higher demand for and are often starved of, nutrients and oxygen,” said Chris Proud, Professor of Cellular Regulation in Biological Sciences at the University of Southampton in U.K..
“We have discovered that a cellular component, eEF2K, plays a critical role in allowing cancer cells to survive nutrient starvation, whilst normal, healthy cells do not usually require eEF2K in order to survive.
“Therefore, by blocking the function of eEF2K, we should be able to kill cancer cells, without harming normal, healthy cells in the process,” Mr. Proud said.