“Mutant Genes” against cancer
posted in Cancer |
A team from the University of California studied mice that inherited a wrong number of chromosomes are rich in genes and found that this error had caused cancer in some animals, but had avoided the development of the disease in others.
The researchers hope that in future, be able to manufacture drugs that block the supply of the correct number of chromosomes to new cells in order to destroy certain cancers.
The scientists explained their idea of what they call the “aneuploidy therapy” in the latest issue of the journal Cancer Cell.
“Consequence or cause?
It is known that aneuploidy, too few or too many chromosomes, is linked to cancer.
What is unclear is whether it is simply a consequence of mutations in the genes that cause tumors or if it directly causes cancer by promoting mutations in these genes.
Each human cell usually has 23 pairs of chromosomes: in each of the first 22 chromosome pairs are inherited from the mother and one father, while the 23rd pair of chromosomes determine sex.
The cells of mice normally have 20 pairs, but the researchers studied animals with highly variable amounts of chromosomes to see if aneuploidy increased their chance of getting cancer.
Suppressor gene
Indeed, mice with the wrong number of chromosomes were more likely to develop tumors as they aged than other mice.
However, when scientists were added other genetic errors animals susceptible to cancer, the disease development was reduced.
The team also studied mice lacking a tumor suppressor gene that helps control cell growth.
As expected, mice lacking this gene were more prone to getting cancer.
When scientists created mice without the gene and a high proportion of aneuploidy, also slowed tumor growth.
“This study opens the door to a broad range of potential therapeutic targets against cancer,” the investigation team leader, Beth Weaver.
“By increasing the level of genetic damage, we can kill these cancer cells,” he added.