PROVIDENCE – A new study co-authored by Brown University’s Dr. Jack Elias found that decreasing the level of a specific protein reduced the spread of cancer in laboratory mice.
Elias, who is dean of medicine and biological sciences at Brown University, said that the protein, Chitinase 3-like-1 (CHI3L1), exists in human beings as well and that limiting it may prove to be an effective treatment for cancer.
“We think everybody has Chitinase 3-like-1 in them because it plays a major role in our ability to fight off infections,” said Elias. “But one of the things this paper shows is that inducing this molecule seems to be very important in the ability of tumors to spread.”
Because the Elias lab’s focus is on pulmonology, he and his team are hoping experts in other organs will study CHI3L1 in other areas of the body to determine if it plays the same role.
