Giant strides in cancer battle

Published on Saturday 3 May 2008 19:43

IT'S the Holy Grail of medical research, and every time there is talk of a treatment, it raises the hopes of tens of thousands of people, many of them desperately ill; and yet, after decades of work, a cure for cancer still eludes scientists. These are good reasons for being cautious whenever an apparent breakthrough is made in the fight against a disease that kills 15,000 Scots a year and millions more worldwide.

As we reveal today, however, it does appear that we are a step closer to a better treatment for cancer, courtesy of the work of Professor Sir David Lane. Lane gained prominence in the medical profession when he found that a human protein, known as p53, could suppress tumours, and his research to find a way to trigger this action has brought him wider public recognition. There were concerns, in fact, when Lane left Dundee University for Singapore, with some fearing his sabbatical would become a permanent move to better facilities abroad.

Luckily, Lane did return in January. But much more important than where he carries it out, his work appears to be paying dividends. Major trials of new treatments utilising p53 could be under way within five years. That Lane, a cautious man, seems so excited by the potential is itself telling. We can only wish him well in his endeavours and urge everyone who can help him, especially the funding authorities and drug companies, to do so. His appointment as Chief Scientist for Cancer Research UK suggests that this is happening, but there is still a long way to go.