SRCC is a rare, aggressive colorectal cancer variant, more common in India. It spreads fast, resists treatment, and affects younger people. Scientists at Tata Memorial Centre developed lab models (PDOs, PDXs) to study SRCC, discovering a three-drug combination that shrinks tumors and prevents spread, offering hope for targeted therapies.
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Scientists have developed new lab models to study Signet Ring Cell Carcinoma (SRCC) and test treatments.
SRCC is a rare and aggressive type of colorectal cancer (CRC). It gets its name because, under a microscope, its cells look like signet rings (a finger ring with a flat top).
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Colorectal cancer (CRC), also known as bowel cancer, or rectal cancer, is a type of cancer that starts in the colon or rectum, which are part of the large intestine. It is the third most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the world. However, SRCC is an uncommon variant of CRC. |
SRCC spreads quickly, resists traditional treatments like chemotherapy, and is diagnosed at advanced stages. This makes it one of the deadliest forms of colon cancer.
Globally, SRCC accounts for only about 1% of all colorectal cancer cases. However, in India, it affects a much larger group of people—about 10 times more than in other countries. It also tends to affect younger individuals and spreads to the peritoneum, which is the lining of the abdominal cavity.
Scientists from the Tata Memorial Centre developed new ways to study SRCC. They created lab models called patient-derived organoids (PDOs) and patient-derived xenografts (PDXs). These are miniature versions of real SRCC tumors grown in petri dishes or implanted into mice.
By testing different drug combinations on the PDOs and PDXs, the team found specific weak spots in SRCC tumors. One promising discovery was a three-drug combination that not only shrank tumors but also stopped the cancer from spreading in lab models.
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PRACTICE QUESTION Q. CAR T-cell therapy differs from chemotherapy in which of the following ways? A) CAR T-cell therapy uses mass-produced injectable medications. B) CAR T-cell therapy utilizes a patient’s own immune cells. C) Chemotherapy targets specific cancer mutations. D) Chemotherapy is more personalized than CAR T-cell therapy. Answer: B Explanation: CAR T-cell therapy is a form of immunotherapy. It involves extracting a patient's T-cells (a type of immune cell), genetically engineering them in a laboratory to produce special receptors on their surface called Chimeric Antigen Receptors (CARs), growing large numbers of these modified cells, and then infusing them back into the patient. These engineered CAR T-cells can then specifically recognize and kill cancer cells. This process is highly personalized as it uses the patient's unique immune cells. Chemotherapy involves using drugs (chemicals) that kill rapidly dividing cells. While effective against cancer cells (which divide quickly), these drugs also affect normal rapidly dividing cells (like those in hair follicles, bone marrow, and the digestive tract), leading to common side effects. Chemotherapy drugs are generally mass-produced medications and do not utilize the patient's own cells. |
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