CU sniffs out cancer link in mothballs
Bill Scanlon, Rocky Mountain News
Published June 21, 2006 at midnight
BOULDER - Colorado researchers have helped figure out why mothballs and air fresheners can cause cancer - their chemicals block the natural process of "cell suicide," allowing tumors to develop.
University of Colorado biologists used worms as guinea pigs for the research, the implications of which could be enormous.
An inability to go through the natural cell suicide process causes most cancers and autoimmune diseases.
Conversely, a runaway cell suicide causes Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease.
"For the first time, we have developed a systematic way to screen virtually any potential cancer-causing chemical that may affect humans," said CU biology professor Ding Xue.
Xue and CU's David Kokel, along with two scientists at Baylor University, published their findings in the June issue of Nature Chemical Biology.
Mothballs contain naphthalene, and some air fresheners have para-dichlorobenzene or PDCB, both proven carcinogens.
Until now, scientists haven't known why those chemicals promote cancer.
The CU team found that the chemicals block enzymes that start cell death, or apoptosis, which puts the brakes on unchecked cell proliferation that triggers cancerous tumors.
Featured
-
DPS improvements
This interactive shows you how schools will benefit under the bond proposal.
-
2008 Voter’s Guide
Use our Ballot Builder tool to compare your viewpoints to the candidates.
-
Broncos Game Action
Slide shows of the Broncos-Jags quarter-by-quarter photos from Invesco.
-
Bronco Dean's rant
Listen to Bronco Dean's totally biased postgame rant about the Broncos-Jaguars game.
-
A Dozen on Denver
Manuel Ramos' story is featured this week on 'A Dozen on Denver.' Check it out!
-
Peak Picks
Submit your fall foliage photos to our contest and vote on other submissions.
-
Presidential Elections
See how Colorado counties have voted through the years.
-
County election profiles
A look at how residents in each Colorado county may vote.
-
A dream fulfilled
A Rocky Mountain News and MediaStorm production
Post your comment
Registration is required. Click here to create your free user account, or login below.
Comments are the sole responsibility of the person posting them. You agree not to post comments that are off topic, defamatory, obscene, abusive, threatening or an invasion of privacy. Violators may be banned. Click here for our full user agreement.