Biochemistry of Cancer
For the first time, biochemical differences between normal and virus-transformed cancer cells have been detected.
The inability of scientists to detect the differences which they felt must exist has long been a source of frustration.
They knew that certain viruses can cause cancer in animals, but they did not know how certain viruses invade and transform an animal's normal cells into tumorigenic cells which take on new properties. The new properties include: an ability to produce malignant tumors upon inoculation into appropriate animals, the appearance of new antigens, and the loss of contact inhibition.
The new findings were reported at the American Chemical Society by Roscoe O. Brady, MD, assistant chief of the neurochemistry laboratory at the National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke (NINDS).
The investigators found that gangliosides, complex glycolipids which are highly concentrated in normal cell membranes, change markedly after mouse cells are transformed
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