Carbohydrate acts as tumor suppressor

LA JOLLA, Calif., July 13 (UPI) -- U.S. researchers say they've discovered specialized complex sugar molecules called glycans can act as tumor suppressors in breast and prostate cancers.

The Burnham Institute for Medical Research scientists said the glycans play a critical role in cell adhesion in normal cells, and their decrease or loss leads to increased cell migration by invasive cancer cells and metastasis.

The researchers, led by Professor Minoru Fukuda, said an increase in expression of the enzyme that produces the glycans resulted in a significant reduction in tumor activity.

"These results indicate that certain carbohydrates on normal cells and enzymes that synthesize those glycans … function as tumor suppressors," Fukuda said, noting the finding might lead to a new way to treat cancer.

The research appeared in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.