Turning off cancer genes
In the past 40 years, scientists have learned a great deal about how cells become cancerous. Some of that knowledge has translated to new treatments, but most of the time doctors are forced to rely on standard chemotherapy and radiation, which can do nearly as much damage to the patients as they do to the tumors. This series looks at targeted treatments that are on the horizon, and what needs to be done to make them a reality.A single cancer cell may harbor dozens or even hundreds of mutant genes. Some of those genes instruct the cell to grow abnormally large, others tell it to divide repeatedly or to detach itself and roam the body looking for a new home. What if you could shut off one, two or even a dozen of those genes, all at once? Some scientists believe that they will soon be able to do just...