Researchers have discovered a new way to slow the growth of prostate cancer. For the first time, experiments have successfully targeted the activity of non-cancerous cells that promote tumor growth. Scientists are now able to slow the development of prostate cancer by changing the way these fibroblast cells function. The discovery has the potential to form the basis of a “revolution” in the treatment of the disease, according to lead researcher Dr Axel Thomson of the Medical Research Council in Edinburgh. The new method, which targets fibroblasts, can be highly effective, as well as lead to significantly fewer side effects than other therapies, the scientists specify. When conducting laboratory studies, experts found that activating key genes in fibroblast cells in prostate tumors dramatically reduced their size. Fibroblasts are found in close proximity to cancer cells, and although they are not cancerous in themselves, they promote tumor growth, the scientists explain. NEWS_MORE_BOX Previous studies by the same research team identified a number of “puppeteer genes”, so named because they allow fibroblast cells to control the growth of other cells during prostate formation in the embryo. According to the latest data, the activation of these genes in fibroblasts in tumors makes it possible to significantly reduce the growth of prostate cancer, says Dr. Axel Thomson. The discovery was published in the journal Disease Models and Mechanisms.