Scientists target Muc4

UC Davis Cancer Center scientists say the Muc4 protein may be the key to breast cancer’s spread to other organs and resistance to therapeutic treatment. The study, published in the April 1 issue of Cancer Research, is one of the first to characterize the role of Muc4 in the disease.

Kermit Carraway, senior author, said Muc4 is not always expressed in primary breast cancer tumors, yet it can be present in lymph node metastases — leading him to suspect that Muc4 may have a specialized function in metastasis.

“Breast cancer deaths are caused by metastasis, not by the primary tumor,” explained Carraway, an associate professor of biochemistry and molecular medicine. “It’s at that point that the disease also becomes difficult to treat. We think that Muc4 may be packing a one-two punch by promoting the release of breast cancer cells from the primary tumor and then inhibiting their death.”

Graduate student Heather Workman, lead author, said: “We now need to refine our understanding of this disruption process in order to find ways to interfere with it. There currently are no drugs that target Muc4, and this research will help change that.”

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— Karen Finney, UC Davis Health System

Lilies can be fatal to cats

Springtime brings lilies to many homes — and this reminder from UC Davis veterinarians: For cats, many lilies can be as lethal as they are lovely.

Every plant in the genus Lilium produces a chemical that can cause a cat to suffer fatal kidney failure. The chemical is present throughout the plants; a cat can be sickened simply by biting a leaf or petal, licking pollen from its paws or drinking water from a vase of cut lilies. Easter, stargazer and Asiatic lilies seem to be the most hazardous.

Symptoms include vomiting, lethargy or loss of appetite, said Professor Larry Cowgill, co-director of the UC Veterinary Medical Center-San Diego “If cat owners suspect lily poisoning, they should contact their veterinarian immediately, because a cat that has consumed the lily toxin very likely will experience kidney failure within 36 to 72 hours unless it receives appropriate treatment.”

Calla lilies and peace lilies, which do not belong to the Lilium genus, are harmless to cats.

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— Pat Bailey