A revolutionary key was discovered by the Australian scientists, which could change the way, cancers are treated. Normally for the treatment of cancers chemotherapy and radiotherapy were used, now it is believed that a new drug will soon be invented to cure this disease.
This revolutionary key which researchers have identified is a gene called as “hSSB1“. Cancerous cells need this super protein to survive, but normal cells can function without this gene.
Till now chemotherapy and radiotherapy were the main technique to cure cancer. But according to Dr Cuneddu “Not only does chemotherapy kill off the cancerous cells, it also kills off healthy cells, leading to severe nausea, fatigue, hair loss and in some cases death, this drug could revolutionise how cancers are treated and potentially put an end to aggressive DNA-damaging chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatments”.
Another news published in the famous journal Nature was that an ancient single celled organism was found in boiling sulphuric acid pools in Iceland by Derek Richard, from the Queensland Institute of Medical Research, known as archaea, which can survive most extreme environmental conditions, relying on hSSB1, to protect and repair DNA. Scientists have discovered the same protein in human beings beings.
“When we discovered this gene we thought it might be important for DNA repair and genome stability, but we were amazed by just how important it seems to be,” said Professor Malcolm White, from the University of St Andrews in Britain.
“An average cell’s DNA is damaged 30,000 times a day, from various genetic changes as well as environmental factors such as exposure to toxic chemicals and UV radiation, etc. and without hSSB1 these cells cannot repair their genes.
The next challenge is to find out how it signals that DNA is damaged, and determine if it plays a role in the development of cancer or in patients’ responses to chemotherapy and radiotherapy,” says DR Richard.
QIMR and drug discovery firm Cancer Therapeutics are now working on making a new drug that will target the hSSB1 gene, destroying the cancerous cells leaving the healthy cells intact.
Source :- Sydney Morning Herald.
Filed under Cancer, Health
Related?
'Silencing' single gene in lung cancer disrupts genome functioningDecember 30th, 2008 WASHINGTON - 'Silencing' a single gene in lung cancer disrupts functioning of genome in cancer cases, according to a new study. Researchers also found a strong link between modification of the key gene, MTHFR, and tobacco use by lung cancer patients - even if the patient had smoked for a short period of time.
Newly discovered gene fusion may improve prostate cancer diagnosisJuly 24th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Researchers have found a new gene fusion that is highly expressed in a subset of prostate cancers-a discovery that could lead to more accurate prostate cancer testing and new targets for potential treatments. According to researchers from NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, gene fusions - a hybrid gene formed from two previously separated genes - may be at the root of what causes cancer cells to grow more quickly than normal cells.
Altered gene may make some people prone to schizophreniaApril 8th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Rutgers geneticists have announced the discovery of a specific DNA change that may make some people prone to schizophrenia. Lead researcher Linda Brzustowicz says that her team's study provides a potential mechanism that may be a point of entry for drug therapy, consistent with the growing trend of personalized medicine.
'Harmless' gene mutation can trigger bowel cancerJuly 16th, 2009 SYDNEY - A widespread gene mutation, once thought to be a trivial abnormality, adds significantly to the risk of developing bowel cancer, according to a new study. Western Australian Institute for Medical Research (WAIMR) deputy director John Olynyk, who co-authored the study, said people with the defect -- present in one in every 36 Caucasians -- and who had a cancer pre-disposing abnormality were three times more likely to develop bowel cancer.
Lung cancer susceptibility gene identifiedApril 16th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A gene, known as RGS17, has been identified as a distinct gene linked to increased lung cancer susceptibility and development in a new study. Cancer cell biologists at the University of Cincinnati (UC) say that this gene can predispose people with a strong family history of lung cancer towards developing the disease.
Vital Kidney Cancer Gene Identified: Promises Effective TherapyMarch 9th, 2006 Italian researchers have identified a gene that plays a key role in the formation of blood cells that feed kidney tumours. The gene, called Pax2, plays a positive role in the development of children's kidneys but can lead to cancer in adults if it is switched on by mistake, said Turin University researcher Benedetta Bussolati.
Gene therapy improves vision for as long as one yearAugust 13th, 2009 Washington, Aug 13 (ANI): Three patients, who received gene therapy for an inherited form of blindness, continued having vision improvements even after a year, a new study has revealed. This is the first study to report one-year gene therapy safety and efficacy results in treating young adults with Leber Congenital Amaurosis (LCA), a hereditary condition that causes severe vision impairment in infants and children.
Key gene behind inflammatory breast cancer identifiedJune 15th, 2009 LONDON - A gene called eIF4G1 has been found to be over expressed in many cases of inflammatory breast cancer (IBC), and is believed to trigger the proliferation of the disease, according to a study. Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is the most lethal form of primary breast cancer, often striking women in their prime and causing death within 18 to 24 months.
