Researchers at Johns Hopkins University have developed what may become a simple new series of tests for some types of cancer. Dr. David Sidransky even sees a day when smokers could get routine annual tests of their lungs' fluids to see if cancer is beginning. Sidransky and a team of researchers found that in cancer patients, changes in a part of human cells called mitochondria can be detected in body fluids associated with the cancer site. They report their findings in today's issue of the journal Science . N.Y. Anderson, who was not part of the research team, noted that the findings could help physicians treating cancer patients who want to see if the disease has returned after therapy.
Mitochondria are parts of human cells that provide energy for the cell.
Like the cell nucleus, they contain DNA, the complex set of instructions for the cell. But unlike the nucleus, which gets DNA from each parent, mitochondria are inherited only from the mother. Researchers have known that mitochondria were important in cancer, as far as giving energy to the tumor, Sidransky said. But we never imagined that we'd find these mutations. About a year ago, he said, the team saw a report of mitochondrial mutations associated with colon cancer and decided to investigate further.