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Canadian team discovers gene that turns cancers off

VANCOUVER

August 13, 2007 at 6:49 PM EDT

A unique gene that can stop cancerous cells from multiplying into tumours has been discovered by a team of scientists at the B.C. Cancer Agency in Vancouver.

The team, led by Dr. Poul Sorensen, says the gene has the power to suppress the growth of human tumours in multiple cancers, including breast, lung and liver.

The gene, HACE 1, helps cells fight off stress that, left unchecked, opens the door to formation of multiple tumours.

Dr. Sorensen's team found cancerous cells form tumours when HACE 1 is inactive, but when additional stress such as radiation is added, tumour growth is rampant.

Kick-starting HACE 1 prevented those cells from forming tumours.

The study appears in the advance online publication of Nature Medicine.

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I for one am praying that this will work in fighting cancers. If they can make it go from theory to practice on humans, this will be on par with the discovery of anti-biotics, only better.

 

I hope it has some merit. I don't think Nature Medicine is a serious medical journal.

 

WTF?????

Nature is THE PINNACLE of science journals. It is the most heavily impacted journal--the one every researcher prays that they get published in. Once you get published in nature, you can be sure that your next job hunt will be easier.

But on the subject of cancer, this is great news. Unfortunately, contrary to popular belief, there are multiple causes for cancer so there will never be an end-all cure. If cancer is to be eradicated in the future, it will take multiple cures for the different types of cancer and their different underlying mechanisms of action.

 

Exactly true. Cancer is just a mutation of cells. It's not something like Strep that has the same cure regardless of what's infected.

At some point, we might even have a solid enough concept of cause/effect to setup roadblocks in the chain of possible causes, much like cervical cancer can be prevented in most people simply by getting a vaccination for something unrelated.

IMO, I think the best we can hope is that cancers with "genetic" causes can be fixed. The fact so many people still smoke tells me that you can't fix everything for everyone just because you know how.

 

First of all, does that team have a stock or IPO? And second, where are my cigarettes!?

 

Don't bother.

Whenever someone actually finds a "cure" for common forms of cancer, I can promise there will be some sort of bill passed to prevent a patient or supply/demand pricing.

I halfway think that's why less has been developed by drug companies. Nobody is going to argue drugs to fight ED "belong to humanity"... things like cancer or HIV "cures" would certainly be exempt from free market profits.

 

My mistake. Nature is a highly regarded research journal.

 

Try 100+ (known) The number of possible genetic mutations that could result in cells losing their coding to terminate or somehow jumbling up their genetic sequence due to toxins or simply replication is mind-boggling. We only got through a handful in my genetics course last spring.

 

Bleh....I guess this is just pie-in-the-sky stuff then

 

[QUOTE=s2000raj,Aug 15 2007, 07:25 AM]My mistake.