New genetic code may be the key in understanding origins of ovarian cancer, new treatment options

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- A group of scientists at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) may have the key to discovering cancer's origins within the body, as well as insights into new treatment strategies for ovarian cancer.

According to a VCU scientist at the Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center, a new genetic code has been discovered.

Photo courtesy of: Madison Moore 8News

The new code acts like a cancer "ringleader," according to VCU, which recruits and deploys a "gang" of tumor cells that start a biological "turf war" by invading healthy organs and overpowering the normal cells.

The new discovery has led to what VCU believes is an entirely different understanding of the origin of cancer within the body, as well as new groundbreaking treatment strategies that could "target the growth of tumors in their earliest stages."

"We identified a biological mechanism through which cancer cells gaslight the human body, altering the genome of the host cells and forcing them into a state of low fitness, creating an enormous advantage for the cancer to take over," said study author Dr. Esha Madan.

"We have developed a monoclonal antibody which can stop this process," Madan said. "There are many targeted drugs already available to treat tumors, but for the first time ever we are enabling our entire body, beyond the immune system, to fight back against cancer."

A cancer cell's journey to becoming a tumor that is able to be diagnosed in a clinic can take time, because those cells need to take up residence in an organ and multiply first.

Dr. Rajan Gogna is an assistant professor in the Department of Human Molecular Genetics and faculty at the Department of Surgery at the Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center.

"We have been trying to tackle cancer multiple ways, we have been trying to sequence it, trying to find personalized therapy, we have been trying to target it through immune checkpoint responses -- but here, what we have found is another system which kind of works parallel to the immune biology," Gogna said during an interview with 8News.

According to Gogna, the new system is a "Neighborhood Watch Dog System" -- it checks cells that are problematic, like cancer cells.

Photo courtesy of: Madison Moore 8News

Gogna went on to further explain cancer cells' journey in the body.

"Ovarian cancer cells, the released cancer cells -- those cells are known to be there, circulating in the body, [for] at least 10 years prior to a woman walking into the clinic with ovarian cancer," Gogna said.

However, with pancreatic cancer, those cells can circulate for about 20 years.

One might wonder what's going on for that 10 or 20-year duration. Dogna said the cancer essentially is bullying our normal body organs.

"Essentially, in this 'Neighborhood Watch Dog' mechanism, cancer with 'x-y-z' systems tends to work like a local bully -- it needs space, it needs resources, [and] that space and resources [are] not readily available," Gogna said.

Cancer is more cunning than they thought it to be, Dogna said, with it telling the body that it's a cellular bully that gaslights the body into believing it's not competent enough to fight.

The research team over at the Massey Cancer Center claims they have recently found a system and therapy approach that, for the first time, is not targeting the cancer -- instead, it's trying to empower the cells of the body to mount a response against tumors.

"When they metastasize, they break from the primary site, and they have to do this whole colonization process again -- whenever they have to do so, we have a system that will allow the normal cells to not give in and give create a response against that tumor, essentially," Gogna said.

The center is looking to continue its research and says it will not give up until it finds a solution to ovarian and pancreatic cancer, and that its new discovery will have a direct impact on ovarian and pancreatic treatment in the future.

Gogna worked with his wife, Madan, during this entire process.

"Without her contributions, this would not be possible -- specifically, she's taken a great lead on ovarian cancer," Gogna said.

Photo courtesy of: Madison Moore 8News

These findings have been 12 years in the making, with half of the time spent looking for identification of how the cancer cullies the other cells around it. The other half was spent identifying the signal that cancer releases to manipulate the micro-environment around it, just so it can prey on it.

While these findings are hyper-specific to ovarian cancer, Gogna said the Massey Cancer Center is looking for the fellow citizens of Richmond and Virginia to come out and help support them in taking this to the phase one clinical trial

Gogna and his team want to take this to the phase one clinical trial, but can't do it alone.

"It must be a team effort where the local community is engaged," Gogna said.

That's why he's asking the fellow citizens of Richmond and Virginia to come out and help support the entire team involved in this process at the VCU Massey Cancer Center.

To learn more about the VCU Massey Cancer Center and its research on this topic, you can visit its website.