November 22, 2008
Colon Cancer has New Foe
A new gene might yield therapy for colon cancer.
In experiments with mice, researchers have uncovered a gene that may have the potential to suppress cancers of the colon and rectum. The gene, Atp5a1, is an essential part of any cell's energy-production system. In mice that had a mutation of this gene, the number of precancerous polyps in the digestive tract was reduced by about 95 percent, researchers said.
The findings are published in the March online edition of "Genome Research". Finding this gene opens the potential for new targets for therapy. Researchers have reason to believe this gene is important in maintaining the health of cells.
In addition, the tiny organisms that cause African sleeping sickness cause the loss of Atp5a1 gene function, which leads to death, the report said. According to the report, mice that have two copies of the mutated Atp5a1 gene die during embryonic development, likely because of insufficient energy production.
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