The researchers used an experimental molecule called GO289, which specifically targets an enzyme (CK2) that plays an important role in circadian cycles and in the activity of four proteins that are fundamental for cell growth and survival, and hence managed to interfere with the lifespan of cancer cells. In laboratory tests conducted on osteosarcoma cells (bone cancer cells), it was discovered that the GO289 molecule slowed down the cancer cells’ circadian clock, without changing the cycles of healthy cells, which prevented the tumour from growing and metastasizing. The exact same effects have also been observed in renal cell carcinoma, another demonstration of the importance of regulating circadian rhythms, which also supports the idea that the same mechanism can be used, in the future, against other types of cancer cells.
