Scientists opened up hope of new treatments for stomach cancer yesterday after discovering a chemical that plays a key role in its development.
The researchers from Hong Kong, China, found that the protein called RAMP is more common in stomach cancer cells than other stomach cells.
They also showed that RAMP is responsible for encouraging cell growth in cancer.
The researchers from the Chinese University of Hong Kong say they hope to move on to developing drugs that might treat cancer by blocking the protein.
Researcher Dr WK Leung said: "We have established for the first time the role that RAMP plays in stomach cancer. Working out a role for RAMP in stomach cancer gives us more information about the common, but poorly understood steps that lead to the development of this cancer."
The findings were published in the British Journal of Cancer.
Dr Lesley Walker, of Cancer Research UK, said: "One of the reasons that survival rates for stomach cancers remain low is because they are often at an advanced stage when diagnosed, so making it harder to treat successfully.
"We welcome new research that could one day help those with stomach cancer face a better prognosis."
Just 15 per cent of patients with stomach cancer last five years after diagnosis – and this is three times the rate of 25 years ago. About 7,700 people are diagnosed with the disease every year in Britain.
Leung et al. Identification of retinoic acid-regulated nuclear matrix-associated protein as a novel regulator of gastric cancer. 12 August 2009 British Journal of Cancer.
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